The Dash For Khartoum

by G.A. Henty

The story of the Nile Expedition is so recent that no word of
introduction is necessary to the historical portion of the tale. The
moral, such as it is, of the story of the two lads brought up as
brothers is—Never act in haste, for repentance is sure to follow. In
this case great anxiety and unhappiness were caused through a lad
acting as he believed for the best, but without consulting those who
had every right to a voice in the matter.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure, War, Victorian

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1892

About the author

George Alfred Henty, better known as G.A. Henty, began his storytelling career with his own children. After dinner, he would spend and hour or two in telling them a story that would continue the next day. Some stories took weeks! A friend was present one day and watched the spell-bound reaction of his children suggesting Henty write down his stories so others could enjoy them. He did. Henty wrote approximately 144 books in addition to stories for magazines and was known as "The Prince of Story-Tellers" and "The Boy's Own Historian." One of Mr. Henty's secretaries reported that he would quickly pace back and forth in his study dictating stories as fast as the secretary could record them.

Henty's stories revolve around fictional boy heroes during fascinating periods of history. His heroes are diligent, intelligent, and dedicated to their country and cause in the face, at times, of great peril... Henty's heroes fight wars, sail the seas, discover land, conquer evil empires, prospect for gold, and a host of other exciting adventures. Along the way, they meet famous personages... In short, Henty's heroes live through tumultuous historic eras meeting leaders of that time. Understanding the culture of the time period becomes second nature as well as comparing/contrasting the society of various cultures.

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author circa 1890s

Read online: http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/worl...

Title: The Dash for Khartoum
A Tale of Nile Expedition

Author: George Alfred Henty

Illustrator: Joseph Nash
John Schönberg

Opening: In a room in the married non-commissioned officers' quarters in the cantonments at Agra, a young woman was sitting looking thoughtfully at two infants, who lay sleeping together on the outside of a bed with a shawl thrown lightly over them. Jane Humphreys had been married about a year. She was the daughter of the regimental sergeant-major, and had been a spoilt child. She was good looking, and had, so the wives and daughters of the other non-commissioned officers said, laid herself out to catch one of the young officers of the regiment, and was bitterly disappointed at the failure of her efforts.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts with a really unique premise of babies getting mixed up. At about 30% it becomes more regular warlike Henty as the brothers join the war heading for Khartoum (in present-day Sudan). Normally Henty doesn’t show a ton of prejudice, but in this book he thinks of the natives with great disdain, despite their bravery in battle, and looks on them as next to imbecilic. While I really enjoyed the brothers’ story, the repeated unlikely occurrences and the continual references to the native n*s, I couldn’t rate this as a new favorite.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unbelievable adventure of intrigue, excitement, and folly. From start to finish a great read!

As always an exciting, never at all low in adventure from my perspective. An intriguing story of families members torn apart from a heartfelt lie, for financial reward. The adventure begins in old England, then to the Nile. A very troubled part of history with adventure !

[Mbuye · Rating 3 out of 5]

GA Henty was the standard mid-Victorian adventure writer, targeting a readership of schoolboys between the ages of 9 and 12. His books have in them a basis of historical fact, and usually feature one or more famous hero or pair of equally matched adversaries. In his colonial novels, Henty's adventures describe actual battles and locations with much detail. All are filled with gallant youths as heroes, and inspired boys to fight and die for Queen and country, rather than dream of being a highwayman or a pirate chieftain.

These boys were usually destined to be enlisted men, commissioned officers or civilian administrators in the East India Company, later officers of the British government. All of them expected to be serving abroad, and Henty’s books were aimed at upholding the ideals deemed most important to men required to defend the Empire from the savages in India or Africa.

In ‘Dash to Khartoum,’ we are in for a slight disappointment, as the book deals only elliptically with General Gordon’s trials and murder. It is an unlikely tale of a mix-up of two infants by an unscrupulous wet-nurse, who seems an expert manipulator as well. One boy runs away from home and enlists. The other, all unknowing, gets an officer's commission into the same regiment. Sooner or later, both ‘brothers’ find each other in the desert. Well-written, with a knowledge of the country and tribal and religious struggles of Northern Africa, the book might be recommended to young readers today, except for the disdain and even dislike Henty cannot conceal for his non-white characters.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts. Another Henty book that I love! I love Edgar, and Rupert, and Easton, and I enjoy every appearance of Skinner—especially when Easton is around. xD There were mentions of drinking & smoking, also a claim that Allah is God—the same God that Englishmen worshipped. This story was very humorous, as well as exciting. I recommend reading all of Henty’s books that deal with the Anglo-Egyptian struggles to get a good view of the long fighting and the various armies and generals and happenings. 

A Favourite Quote: “In most cases, cowardice lies at the bottom of concealment, and cowardice is of all vices the most contemptible; while the fear of the displeasure of a parent has ruined many a boy's life.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Have you managed to get up football on board ship, Skinner?’ Easton, who was stretched at full length on the ground, asked lazily. 
“‘Not yet,’ Skinner laughed. ‘If we played at all we should have to use a cannon-ball, so that it should not be kicked over the sides; but then, unless we got iron shoes made for the purpose, we should all be laid up.’”

[John D. Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henty was a prolific (to say the least!) author of Victorian adventure stories for boys, often based on historical events. To read them today, you have to be prepared for stilted dialogue, potentially confusing references to cricket, and a fair amount of political incorrectness.

[Curtiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of Henty's historical novels in which the juvenile hero grows to maturity, faces adversity, encounters real-life heroes (in this case Gen. Kitchener), and in the end wins renown - and the girl.