Westward Ho! 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! by Charles Kingsley (1819–1875) was originally published in 1855, midway through this prolific writer’s body of work.  An adventure story of the British sailing era, it was hugely successful, vying for popularity among 19th-century readers with Treasure Island (pub. 1883).

Sixty-five years later, with the book now in the public domain, Charles Scribner’s Sons re-published it in America, this time with a couple of the more hysterical anti-Catholic and anti-Jesuit diatribes pared to a more judicious, less distracting state (Mr. Kingsley was an Anglican parson whose religious views sometimes infected his writing to the detriment of the story), and with the addition of illustrations by Newell Convers Wyeth (1882–1945), known as N.C. Wyeth professionally.  The illustrations are great—if your eBook reader has high resolution and shows colors, they will look wonderful.

Westward Ho! is an all-encompassing adventure story based upon actual historical events of the 16th century—akin to Treasure Island in cultural setting and appeal to readers but perhaps aimed at a slightly older audience—featuring the Spanish Main, pirates, circumnavigations, the Inquisition, a detailed recounting of England’s annihilation of the Spanish Armada, and more.  This novel is preternaturally excellent, an absolute requirement for every enthusiast of the genre, so good that even during proofreading, when he was already completely familiar with the story, the editor nevertheless, repeatedly, found tears of emotion in his eyes.

One small warning: political correctness was not yet invented when this book was written.  The book reflects a decidedly Victorian English viewpoint of English superiority, Catholicism, and Spain (plus a somewhat paternalistic attitude about Native Americans).  If you’re Catholic or Spanish—especially if you’re Spanish—and easily offended, start growing a thick skin.  You’ll need it to get through the book.  But take heart: at the end, God’s grace replaces the hero’s hatred of Spaniards, as you might guess by the penultimate chapter’s title, “How Amyas Threw His Sword Into the Sea.”