Moonfleet
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Moonfleet is a tale of smuggling by the writer J. Meade Falkner, first published in 1898.
The novel is set in Dorset during the late 18th century. The story concerns a boy who becomes friends with an older man who turns out to be the leader of a gang of smugglers. The village of Moonfleet is based on East Fleet in Dorset by Chesil Beach. The headland in the book called The Snout is Portland Bill.
The book was extremely popular among children worldwide up until the 1970's, mostly for it's themes of adventure and gripping storyline. In recent years it has fallen from popularity, possibly because parents thought that smuggling and other immoral activity should not be encoraged. However it remains a popular story widely read and is still sometimes studied in schools.
The book was filmed by Fritz Lang in 1955, with a screenplay adapted by Jan Lustig from the novel, and starred Stewart Granger.