Showing results by author "George Alfred Henty" in All Categories

The story begins during the War of the Roses in England, but our hero, Gervaise Tresham, soon joins the Knights of St. John in Rhodes. Dedicated to God's service and pious in his personal life, Gervaise uncovers a plot, saves the coast of Italy from the Muslim corsairs, and is knighted by the Grand Prior. After being captured by and escaping from the enemy, the young English knight draws his sword in the defense of Rhodes.

Liberty or death - this was the choice the people of 14th-century Scotland faced if they rose up against their English ruler. Most would say it was no choice at all. Many of the Scottish nobles were English supporters. Few could be expected to rise up against the numerically overwhelming English army. The hero of the story, Archibald Forbes, joins the struggle for Scottish freedom led by the valiant Sir William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.

Mr. Henty weaves a story of the life and times of King Richard the Lion-hearted that is yet to be equaled. Cuthbert de Lance, the hero of the story, is of Norman blood on his father's side and Saxon by his mother. By providing timely aid to the Earl of Evesham, Cuthbert is rewarded by being allowed to go to the Crusade as his page. He gains a reputation for valor and prowess due to gallant deeds, and his resourcefulness not only helps King Richard but aids Cuthbert in many a 'hairbreadth escape'.

Bring history back to life through Jim Hodges' historically accurate, exciting, and edifying audio recordings. With hearty singing of Psalms, Drake and his crew greeted the Pomo Indians who resided in an area known today as San Francisco. Sir Francis Drake is the first English explorer to circumnavigate the globe and thus sail upon the Pacific Ocean. Ned Hearne and three of his friends make up part of Drake's crew. The boys will share in Drake's adventures on the Spanish Main in the 1580s.

Shortly before the US Revolutionary war against England, most inhabitants were her loyal subjects. France had control of much of southern Canada and the “western” lands of the current states of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Skirmishes abounded for years between English settlers pushing west and French settlers and their Indian accomplices. This story includes depictions of the battles of Forts Duquesne and Necessity in Pennsylvania, and Forts Ticonderoga and William Henry in New York, and Quebec in Canada.

Beric, a boy chief of a British tribe, takes a prominent part in the insurrection against Rome under Queen Boadicea. These efforts are useless against the mighty Roman army. For a short time, Beric and his companions continue the fight but are ultimately defeated and taken as prisoners to Rome. Through the eyes of Beric, the listener learns of life in AD 61 Rome, the gladiatorial schools, the great fire, and life in Nero's court.

The 1660s were a time of turmoil in England: Cromwell had been defeated and Charles II, who was sympathetic to the Catholics, was restored to the throne; the Dutch declared war on England; the Plague raged; and the Great Fire of London destroyed half the city! Our hero, Cyril, at the death of his father Sir Aubrey Shenstone, inherits nothing except his father's title, and works as a bookkeeper for various London tradesmen.

When Harold Godwinson is crowned king of England in 1066, William of Normandy contests his right to be king because of an oath Harold had earlier sworn to support William's own acquisition of the throne. Henty's treatment of this critical time in history of the English people is even-handed, and his portrayal of Harold Godwinson - a king much neglected in our day - is a sympathetic one. Wulf of Steyning, a young Saxon thane in the service of Earl Harold, accompanies him on his fateful trip to Normandy.

On August 24, 1572, more than 2,000 French Huguenots - men, women, and children - were massacred for their faith. In St. Bartholomew's Eve, Henty vividly depicts Admiral Coligny's unflinching bravery, Queen Elizabeth's vacillating foreign policy, Catherine de Medici's vindictive scheming, and the queen of Navarre's inner strength as he recounts the adventures of Phillip Fletcher.

In 1381, Wat, the Tyler, and the peasants he represented urged of the king of England that serfdom should be abolished, the right of all to market their goods publicly should be allowed, the price of good land should not be over four pennies an acre, and that all past offenses should be pardoned. Instead of presenting their requests in a respectful manner, they took to the streets of East Anglia, Kent, and London. Although their demands were certainly reasonable, their methods were not.

Bring history back to life through Jim Hodges' historically accurate, exciting, and edifying audio recordings. The conquest of the Aztec Empire by Hernando Cortez and a mere handful of Spaniards is one of the greatest romances of history. A writer of fiction would scarcely have dared to invent so improbable a story, but it is true. Fortunately Cortez was able to ally himself with many peoples conquered by the Aztecs who were all too happy to assist in their downfall.

The Battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, the Declaration of Independence, Washington crossing the Delaware, Saratoga, and the final surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown - these are the scenes that stir the soul of many an American. But to an Englishman, they do no such thing. This Henty novel retells these stirring tales, but from a different perspective, helping listeners learn how the other side viewed this miraculous triumph of freedom that inspires millions throughout the world still today.

The story is laid in Yorkshire in 1812, when the introduction of machinery and high price of food induced by the Napoleonic Wars, drove the working classes to desperation, and caused them to band themselves in that widespread organization known as the Luddite Society. There is an abundance of adventure in the tale, but its chief interest lies in the character of the hero, and the manner in which he is put on trial for his life, but at last comes victorious “through the fray.”

Out on the Pampas was the exciting story overheard by a friend who encouraged Mr. Henty to have it published, launching his amazing career as "The Boys' Own Historian." In the mid-1800s, the Hardy family relocates to Argentina, joining other British settlers trying to start a better life for themselves in a new land. They face many obstacles and perils in this rugged lifestyle: surveying, building, planting, raising animals, and fighting off attacks from the natives.

In this heroic clash of opposing conviction, Vincent Wingfield, a young spirited teenager and heir to a southern slave plantation, bravely proves his sympathy for brutally treated slaves and becomes a staunch supporter of slaves' rights. But, with the onset of the Civil War, Wingfield's fidelity to the state of Virginia leads him to serve under Robert E. Lee's cavalry and fight for the Confederacy.

In the Heart of the Rockies is packed with adventure! In 1860, 16-year-old Tom Wade leaves England for the American Far West to find his uncle and to improve his family fortunes. Arriving at the small western outpost of Denver to mine for gold, he soon encounters Native American warriors, takes part in big-game hunts, and learns how to survive a frigid mountain winter with nothing but resourcefulness and perseverance.

Few wars have been fought by each side with greater intensity of conviction in the rightness of its cause or with more abundant personal heroism than the War Between the States. The story begins with a great responsibility falling on Vincent Wingfield, the teenage son of a widowed Virginia plantation owner. Vincent must decide what course of action he should take when a problem arises on the plantation.

The Saxons and Vikings fought many fierce battles in Britain in the eighth and ninth centuries. During the struggle, 23-year-old Alfred ascended the throne and temporarily beat back the pagan hordes and concluded a peace treaty. Following another war in 878, peace was again achieved; the Danish King Guthrum accepted Christianity and withdrew to East Anglia, and Alfred the Great fortified cities, built a navy, codified laws, and revived learning among the Saxons until his death in AD 900. The hero is a Saxon thane named Edmund who joins the forces of King Alfred.

Australia in the 1830s was a wild place. Reuben Whitney, escaping an inaccurate perception of him in England, enjoys an adventurous passage aboard the Paramatta, and sails "down under." Joining the police force, he makes his mark in conflicts with the Aborigines and Bushrangers. Finally, he saves the life of a squire's daughter who has emigrated to Australia following her father's financial ruin. This story is filled with adventure, close calls, and historical information about the early days of Australia!

Frank Norris, accused of theft and unable to prove his innocence, leaves for excitement and adventure in the California gold fields of 1850s America. He sails the Atlantic, braves a storm while working as a barge man on the Mississippi, survives an Indian attack while crossing the plains with a caravan, strikes it rich in the California gold mines, and is finally able to clear his name and return to England to claim his rightful inheritance.