The Port of Missing Men (novel)

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The Port of Missing Men
The Port of Missing Men.png
Title page for The Port of Missing Men (1907)
Author Meredith Nicholson
IllustratorClarence F. Underwood
Cover artistFranklin Booth
LanguageEnglish
Genre Thriller, Ruritanian romance
Publisher Bobbs-Merrill Company
Publication date
1907
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover)

The Port of Missing Men is a 1907 thriller and romance novel by the American author Meredith Nicholson. Following the success of his 1905 bestseller The House of a Thousand Candles , this novel cemented Nicholson's reputation as a premier writer of popular fiction. It was the second best-selling book in the United States for the year 1907. [1]

Contents

The novel is a "Ruritanian" adventure transplanted to American soil, involving Austrian imperial succession, political assassination, and a siege at a remote estate in the hills of Virginia.

Plot summary

The story centers on John Armitage, a mysterious and dashing young man living in Europe. Though he appears to be an expatriate American, he possesses deep knowledge of Austrian politics. In Geneva, he meets Shirley Claiborne, the daughter of a prominent American diplomat, and her brother, Captain Richard Claiborne. Armitage falls in love with Shirley but is haunted by a secret past.

Armitage is actually involved in the succession crisis of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He holds documents capable of toppling the conspiracy of a faction that supports a pretender to the throne. The conspiracy is led by the villainous Jules Chauvenet, who seeks to suppress the truth about the "missing" Archduke Johann Salvator (based on the real-life John Orth).

When the Austrian Prime Minister, Count von Stroebel, is murdered, Armitage realizes he must return to America to protect the secret documents and himself. He travels to Washington, D.C., pursued by Chauvenet and his assassins.

The action culminates at Armitage's remote estate in the Virginia hills, which he calls "The Port of Missing Men"—a sanctuary for those who wish to disappear from the world. There, Armitage and Richard Claiborne defend the house against a siege by Chauvenet's mercenaries. After a series of battles and tactical maneuvers, Armitage defeats the conspirators.

In the resolution, it is revealed that Armitage has a legitimate claim to the Austrian throne (implied to be the son of the missing Archduke). However, having secured the political stability of the Empire, he chooses to renounce his royal heritage. He declares his preference for life as an American citizen and marries Shirley Claiborne. [2]

Characters

Themes

Like many popular romances of the era (such as those by George Barr McCutcheon), The Port of Missing Men contrasts the decay and corruption of "Old World" European monarchy with the vitality and democracy of the "New World" (America). Armitage's final choice to remain a common citizen rather than accept a crown was a popular trope that celebrated American republican values. [3]

Reception

The novel was a massive commercial success. It reached the number two spot on the The Bookman annual bestseller list for 1907, surpassed only by The Lady of the Decoration. Contemporary critics praised the book for its breathless pacing and the novelty of placing a European-style dynastic thriller within an American setting.

Adaptations

The novel was adapted into a silent film, The Port of Missing Men (1914), produced by the Famous Players Film Company and starring Arnold Daly as John Armitage.

References

  1. ↑ "The Bookman's Letter Box". The Bookman . 26. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company: 568. 1908.
  2. ↑ Nicholson, Meredith. "The Port of Missing Men". Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  3. ↑ Keller, Helen Rex (1929). The Reader's Digest of Books. New York: The Macmillan Company.


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