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I nominate "Riddle of the Sands" by Erskine Childers. The book is available from Gutenberg, being published in 1903. It is at once a spy thriller, a fine sea story, and in fact a book that actually had an impact on history. It was immensely popular when it came out and was responsible for a fortuitous shift in British naval strategy. Anyone interested can check it out on Wikipedia, then proceed to Gutenberg for a copy. It is a great read!
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