Setting: AD 870-901; Viking Invasion of England and France

Story: The Saxons and Vikings fought many fierce battles in Britain in the 8th and 9th 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 A.D. 900. The hero is a Saxon thane named Edmund who joins the forces of King Alfred, fighting the Danes on land and in their own element, the sea, in his ship The Dragon. Carried by storms to the shores of Norway, he defeats Sweyn the Viking in single combat, takes part in the siege of Paris on behalf of the Franks, and tracks down his nemesis in order to rescue the Danish maiden he will later marry.

Story: 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’.

Date: 1381
Location: England

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 be allowed, the price of good land to be not 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. Come along with Edgard Ormskirk as he helps put down the rebellion and save the lives of many in the process.

Setting: AD 1518-1523 – Sailing ships, Conquest of Aztec Empire in Mexico, Central America.

Story: 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. Roger Hawkshaw, a shipwrecked Englishman, presenting himself as a long-lost Spaniard, assists Cortez in his many adventures.

Story: 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. Honest, hardworking, and quick-thinking, he uncovers the plots of thieves, diverts a fire-ship in a sea-battle, serves as a doctor’s assistant during the Plague, and prevents the murder of one of his friends. Wounded in the sea-battle, and later contracting the Plague, he survives all and receives back as a gift, the estates that his father had lost.

Setting: AD 1775-1783 – American Revolutionary War, U. S. History

Story: 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.

A Final Reckoning: A Tale of Bush Life in Australia (1830s)~ Reuben battles the Aborigines and Bushrangers in wild Australia.

Date: 1830’s
Location: England, Australia

Australia in the 1830’s was a wild place. Reuben Whitney, escaping an inaccurate perception of him in England, enjoys an adventurous passage onboard 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 fathers financial ruin. This story is filled with adventure, close calls, and historical information about the early days of Australia!

Date: 1850’s
Location: Argentina!

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 Boy’s Own Historian.” In the mid 1800’s, 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 life-style: surveying, building, planting, raising animals, and fighting off attacks from the natives. The children in the story – Charles, Hubert, Maud, and Ethel – are named after Mr. Henty’s own children!

Setting: AD 1860’s – American Civil War – Slavery and state’s rights.

Story: 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. Unlike many stories of this American war, Mr. Henty brings to it a European viewpoint that differs drastically from the current views on the nature and reasons for this struggle. Henty’s “With Lee in Virginia” will introduce the reader to many of the famous battles of the 1860’s along with learning much about the character of Robert E. Lee and his lieutenants.