Adventure Stories

by Clive King (Editor)

An illustrated collection includes adventure short stories and excerpts from longer works by a variety of authors such as Robert Graves, Doris Lessing, and Mark Twain. Reprint.

Genres: Short Stories, Adventure, Fiction, Young Adult

253 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 1988

About the author

David Clive King was born in Richmond, Surrey in 1924. In 1926 he moved with his parents to Oliver's Farm, Ash, Kent, on the North Downs, alongside which was an abandoned chalk-pit. His early education was at a private infant school where one of the teachers, Miss Brodie, claimed to have taught Christopher Robin Milne, and introduced Clive to stories about Stone Age people. Thereafter he went to King's School, Rochester, Downing College, Cambridge, and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.

From 1943 to 1947 he served in the Royal Navy, voyaging to Iceland, twice to the Russian Arctic, to India, Sri Lanka, Australia, East Indies, Malaysia and Japan, where he observed the ruins of Hiroshima within months of its destruction. Civilian postings as an officer of the British Council took him to Amsterdam, Belfast, Aleppo, Damascus (styled as Visiting Professor to the University), Beirut, Dhaka and Madras, and gave opportunities for independent travel between these places and England. Several of these exotic places provided material for his nineteen children's stories, but his best-known book STIG OF THE DUMP he wrote in an educational job at Rye, East Sussex. The BBC broadcast a new television adaptation in early 2002.

Married, divorced and married again, Clive King has three children, seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Reviews

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rollicking, racing, tension-packed book of short stories and excerpts. I think the first two are not good to start - a spaceship run military style and a Greek cave, both featuring grown men - but once we get into the D-Day excerpt from 'The Dolphin Crossing' featuring young people, and the hungry wolves from 'White Fang', we're off and running. Several tales are set in Africa. These show the predatory wildlife and local people who track them. Or they show a hare-brained escapade as two climbers ascend Kilimanjaro fighting off altitude sickness, then scoot and fall downhill on the bicycles they carried uphill. I guess someone had to do it.

Some girls feature, as part of the mix of characters or as singular heroine in one case, Amy Johnson's solo flight.
Enjoy. This is an unbiased review.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good selection.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of somewhat entertaining short stories.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, these stories, chosen by Clive King, offer a good introduction to some fantastic adventures, just waiting to be explored by the discerning young reader out there. I think that illustrated books like these are a great addition as well.

My marks are based purely on the extracts and in no way do they represent the actual book.

1) The Golden Apples of the Sun, by Ray Bradbury

Have you ever dreamt of one day journeying to the sun, "that smouldering, warm, faraway land"? Well, if not, Bradbury's imagination will do the trick.
~4/5

2) Pollux Boxes with King Amycus, by Robert Graves (from 'The Golden Fleece')

An entertaining tale. Pollux, the Spartan, is a true hero as he believes in fair play, unlike arrogant Amycus.
~3.75/5

3) Sir Bors Fights for a Lady, by Rosemary Sutcliff (from 'The Light Beyond the Forest')

Sir Bors is one the Arthurian Knights of the Round Table, famed equally for their heroic deeds as they are for chivalry.
~3.75/5

4) The Prisoner of Zenda, by Anthony Hope

Now this is really one action packed extract!
~4/5

5) Shane, by Jack Schaefer

I have read an abridged version of Schaefer's Shane, and I have really liked it. It is one of those novels which no extract can really do it justice.
~4/5

6) Pony Express, by Robin May

The famous Pony Express, who embodied the true spirit of the West.
~4/5

7) The Dolphin Crossing, by Jill Paton Walsh

A brilliant story of charity, generosity and camaraderie. Now that is true heroism! However, again, as it is an extract many questions are left unanswered.
~3.75/5

8) Through the Tunnel, by Dorris Lessing

Beautifully written. It explores the length we all go through to be included in a particular group.
~4/5

9) Boy Blue the Crab-Catcher, by George Lamming

I do not know why this was included. It isn't even an actual adventure as such.
~2.5/5

10) Lost in the Caves, by Mark Twain

See my review for 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'.
~4.5/5

11) A Hundred Million Francs, by Paul Berna

Familiar to the concept of 'Home Alone'.
~3.75/5

12) The Sound of the Propellers, by Clive King

I think this is one of the better stories in this collection.
4.25/5

13) Albeson and the Germans, by Jan Needle

Really charming and humourous, one of my favourites.
~4.5/5

14) Tschiffely's Ride, by A.F. Tschiffely

What an interesting story! According to the description, Tschiffely "got bored with schoolteaching, bought a pair of South American horses and rode ten thousand miles from Argentina to Washington"! I hope to find more about this remarkable story.
~4.75/5 (Favourite)

15) The Dorobo, by Elspeth Huxley (from 'The Flame Trees of Thika')

Really atmospheric.
~3.75/5

16) White Fang, by Jack London

London shows us how it is done. A remarkable tale of endurance and survival.
~4.5/5

17) Leopard Hunt, by Prince Modupe

Also very atmospheric, the author must have been intimate with the dense forests of Africa.
~4/5

18) The Leopard, by Ruskin Bond

A sad story, very touching.
~4.25/5

19) Amy Johnson, Queen of the Air, by Gordon Snell

Very interesting, as Jason had the Argos, Johnson had the Jason ("a primitive Gypsy Moth aeroplane") as her companion on her epic journey.
~4.25/5

20) No Picnic on Mount Kenya, by Felice Benuzzi

Three companions take on Mount Kenya.
~3.5/5

21) Bicycles up Kilimanjaro, by Richard and Nicholas Crane

Strange, but it didn't impress me a lot.
~3.25/5

Overall:4/5