With G.A. Henty Through History

Based Boys Books

Editor’s Note:

I’m a big fan of Zack’s work. He is both a skillful essayist and a talented storyteller. Today, Zack is launching a series dedicated to Boy’s Adventure fiction.

If you’re a longtime P3 reader who enjoyed his stories such as Thralls of the Unspeakable City, you’ll recognize his influences.

Enjoy this first installment!

- Frank Theodat

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As previously stated by our excellent Editor, while we endeavor to raise the standard of fiction in general, we feel special kinship for the young male reader and hope soon to launch our own tales to fire their imaginations. In doing so, we follow in the footsteps of a long line of authors who have made the Boy’s Own Novel something of a specialty, and who in one way or another impacted our own reading and writing lives. By featuring them in this series we certainly do not suggest their work is unsuitable for adult readers; actually, we would encourage you to pick up any of these authors immediately. But they also serve as excellent introductions to fiction for any adolescent sons, nephews, neighbors or students in your life. It goes without saying that these authors and their works will not always comport with modern sensibilities, today’s acceptable standards, or even the personal views of the various writers at this magazine. This is, of course, exactly why they should be on the bookshelf of the twelve-to-eighteen-year-olds in your life.

What better place to start than with G.A. Henty, British war correspondent turned prolific author of young men’s fiction. Living from 1832-1902 and hammering out 122 works in his career, Henty carved out a name for himself as a premiere historical storyteller, able to deftly teach and instruct while hooking the reader through swashbuckling fun. His books pull the reader along through a prominent historical event, typically referenced in the title, following a central character they can easily identify with and detailing a series of rip-roaring adventures. He doesn’t pander or water down his material, and in fact the books represented a serious graduation in the author’s reading career, sitting on the shelf in all their 300+ page hardcovered clothbound glory. These are books that take the young reader seriously, expect a lot out of them, and give back in equal measure.

Like many authors with a primary audience and a high production rate, Henty defined his formula quickly and stuck with it through his career. His books, no matter in which historical periods they are set, always open with a young protagonist, usually in their early or late teens. This young man is typically thrown into the Rising Tide of A Historical Event early on in the story, responding to the call to adventure and patriotism. Our hero is flanked by either his Trusty Sidekick (slightly younger than him) or Wise Guardian (an older servant, bodyguard, family companion, officer, or friend), and this secondary character sticks with him through thick and thin. Christianity, martial values and love for king and country are all assumed in Henty’s world, even when the historical milieu must be stretched slightly to accommodate them. For example, Henty’s ancient heroes are never Truly Pagan, harboring a quiet distaste for their culture’s pantheon that is confirmed later in the story upon meeting a Judeo-Christian emissary. You’ll find no agonized retrospectives or deconstruction of masculinity here. For Henty, the qualities a boy can best cultivate are quick thinking, personal courage, selflessness, diligence, accurate self-assessment, and in a word, Pluck. So he demonstrates all these qualities in aspirational heroes who get to live out the daydreams of his readers.

After a series of scrapes and close calls, always surmountable by daring and strategy, Our Hero meets a famous leader of his era, receives promotion and recognition for extraordinary action, and chastely courts a damsel that he extricated from mortal danger. Years often pass in a Henty story, allowing us to follow the entire coming of age process. By the end of the tale, Our Hero settles down to a peaceful home life, glad to put up his arms now that the call of his country has been fulfilled. What does our young reader learn? That life is a series of opportunities waiting to be seized by young men with sufficient strength of character. That all the things a young man feels most in need of, peer recognition, personal testing, female respect, advancement in life, are on the other side of hard work, risk, and duty accepted and performed.

Henty taught literally millions of young men to see themselves in the pages of his stories, to recognize their own potential for personal responsibility and to desire the rewards he represented for good living. For Henty, a sixteen year old wasn’t a Nice Young Man, and he certainly wasn’t an adolescent a decade away from relevance. He was a young warrior in the making, capable of leading men his senior in battle, withstanding severe hardship, devising and carrying out a plan in the face of certain death. High expectations indeed, and perfect fuel for the young men who encountered his work. Far from “escapist entertainment,” this brand of adventure fiction had the potential to create a blessed dissatisfaction with the bland safety of the reader’s real-world surroundings, and often catalyzed the initiative and courage to change their life.

Do yourself and the Based Young Dudes in your life a favor and start getting ahold of these. They have been reprinted in glorious editions in recent years, and are available free across the internet as well. Each story is self-contained, but you could do worse than starting with The Cat of Bubastes. Ancient Egyptian warfare, escapes across the desert, lion hunting, and even an appearance by everyone’s favorite Lawgiver. Do yourself a favor and neglect to mention the educational value, complex vocabulary and excellent narratives contained within to your protégé of choice. Just drop it on the shelf and say “You’re probably not ready for this one yet.”

Go forth and conquer, young man.