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Held Fast For England

Subtitle A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar (1779-83)
Author G. A. Henty
Categories History, Fiction, War
Language English
Published 1892
Word count 121,579
Excerpt

comes down till a quarter to seven. I have heard him a dozen times. He just comes down in time to ring the bell for us to get up."

"Oh, I ain't afraid of Thomas," one of the others said, "but I am afraid of Purfleet."

"There need be no fear about him. He never wakes till the bell rings, and sleeps like a top. Why, he didn't wake, the other morning, when we had a scrimmage and you tumbled out of bed. Besides, we all sleep at the other end of the room and, even if he did wake up in the night, he wouldn't notice that we had gone; especially if we shoved something in the bed, to make a lump.

"My only fear is that we shan't wake. We ought to keep watch till it's time to get up, but I am sure we shouldn't keep awake. We must all make up our minds to wake at three, then one of us will be sure to do it. And mind, if one wakes, he must promise not to go to sleep again before he hears the hall clock strike, and knows what time it is. If it is before three, he can go off to sleep again. That way, o

ReviewsAdd a review for this title.

2007.11.28
Gordon Berlyne

Only about 3 pages about the Siege of Gibraltar itself, and there are more than one or two inaccuracies which would jar the true historian. The hero, for example, swims the Bay of Gibraltar in about 3½ hours, walks through Estapona to Malaga (which is 42 miles in distance according to Michelin Map No.990) and naturally completes the task with not a murmur. (As a sixteen year old he obviously does not like to be bored).
Having said all that, if you want to start a youngster off on Henty on one of his more readable adventure stories, this is as good as any.

Gordon Berlyne OBE