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The tiger of Mysore; a story of the war with Tippoo Saib, By G. A. Henty: illustrated By William Henry Margetson (Londen, 1860 - Wallingford, 2 ... en illustrator.
Tipu Sultan (20 November 1750 - 4 May 1799), (Sayyid walShareef Sultan Fateh Ali Khan Sahab Tipu) also known as the Tiger of Mysore, and Tipu Sahib was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. William Henry Margetson (Londen, 1860 - Wallingford, 2 januari 1940) was een Engels kunstschilder en illustrator, vooral bekend om zijn esthetische portretten van vrouwen. George Alfred Henty (8 December 1832 - 16 November 1902) was a prolific English novelist and war correspondent.He is best known for his historical adventure stories that were popular in the late 19th century. His works include The Dragon & The Raven (1886), For The Temple (1888), Under Drake's Flag (1883) and In Freedom's Cause (1885).Biography--G.A.Henty was born in Trumpington, near Cambridge. He was a sickly child who had to spend long periods in bed. During his frequent illnesses he became an avid reader and developed a wide range of interests which he carried into adulthood. He attended Westminster School, London, and later Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he was a keen sportsman. He left the university early without completing his degree to volunteer for the Army Hospital Commissariat when the Crimean War began. He was sent to the Crimea and while there he witnessed the appalling conditions under which the British soldier had to fight. His letters home were filled with vivid descriptions of what he saw. His father was impressed by his letters and sent them to The Morning Advertiser newspaper which printed them. This initial writing success was a factor in Henty's later decision to accept the offer to become a special correspondent, the early name for journalists now better known as war correspondents. Shortly before resigning from the army as a captain in 1859 he married Elizabeth Finucane. The couple had four children. Elizabeth died in 1865 after a long illness and shortly after her death Henty began writing articles for the Standard newspaper. In 1866 the newspaper sent him as their special correspondent to report on the Austro-Italian War where he met Giuseppe Garibaldi. He went on to cover the 1868 British punitive expedition to Abyssinia, the Franco-Prussian War, the Ashanti War, the Carlist Rebellion in Spain and the Turco-Serbian War.He also witnessed the opening of the Suez Canal and travelled to Palestine, Russia and India. Henty was a strong supporter of the British Empire all his life; according to literary critic Kathryn Castle: "Henty...exemplified the ethos of the new imperialism, and glorified in its successes."Henty's ideas about politics were influenced by writers such as Sir Charles Dilke and Thomas Carlyle.Henty once related in an interview how his storytelling skills grew out of tales told after dinner to his children. He wrote his first children's book, Out on the Pampas in 1868, naming the book's main characters after his children. The book was published by Griffith and Farran in November 1870 with a title page date of 1871. While most of the 122 books he wrote were for children, he also wrote adult novels, non-fiction such as The March to Magdala and Those Other Animals, short stories for the likes of The Boy's Own Paper and edited the Union Jack, a weekly boy's magazine.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1896
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About the author
G.A. Henty
793 books373 followersGeorge 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 4, 2017
Like the last Henty I read, this adventure too features a fifteen-year old “hero”, Dick Holland, who travels to India with his mother on a mission to rescue his father, captive in the fort of Tipu Sultan, the “Tiger of Mysore”. His mother is half Indian, and on coming to India seeks the aid of her brother, now the Rajah of a minor principality. She believes deep down that her husband is alive and has spent some years training her son to prepare for the rescue including by teaching him her native language, and to fight. Dick soon finds himself joining the British Army fighting Tipu. After a few battles, he once again begins his search for his father, and ends up as part of Tipu’s staff with his aide Surjah. There is a bit of war and warcraft (some parts of these for me were not so interesting) but there is also plenty of adventure, disguises, a fight with a tiger, also some thugs (I’ve been learning some interesting things about the whole idea of thugee, and how most of it might actually have been exaggerated), and some exciting escapes—besides finding new friends. The adventures made for exciting reading.
The book is of course written from a colonial/imperialist perspective and thus our hero (though he is part Indian) takes on a leading role, taking most of the decisions, acting at the spur of the moment when needed, making all the discoveries, and seeing things which his good-natured and brave friend Surjah does not. Surjah is a good fighter (and person) but merely follows. Also Tipu and Hyder Ali are presented as usurpers (something I didn’t entirely agree with) whose wrongs only the English can right. To be fair to Henty, he doesn’t deny the mistakes the British made either—in their wars against Tipu, but the line of thought is of “freeing” the people from Tipu’s rule. The book also stresses Tipu’s cruel side (a ground on which many accounts have been challenged)—he may well have been that, most rulers were and probably had to be but while it does acknowledge that he was a good general, what Henty paints isn’t a particularly objective or rounded picture. Also there were some little oddities in the names and such—for instance, while Dick’s uncle is called Mortiz (Murthy?) and appears to be a Hindu, his son’s name Doast Assud is Mohammedan. And I couldn’t figure out what the Rani’s name Gholla was meant to be...
Overall this was a good read, though—three and a half stars.
The book is of course written from a colonial/imperialist perspective and thus our hero (though he is part Indian) takes on a leading role, taking most of the decisions, acting at the spur of the moment when needed, making all the discoveries, and seeing things which his good-natured and brave friend Surjah does not. Surjah is a good fighter (and person) but merely follows. Also Tipu and Hyder Ali are presented as usurpers (something I didn’t entirely agree with) whose wrongs only the English can right. To be fair to Henty, he doesn’t deny the mistakes the British made either—in their wars against Tipu, but the line of thought is of “freeing” the people from Tipu’s rule. The book also stresses Tipu’s cruel side (a ground on which many accounts have been challenged)—he may well have been that, most rulers were and probably had to be but while it does acknowledge that he was a good general, what Henty paints isn’t a particularly objective or rounded picture. Also there were some little oddities in the names and such—for instance, while Dick’s uncle is called Mortiz (Murthy?) and appears to be a Hindu, his son’s name Doast Assud is Mohammedan. And I couldn’t figure out what the Rani’s name Gholla was meant to be...
Overall this was a good read, though—three and a half stars.
August 6, 2016
'The Tiger of Mysore' was first published in 1896. The story is set in the 1790s, during the Anglo-Mysore wars, and is a classic 'hero's quest' story that follows young Dick Holland's search for his missing, presumed captive, father.
I have to admit to nearly giving up with this book. After an exciting start with some adventure on the high seas, it lurches into a rather tedious history lesson. While these early chapters may be of interest to the military historian, I think many modern readers would find them dull. However, I skimmed through the history, and was rewarded by the latter two thirds of the book being a ripping adventure tale of the sort that's not published today.
There are sieges, disguises, spies, an encounter with Thugs, fights, rescues and escapes, with plenty of derring-do and a satisfying conclusion. They don't make 'em like that any more!
I know that Henty inevitably comes in for criticism these days, but I was actually surprised at how little I found offensive here, and how relevant this story still is today, in some ways. I can't speak for the historical accuracy in the portrayal of Sultan Tipu - given the author's context, he is of course portrayed as a scoundrel and a tyrant, which is one historical perspective.
Within the fictional parts, I did wince (attention - slight spoiler!) at Dick shooting the tiger, but this at least was not done for sport, and later Dick does show concern for the conditions in which the Sultan's captive animals are kept. Looking at the characters through a 21st century lens, the teenage Dick is being brought up by a single mother of mixed race, and his father is being held hostage by a tyrannical regime.
Of course a lot of the action is a little far-fetched, but that, along with themes of loyalty, bravery, persistence and honour is what gives this old-fashioned story its charm.
I have to admit to nearly giving up with this book. After an exciting start with some adventure on the high seas, it lurches into a rather tedious history lesson. While these early chapters may be of interest to the military historian, I think many modern readers would find them dull. However, I skimmed through the history, and was rewarded by the latter two thirds of the book being a ripping adventure tale of the sort that's not published today.
There are sieges, disguises, spies, an encounter with Thugs, fights, rescues and escapes, with plenty of derring-do and a satisfying conclusion. They don't make 'em like that any more!
I know that Henty inevitably comes in for criticism these days, but I was actually surprised at how little I found offensive here, and how relevant this story still is today, in some ways. I can't speak for the historical accuracy in the portrayal of Sultan Tipu - given the author's context, he is of course portrayed as a scoundrel and a tyrant, which is one historical perspective.
Within the fictional parts, I did wince (attention - slight spoiler!) at Dick shooting the tiger, but this at least was not done for sport, and later Dick does show concern for the conditions in which the Sultan's captive animals are kept. Looking at the characters through a 21st century lens, the teenage Dick is being brought up by a single mother of mixed race, and his father is being held hostage by a tyrannical regime.
Of course a lot of the action is a little far-fetched, but that, along with themes of loyalty, bravery, persistence and honour is what gives this old-fashioned story its charm.
October 7, 2020
4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts. I’ve read this book several times, and is still highly excited by it. There is a lot of scope for imagination in it, and from beginning to end there are few parts where the focus is not on the hero and his exciting adventures. Because of the highly exciting nature of the hero’s adventures, I found the historical parts unusually boring, but there were very few of those. There was a some mentions of smoking; very little drinking, and all for medicinal purposes if I remember correctly; two kisses mentioned between a young man and the girl he saved and later married; some lying; & discussions on second sight which I don’t totally agree or disagree with. This is actually one of Henry’s cleanest books, and one of my personal favourites. Dick is funny, gallant, and always involved in interesting, if not thrilling, adventures. And the whole kept-prisoner-by-Tippoo part, in both Mr. Holland’s and Annie’s cases, personally fascinate me.
A Favourite Quote: “‘I do not want you to be quarrelsome, ... but I have heard your father say that a man who can use his fists well is sure to be cool and quick, in any emergency. ... Therefore, Dick, I say, never quarrel on your own account, but whenever you see a boy bullying a smaller one, take the opportunity of giving him a lesson while learning one yourself. In the days of old, you know, the first duty of a true knight was to succour the oppressed, and I want you to be a true knight.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘I will tell you about it, as we ride.’
“‘You had better tell me afterwards, Dick. I have never ridden a horse in my life, except when they were taking me from the coast to Mysore, and I shall have enough to do to keep my seat and attend to my steering, without trying to listen to you.’”
A Favourite Quote: “‘I do not want you to be quarrelsome, ... but I have heard your father say that a man who can use his fists well is sure to be cool and quick, in any emergency. ... Therefore, Dick, I say, never quarrel on your own account, but whenever you see a boy bullying a smaller one, take the opportunity of giving him a lesson while learning one yourself. In the days of old, you know, the first duty of a true knight was to succour the oppressed, and I want you to be a true knight.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘I will tell you about it, as we ride.’
“‘You had better tell me afterwards, Dick. I have never ridden a horse in my life, except when they were taking me from the coast to Mysore, and I shall have enough to do to keep my seat and attend to my steering, without trying to listen to you.’”
September 8, 2019
"The Boy's Own Historian" was one of Henty's soubriquets - he wrote over 100 adventure stories for children, all starring a bright young boy caught up in some historic crisis point. I liked them as a kid for the exotic settings, but reading one again as a adult I found the viewpoint astoundingly simple: Britannia rules, no question about it. Here the story is set during the Mysore Wars between Tippoo Sahb, supported by the French, and England. Another Imperialist writing about the same time, Rudyard Kipling, produced a far finer, more nuanced novel of a boy adventure in India: Kim. Now there is a truly great book, and one whose author saw the viewpoint of the various players in what he called "the great game."
May 27, 2022
One of Henty's best! Was a different of GA, that was full of adventure and excitement! Really enjoyed how to much history was involved and it focused more on the character of the story. Really enjoyed the search for his father. Favorite part of the book was when he was with Tippio.
October 4, 2023
Great book, I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. I will leave the link below so that everyone can enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI7_J...
July 23, 2012
This is an adventure tale fine! To say the least, Mr.Henty was biased and he was not properly informed of the time during which the novel was set.
More than once, Henty describes that the british force was heaven sent to liberate the shackled kingdoms of india. However, he must have forgotten that the British gained foothold in India by chicanery. I don't think in any of his succeeding novels, he brought to light the tyranny of the British in India. He was an imperialist to the core. (To quote wikipedia, "Henty was a strong supporter of the British Empire all his life. According to literary critic Kathryn Castle:
'Henty... Exemplified the ethos of the new imperialism, and glorified in its success' " )
Tipu Sultan, was painted in such a poor light. Not to say he was the best of the individuals. Atleast, he wasn't fiendish as portrayed in the book.
More than once, Henty describes that the british force was heaven sent to liberate the shackled kingdoms of india. However, he must have forgotten that the British gained foothold in India by chicanery. I don't think in any of his succeeding novels, he brought to light the tyranny of the British in India. He was an imperialist to the core. (To quote wikipedia, "Henty was a strong supporter of the British Empire all his life. According to literary critic Kathryn Castle:
'Henty... Exemplified the ethos of the new imperialism, and glorified in its success' " )
Tipu Sultan, was painted in such a poor light. Not to say he was the best of the individuals. Atleast, he wasn't fiendish as portrayed in the book.
January 26, 2015
This is fast becoming one of my favorite Henty books. The plot is a little different than most of G. A. Henty's books. Usually a hero heads off to war/adventure either for pure patriotism and love of adventure, or because he has no choice. In this case, a boy chooses to put his life on the line and surrender all plans for his future to hunt for his lost father. War gets in the way, and that is where the historical narrative comes in. The search for his captive father leads Dick through all sorts of situations (and disguises), including rescuing the typical damsel in distress from the Tippoo's harem.
November 3, 2025
RTC
Original DNF review:
It's time to admit that while I DO want to come back to this story, now is not the time I my life I will read it. (I started it as audio on Librivox, but I once I noticed the slight nose whistle of the narrator I couldn't unhear it... And I keep pushing this down the list of print and ebook reading I want to get to.)
Original DNF review:
It's time to admit that while I DO want to come back to this story, now is not the time I my life I will read it. (I started it as audio on Librivox, but I once I noticed the slight nose whistle of the narrator I couldn't unhear it... And I keep pushing this down the list of print and ebook reading I want to get to.)
June 23, 2012
Set during the time of Tipu Sultan's war with the British in India, this fictional tale follows the adventures of Dick Holland as he attempts to rescue his father who is being held captive.
This is an engaging adventure tale.
This is an engaging adventure tale.
October 25, 2012
This is definitely one of Henty's better works.
December 26, 2012
Another classic Henty story! I really enjoyed reading about the Indian customs back then and thought the villain was well written. A little anti-climatic unfortunately, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews