H. Rider Haggard

Allan and the Holy Flower By H. Rider Haggard

Transport yourself back to the turbulent atmosphere of early modern England with this exciting historical novel from H. Rider Haggard, one of the luminaries of the action-adventure genre. After an exhilarating romance, a deeply-in-love young couple is wed. But will the scheming local abbot allow them to live their lives in peace?

Though Beatrice is a significant departure from most of his literary output, critics and fans alike regard this fine novel as one of H. Rider Haggard's most accomplished works. A richly detailed account of an ill-fated but spiritually significant romance, the tale contains some of Haggard's most affecting writing in terms of emotional resonance and in-depth characterization.

Though he was best known as a writer of fantastic action-adventure tales, including the Allan Quatermain series from which the modern-day Indiana Jones films drew inspiration, H. Rider Haggard also worked in the genre of historical fiction from time to time. This novel is a fictionalized account of the Israelites' enslavement and eventual escape from Egypt.

In the late sixteenth century, the world was on the brink of precipitous change. In H. Rider Haggard's novel Fair Margaret, the turmoil of this transitional period plays itself out in personal relationships. The beautiful daughter of an affluent merchant, Margaret's planned marriage is derailed when she is whisked away by a hot-blooded Spaniard. Her fianc gives chase, and the story transitions into a high-seas adventure that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Though regarded as one of the towering figures in the action-adventure genre, H. Rider Haggard's body of work is sometimes regarded as slightly lacking in terms of thematic heft and thought-provoking insight. Doctor Therne proves that assertion wrong. The novel is a fascinating glimpse into nineteenth-century medical ethics and the creation of the smallpox vaccine, but yet is still filled with the kind of pulse-pounding suspense that has earned Haggard legions of fans and literary acclaim.

If you love action-adventure novels, you owe it to yourself to read H. Rider Haggard's Ayesha, one of the undisputed classics of the genre. In this sequel to the ever-popular She, intrepid explorer Allan Quatermain returns to Africa and again encounters a fascinating lost civilization ruled with an iron fist by the enchanting warrior queen Ayesha.

In this rollicking action-adventure tale, master storyteller H. Rider Haggard tweaks his own formula and casts a spirited heroine as the novel's protagonist. Packed with high-seas adventures, lost civilizations, priceless treasure, nearly lethal battles, and a series of close calls, Benita is a fun and engaging read.

H. Rider Haggard's ongoing saga about dashing explorer Allan Quatermain continues in Allan's Wife, a novel that recounts some of the quests that Quatermain fell into while married to his second wife, an equally fearless woman named Stella. The pair discovers a lost tribe ruled over by a mysterious creature and experiences dozens of other hair-raising adventures along the way.

This classic work of fantasy begins with scholar Ludwig Horace Holly being visited by an old friend who is ailing. The friend passes the guardianship of his 5-year-old son on to Holly. Fast forward twenty-five years: the hapless orphan is now a handsome and capable young man (Leo) whose past holds a series of remarkable secrets. Holly and Leo travel to Africa to unravel Leo's family secrets and encounter a seemingly immortal tribal leader, Ayesha, whose power and influence are virtually impossible to overcome.

Setting aside the exotic action-adventure tales that were long his stock in trade, acclaimed author H. Rider Haggard explores the realm of the supernatural in the bone-chilling romance Stella Fregelius. When an eccentric inventor falls head-over-heels in love, he foresees nothing but happiness in his future. But when a tragedy tears him from his beloved, he learns that there are some bonds that are so strong that they transcend the material world.

Lauded by many as one of the greatest storytellers of the Victorian period, H. Rider Haggard is best remembered for his action-adventure tales set in exotic foreign lands, a formula he milks to full effect in the thrilling page-turner Queen Sheba's Ring. It's a must-read for fans who can't get enough of Haggard's inimitable style.

H. Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines tells of a group of adventurers journeying into unexplored Africa in order to find the missing brother of one of the party. The book became an immediate bestseller after publication in 1885. At the time large parts of Africa remained unexplored by Europeans and the book captured the imagination of the public.

While many of H. Rider Haggard's acclaimed action-adventure tales take place in exotic locations, Colonel Quaritch, V. C. unfolds in the author's own backyard. After leaving active service, a decorated officer moves back to his ancestral village. Instead of finding the peace and quiet he was seeking, however, life in this "quaint" community proves to be just as dramatic as his days on the battlefield.

Though H. Rider Haggard is today best remembered as one of the foremost figures in the action-adventure genre, he also produced several top-notch works of historical fiction in his time. Lysbeth unfolds in sixteenth-century Holland, where the Protestants in the region were subjected to brutal oppression and persecution at the hands of the Spanish. For an exhaustively researched account of this little-discussed period that will make you feel as if you'd lived through it yourself, give this gripping historical novel a read.

Horace Holly & his ward Leo Vincey once again embark on a quest to find the mysterious woman known as Ayesha. Knowing that She is no longer in Africa, they go east, eventually reaching a lamasery in the mountains of Tibet. The abbot warns them against continuing, but they press on & discover an ancient city named Kaloon, which is ruled by the evil Khan Rassen & his imperious wife, the Khania Atene. Near the city is a huge volcano, wherein lives the Hesea, the Priestess of Hes, & her servants. Leo becomes the center of a conflict between Atene & the Hesea, both of whom desire him.

The third novel H. Rider Haggard's celebrated Allan Quatermain series, this book tells more stories of Quartermain's time in South Africa--presenting his observations about two dueling witch doctors, his father's death, and, eventually, the fate of his wife, Stella.

Set sail for swashbuckling exploits with the author whose work inspired the creation of Indiana Jones. Fans of classic action fiction will love this collection of tales set in exotic locations around the globe, from Egypt to Tibet and beyond. This carefully curated group of stories will enthrall and engage adventure-loving readers.

Wanting to learn if he can communicate with deceased loved ones, adventurer and trader Allan Quatermain seeks a meeting with the feared Zulu witch-doctor Zikali. He tells Allan he must seek out a great white sorceress who rules a hidden kingdom far to the north, and he charges Allan to take a message to her. En route, Quatermain encounters emigrant Scotsmen, cannibals, witch doctors, the beautiful Inez, and of course the mysterious She, or Ayesha.

Another of Henry Rider Haggard's renowned action-adventure tales, Nada the Lily tells the story of revered warrior Umslopogaas, an illegitimate son of the Zulu monarch Chaka, who is forced into exile and must fight to defend his honor -- as well as to win the love of the sought-after and seemingly unattainable beauty Nada. With plenty of battlefield action and stirring romance, this rollicking tale has something to offer every reader.