The Dragon and the Raven Or, The Days of King Alfred

Henty, G. A. (George Alfred), 1832-1902Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.6
Word count
454K words
Chapters
46

Tags

English Originals Historical Fiction Historical AdventureMilitary StrategyKing AlfredBoy HeroHeroismMedieval EnglandDanish InvasionNational Resistance

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Dragon and the Raven; Or, The Days of King Alfred by G. A. HentyAuthor: Henty, G. A. (George Alfred), 1832-1902,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Jan 1, 2003

Editor's review

This is a historical adventure novel by the English writer G. A. Henty, set in England during the reign of King Alfred. Henty was known for historical fiction for young readers, and his works often place fictional protagonists within real historical events, combining adventurous interest with historical knowledge. This book unfolds around the era of the Danish invasions and English resistance, offering adventure elements such as battles and voyages while also presenting England's political and military situation in the ninth century. Chinese readers can use it as an introductory book for understanding the age of King Alfred while also experiencing Henty's manner of historical narrative. This is a public-domain English ebook with relatively plain language, suitable for readers with intermediate English proficiency. When reading, it is advisable to distinguish the novel's fictional plot from real history and to consult relevant historical materials for deeper understanding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. Read up on the basic historical facts about King Alfred before the novel to better distinguish fiction from history
  2. Use the protagonist's adventures as a guide and sort out the period's background and sequence of events while reading
  3. Read alongside Henty's other historical novels to observe common features of his narrative mode

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46

FAQ

Is the historical content of this book reliable? It is an adventure novel set against a real historical era, and its main characters and plot are largely fictional. It is suitable as an introductory book for understanding the period but should not be used as rigorous historical material; reading it alongside formal historical works is recommended.
Will this book be too difficult for young readers? This is an English original of moderate difficulty, suitable for young readers with some English foundation. If they are younger, they can first read a Chinese translation or read with a parent, then gradually move on to the English original.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Henty, G. A. (George Alfred), 1832-1902 Author

George Alfred Henty (1832–1902) was a well-known British writer of historical adventure novels for young readers in the nineteenth century. The collection here contains 107 of his works, most of them drawn from major historical events in Europe and the Americas: By Right of Conquest is set during Cortez's conquest of Mexico, Under Wellington's Command takes the Peninsular War as its background, and For the Temple deals with the fall of Jerusalem. He typically placed a young hero at the centre of real historical scenes, weaving military campaigns and political struggles together with personal adventure. The plots are tightly paced and rich in detail, and they reflect a distinctly British outlook and the moral tastes of the Victorian age. His output was considerable, and his books had a lasting influence on later historical adventure fiction. Public information about his family, education and career is limited, so no speculation is offered here.