A ship's mutiny forces a young noble English couple out onto the African coast, and their child is born in the wild. When they die a short time later, the boy is adopted by an ape, and raised as her own. The boy, Tarzan, rises to dominance in the jungle . . . TARZAN OF THE APES is Edgar Rice Burroughs's exploration of mankind a it's seen from the perspective of a man reared outside civilization, and the insights he offers are often not flattering. Tarzan has all the features we look for in a hero -- he is handsome, brave, and stronger than any ordinary man. But he is an arrogant loner, prone to violence. TARZAN OF THE APES explores that which is within all of us, the primal drives and abilities that made for our survival -- Burroughs created a hero who, because of his immense potential and truly unique upbringing -- became a believable SUPERMAN. Burroughs told the tale in engaging prose which still sweeps us along.