Westward Ho!

by Charles Kingsley and Maurice Kingsley

Book Overview

A saga of romance and seafaring adventure set against the backdrop of Elizabethan England and the battle of the Spanish Armada.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684194449
• ISBN13: 9780684194448
• Release Date: September 1992
• Publisher: Atheneum Books
• Length: 413 Pages
• Weight: 2.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 7.5" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Or the Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight of Burrough, in the County of Devon...

...In the Reign of her Most Glorious Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Westward Ho! is great fun to read, although dense in places and most certainly a product of its time. Kingsley was not noted for his tolerance, and this novel is no exception. As a Catholic, I will admit to some moments that made me flinch. I will however also admit that it would be difficult to present the Spanish Inquisition in a positive light. I picked up Westward Ho! because of my abiding love for Water Babies, one of Kingsley's novels for children. It was interesting to read a book of his that was more aimed at grown-ups. Westward Ho! has all the satisfying elements of a potboiler on the sea. His descriptions of the new world were a testament to his imagination and research-- he goes into details where others barely bother. Kingsley (1819-1875) was a prolific writer. Westward Ho! was published in 1855, midway through his body of work. As a bit of trivia, there is actually a town in Devon named after this book. That should give some measure of the fame and influence of both Kingsley and Westward Ho! at the time that the book was published.

Fantastic Story of the Spanish Main

While all the accusations that Kingsley rails against the Catholics are true, the characters in Westward Ho! would not have treated the Roman Catholic Spaniards any better. After all, Philip did wish to bring his inquisition to England and England had just endured Bloody Mary (not the drink, the queen of England who re-introduced Catholocism to protestant England) and it is no wonder that the people would react harshly to the Spaniards. That said, Kingsley does get just a bit carried away, but it makes a fantastic story. Swashbuckling, naval battles, fair maidens, heathen Spaniards, the Spanish Main and its treasures: all this Kingsley combines in a well-written memorable tale with endearing characters and strong passions. Westward Ho! stands out in my mind as powerful literature principally because it tackles a complex and often unexpected plot. This may have all the action of an Errol Flynn movie (and it does) but it also has an intelligent plot and strongiy delineated characters. A fantastic read. And the N.C. Wyeth paintings are fabulous as usual.

Victorian high seas adventure novel

A great period novel for boys, girls, moms and dads. It was very popular in decades past and is at least as much fun as, say, Treasure Island or Tarzan. Although this book takes place in the Elizabethan period and was written in the Victorian era, some Catholic reviewers below seem to feel that the novel lacks a 21st century sanitized viewpoint about Catholicism/Spanish imperialism. I've heard the same sort of argument made regarding the stereotype of Jim in Huckleberry Finn. Similarly in cowboy movies the Indians are usually portrayed as the bad guys (we now know, of course, that this is simplistic at best); likewise, the Spaniards in this book are the bad guys. It shouldn't be too tough to infer that all Catholics aren't bad, unless one is a simpleton. My family is Catholic and we all love the book. This is a fine adventure for young adults that is so much better than the product on most bookshelves today. The wonderful N. C. Wyeth illustrated edition is the one to get.

An enormously popular novelist during his time.

Kingsley was extremely popular during his lifetime in the nineteenth century, but his works have somewhat fallen into obscurity now. He is well worth taking up again. His books are deeply embedded in the Victorian way of life, so he is very much a writer for his own time. Kingsley wrote quite a few books, but "Westward Ho!" has always been his most popular. It is a story of adventure on the high seas and beyond. The book starts in England, but his hero, Amyas Leigh is a sailor, and the book covers his trip to the West Indies and South America. Amyas meets many unique people and experiences many adventures before he finds himself back on "Jolly Old's" shores. Although a bit preachy, the story is pretty good and certainly kept my interest.

A great 19th century adventure read

An exciting tale of the "Spanish Main", South America, "The Inquistion", and adventure, Kingsley 's tale is onpar with Dumas, Dickens, Haggard, and Doyle. Though the prose may be dated for late 20th (alomst 21th)century readers and the tale may strike some as virulently anti-Catholic, the action is epic and story detailed with all the requisite twists and turns. A "ripping" good yarn.