Author Review: G. A. Henty

Have you heard of G. A. Henty?

He wrote more than 100 children's books in the latter part of the 19th century.  His books generally have one young male hero who lives through a variety of adventures, struggles against huge challenges, and overcomes in the end for a thoroughly happy ending.

The books are long. The books are fascinating.  The books are well researched.  He wrote about the American West, the Romans, Great Britain through the ages, and the American Civil War.  His main characters are always noble souls and often are committed Christians.

My understanding is that he studied the time periods and places carefully so that the details would be authentic.  His main characters often interact with famous individuals like Ropespierre, Nelson, and Hotspur Percy.  If you don't know who those people are -- well, I didn't necessarily either until I'd read the books.

And many of the books are free on Kindle.  What fun!  If you have a Kindle, you can go on to Amazon.com and search for Kindle and Henty and a couple of dozen of free titles should pop up.

I just finished Both Sides of the Border by G.A. Henty, written about England, Scotland and Wales in the last 1300's.  This is a time period about which I know very little, so I found it fascinating.

Any caveats? 

Yes.  And it is a fairly big one.  The books where Caucasians interact with people of different ethnicity often have a problem with racism.

That was, sadly, typical of Henty's day.  Many Caucasians of the 19th Century genuinely believed that their culture was best and their brains were better than those of people with darker skin color.  That is truly one of the world's odd beliefs, and it is tragic that it was (and to some degree, is) so pervasive!  The books where this has been an issue, the main characters are  not cruel or unpleasant to other people.  It is more subtle than that -- other main characters often say things that  aren't true about the "superiority" of Caucasians.

Is this enough to turn me off Henty entirely?  Definitely NOT. Some of the books have no racism at all in them. Others will need some discussion on my part with our children.  We talk often about racism and how it is completely wrong, so I think a gentle warning on my part will be enough when my kids read them.

The books also have quite a bit of violence.  Many of the young men are involved in wars and battles and while the language is not gory, it clearly speaks of turmoil, injury, and death. Which is entirely realistic.

All in all, Henty was a brilliant and honorable writer and I heartily recommend his books.