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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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This novel by Sir H. Rider Haggard, is a classic tale of love and chivalry, unfolding amidst the touching story of two English knights who are in love with the same maiden. The devotion of these men i ... Read more

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'TWO LOVERS BY THE MAIDEN SATE'.................WONDERFUL
THIS STIRRING NOVEL BY SIR H HAGGARD IS SET IN THE CLIMACTIC MONTHS BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE THIRD CRUSADE,CALLED THE KING'S CRUSADE.THE BRETHREN IS A CLASSIC TALE OF LOVE AND CHIVALRY,UNFOLDING AMIDST THE TOUCHING STORY OF TWO KNIGHTS WHO ARE IN LOVE WITH THE SAME MAIDEN.THE DEVOTION OF THESE MEN ARE TESTED WHEN THEIR BELOVED IS CARRIED AWAY AGAINST HER WILL TO PALESTINE AND EVENTUALLY TO THE COURT OF THE FAMOUS MUSLIM LEADER,SALADINE.THEIR QUEST TO RECLAIM ROSAMUNDE,THE KIDNAPPED MAIDEN,THRUSTS THE BRETHREN INTO A WEB OF INTRIGUE AND TREACHERY THAT REMAINS UNBROKEN UNTIL THEY HAVE ENDURED EPIC CRUSADER BATTLES AND A BLOODY SEIGE OF JERUSALEM!!THIS IS ONE OF SIR HAGGARRD'S GRANDEST NOVELS!!! ... Read more

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Treasure and the occult are vividly blended in this stirring tale of Africa. Allan Quatermain finds a village in the middle of the Dark Continent ruled by a huge, pale man with a strange knowledge of future events. This is the last Quatermain book. ... Read more

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Lost treasure, the roar of the lion and high adventure!

These are the first two adventures of H. Rider Haggard's famous character-Allan Quatermain. Quatermain is the ultimate white man in Africa—the Great White Hunter, adventurer and guide. These are stories brim full of action, romance, big game hunting, hairsbreadth escapes from dangerous animals and the fierce peoples of the Dark Continent, fantastical landscapes and strange hidden cultures—with lost cities from a time when vast expanses of this mysterious land remained untrodden by the feet of Western man and it seemed that anything was yet possible. In this first volume of the complete Quatermain novels and short stories—available from Leonaur in hard and soft cover—are the ever popular 'King Solomon’s Mines' and 'Allan Quatermain'. These books will be a joy for all collectors who will relish the opportunity to own all the adventures in a coordinated collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pure, all ages adventure!!
I came across the publisher Leonaur about a year ago, just as their complete Tarzan series was going out of print.As fast as that series sold out, and as many customer reviews it garnered on Amazon, I cant believe that a series like H Rider Haggard's Allan Quatermain books seem to be getting no love!Prior to purchasing this 7 volume collection of all the Quatermain stories (and at $33 a volume, no small effort either!) I had only read King Solomon's mines.Rather than being the high water mark in the Quatermain series, I found that Mines was actually one of the weaker entries.Haggard grew as a writer and as he did, so too was the character of Allan Quatermain and his world more fully fleshed out.There really is no weak story in the entire series and several of them are downright riveting!Many are better than anything Burroughs turned out during his career.In fact, even as a huge Tarzan fan, I have to say that the Quatermain stories trump Tarzan.This is because ER Burroughs never set foot in Africa, while to HR Haggard, Africa was a very real place.He knew and worked with many of the same characters and events in which he injects his fiction.Colonial Africa was never more fascinating than under the pen of H Rider Haggard, especially when historical fact is blended so seamlessly with the fantastic.Giant ape gods, lost civilizations, ageless witch doctors walking hand in hand with real life Zulu kings... Burroughs learned everything he knew from Haggard.

After buying the 7 volume Quatermain set, I was so addicted to Haggard's writing that Ive purchased every Haggard collection Leonaur has released so far.That includes the 2 volume "She" collection, the 4 volume African stories collection, as well as the Historical Adventures and the Ancient Adventures collections, both 4 volumes each.It will be many months, if not a couple of years before I get them all read, but even with the heafty price tag Leonaur commands, its worth every penny!Leonaur is the only publisher out there releasing such awesome rare books like this, and its IMPOSSIBLE to find comprehensive collections like they put out.Im sorry that I didnt get the Tarzan series before it went out of print, but these books have made me even happier. ... Read more

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The incredible African adventure of the wife of Allan Quatermain. This publication from Boomer Books is specially designed and typeset for comfortable reading. ... Read more

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Sir Henry Rider Haggard KBE (1856-1925) was a Victorian writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations. After failing his army entrance exam he was sent to a private 'crammer' in London to prepare for the entrance exam for the British Foreign Office, for which he never sat. Haggard's father sent him to Africa in an unpaid position as assistant to the secretary to Lieutenant-Governor of Natal Sir Henry Bulwer. Heavily influenced by the larger-than-life adventurers he met in Colonial Africa, the great mineral wealth discovered in Africa, and the ruins of ancient lost civilizations in Africa such as Great Zimbabwe, Haggard created his Allan Quatermain adventures. Haggard also wrote about agricultural and social issues reform, in part inspired by his experiences in Africa, but also based on what he saw in Europe. Haggard is most famous as the author of the best-selling novel King Solomon's Mines (1885). Amongst his other works are She (1887), Allan Quatermain (1888), Eric Brighteyes (1891) and Ayesha (1895). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Silly, but fun
I downloaded this book because I was intrigued by the subtitle, "A Tale of the Great Trek." Well, it wasn't really about the trek -- it was about an impossibly wonderful and perfect girl and her even more impossibly wonderful and perfect, and abnormally devoted, black servant/"witch doctress." One doesn't read this sort of book looking for literature, but the yarn was well-knit, if it is possible to say that, and I kept turning the pages. There is some interesting information about the Afrikaner lifestyle in the 19th century, and the first person narrative voice is essentially successful, especially in the beginning. But, come on -- when was the last time you saw a man "wringing his hands"?
If you know what you are getting into -- basically a Classics Illustrated comic book, rife with political incorrectness -- you'll find this an amusing way to pass an hour in the doctor's office, for example. If you expect something that toes the line of contemporary thinking,you will be horrified. Caveat reader. ... Read more

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An excerpt:

Customer Reviews (6)

Choose THIS version of currently available printings of Nada the Lily. You won't regret it!
Gerald Monsman in his 2007 Valancourt Books printing of H. Rider Haggard's 1892 Nada the Lily provides notes and an insightful introduction. It also includes an appendix with excerpts from Haggard's autobiography showing that the novel's principle character, the Zulu Umslopogaas, was modeled on a real Zulu warrior of Haggard's acquaintance. Monsman is an expert in 19th century British and Anglo-African literature, so he knows what he is talking about. One striking point he makes is that there might have been an intended or unconscious connection between Haggard's loss to another man of his "true love" Lilly and the title character of this book. Indeed, his love of Lilly and what amounts to her spirit seemed to haunt and reverberate through Haggard's whole life and writing career. This is one of the three magnificent Haggard African romances that feature Umslopogaas, the other two being Allan Quatermain and She and Allan.This story is especially notable because it is entirely encompassed by the factual bloody rise and fall of Shaka (here called Chaka) and his astonishing Zulu empire. This Valancourt Books printing with Monsman's introduction is highly recommended. Some other notable reissues of Nada the Lily have been Macdonald, 1973; Newcastle's Forgotten Fantasy Library,1979; and Wildside Press, 2003).

A great novel but...
Almost any printing of Nada the Lily would garner 5 stars...but not this one.The copy from BiblioBazaar states, in the frontispiece, that "from time to time there are problems with the original book scan that may result in minor errors in the reproduction, including imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, poor pictures, markings and other reproduction issues beyond our control."The piece goes on to defend the policy by saying that they are providing a hard to find, perhaps otherwise out of print book and sometimes get them from open sources.
My complaints stem from the fact that the book is so filled with typos, missing words and the like that it is all but unreadable.When there are typos on every other page, I find myself anticipating the next "puzzle" instead of following the story.If you think I am overly sensitive, consider this: the author's name is misspelled in half inch font on the front cover!If you attempt to verify that by the way, clicking on the cover picture here at Amazon will re-route you to a picture of the paperback's cover.In addition, I might have been more forgiving had I been told BEFORE I bought the book that it was filled with errors.But I was not.
By all means, buy and read (and re-read) Nada the Lily.Just don't buy it from BiblioBazaar.

Wonderful Romance
The novel tells the tale of the hero Umslopogaas, the illegitimate son of the great Zulu king and general Chaka, and his love for "the most beautiful of Zulu women", Nada the Lily. Nada the Lily is unusual for a novel as its entire cast of characters is South African and black, a fact that shows Haggards great love and respect for Africa and its people.
This is one of Haggard's less well-known novels, possibly ecause of racist attitudes of many readers who weren't interested in an all African novel, and yet it is one of his best.

If you like any of Haggard's novels or Victorian adventure and romantic stories you should love this book.

Other books I like by Haggard are Queen Sheba's Ring and The Virgin of the Sun.

One of Haggard's Absolute Best
There are three great characters that Haggard created - that is three great stars:Ayesha( She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed), Allan Quartermain, and Umslopogaas of the Axe.This is the tale of Umslopogaas as a youth, a tale of his great love, his wandering as an outlaw under sentence of death, and of his alliance with Galazi the Wolf Brother, weilder of the great club Watcher of the Fords.Fabulous battle scenes, strong characters - what more does the reader want?And then the reader can advance to the only other two books to feature Umslopogaas:She and Allan and Allan Quartermain.

An outstanding African Victorian adventure story
Sadly, Rider Haggard is no longer required reading in the school system.Nevertheless, this rip-roaring action story about the early life ofUmslopogas, a character more usually found in a supporting role in thenovel Alan Quartermain, is probably Haggard's most poetic and free-flowingyarn. A multiplicity of interesting characters is to be found in this tale,although the central theme is the moving love story of Umslopogas and Nada(a native girl of great beauty). If you have been moved by West Side Storyor Romeo and Juliet, and also enjoy a rollicking action-packed adventuresaga, this book is a must for you! ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the text that can both be accessed online and used to create new print copies. This book and thousands of others can be found in the digital collections of the University of Michigan Library. The University Library also understands and values the utility of print, and makes reprints available through its Scholarly Publishing Office. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A WONDERFUL ENDING TO A SUPERB TRILOGY
"Finished" comprises the third book in H. Rider Haggard's so-called Zulu trilogy, the first two novels being "Marie" and "Child of Storm." This is a magnificent set of books that dealswith the downfall of the Zulu people, as personally witnessed by AllanQuatermain, the hero of 14 of Haggard's novels, including "KingSolomon's Mines." "Finished" has all the elements thatHaggard's fans have come to expect from him: a great and fast-moving story,scenes of big-game hunting, interesting and amusing characters, bloody andwell-described battles, all with a dash of mysticism and some supernaturalelements thrown into the mix. It is a real rouser. In the first half ofthis book, our hero Quatermain gets personally involved in the problems ofa young couple in the bush veld in Africa, but the entire second half ofthe book details his stay with the Zulus, their war councils, and the greatbattles that the Zulus fought against the English in the late 1870s. Thetone of the book is suitably elegiac, mourning the passing of a proudpeople and culture. This is a magnificent trilogy of books, and it is areal shame that they are all out of print. But I heartily recommend thatyou seek them out. ... Read more

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Now glory be to God who has given us the victory! It is truethe strength of Spain is shatteredher ships are sunk or fledthe sea has swallowed her soldiers and her sailors by hundreds and by thousandsand England breathes again. They came to conquerto bring us to the torture and the stake-to do to us free Englishmen as Cortes did by the Indians of Anahuac. (Excerpt) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

An amazing story
Montezuma's Daughter is a story about love, adventure, war, hate, history and etc.I read this book when I was about 11 years old and I thought it was so amazing that I really would like to reread it again.The authoralso discribes the characters so clearly that you get an exact picture ofwho is it that you're reading about.I would recomend this book foreveryone because it also has lots of historical facts to it too.

One of the most interesting adventure stories I've ever read
Within the first hundred pages, the hero has gone to Spain to avenge his mother's murder, learned how to be a doctor, helped drug a girl about to be walled in a convent cellar, held prisoner on a slave ship, thrownoverboard, and is shipwrecked in Aztec Mexico.It gets better from there. And yet the hero is such a nice man: a novelty these days in adventurestories.

An excellent adventure book for younger readers
An adventure worthy of Dumas' inkwell. A wonderfully crafted story that should strike a cord with any adventure reader, especially one from 10 to 14. Good coverage of historical facts and environment of the time arranged around a timeless story of love and adventure. Give this book to your kids and they will forever be grateful.

A classic Haggard masterpiece
This is a remarkable story in the classic mould of H Rider Haggard's best works which can be enjoyed at many levels. As a straight adventure yarn it carries the reader on a historical roller-coaster ride through 16th CenturyEngland, Spain, and Mexico at the time of the Spanish Conquest. RiderHaggard wrote Montezuma's Daughter immediately after the death of hisbeloved son, Jack. It was a blow from which he never recovered and the deepgrief and depression he suffered colours this tale of ancient mexico with adark despair which is not inappropriate to an account of the last days ofthe Aztec Empire. But this does not make Montezuma's Daughter a gloomybook. Far from it. Rider Haggard was a deeply (if unconventional) religiousman and his hopes and aspirations for mankind shine through the darkness toillumine the pages of this book with his wonderful spiritual philosophywhich is perhaps his greatest legacy to his readers. The closing chapterson the fall of the Aztec capital of Tenoctitlan under the relentlessassault of Cortez are profoundly moving. In short, Montezuma's Daughter isa most moving and well-written fictional history of the fall of Mexicointerwoven with a passionate love story and enough action to keep the mostjaded reader on the edge of their seat, whilst those who value the deeperaspects of Rider Haggard's narratives as much as the story-telling will notbe disappointed.

One of the best books
One of the best books I've ever read: love,travel, Spanish inquisition, war. ... Read more

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Large format paper back for easy reading. One of the celebrated Allan Quatermain series of adventure novels from the author of King Solomo's Mines ... Read more

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Super Reader
Allan is asked to retell a story, and he tells his group of drinking
friends this one. For this gist of it, his statement here does quite
well: "Also the adventure proposed was of an order so wild and unusual
that it drew me like a magnet. Supposing that I lived to old age, could
I, Allan Quatermain, bear to look back and remember that I had turned
down an opportunity of that sort and was departing into the grave
without knowing if there was or was not a Heu-Heu who snatched away
lovely Andromedas--I mean Sabeelas--off rocks, and combined in his
hideous personality the qualities of a god or fetish, a ghost, a devil,
and a super-gorilla?"

A sneaky African wizard informs him of a situation with a monster
that needs handling, diamonds are to be had, and he could use some rare
plants.

The priests of Heu-Heu have a setup similar to the sacrifice of Andromeda to Poseidon's monster.

Allan suspects this is all pretty Scooby Doo, and sets out to prove
it. He needs some of Hans' quick thinking to get them through, as well
as the majority of their ammunition to finally get away and get back
home, after solving the situation for the tribe that had been lorded
over for so long.

Comment from a veteran reader
It's probably fair to say that Haggard did not do anything in this late tale that he hadn't already done, better, in earlier books.Hence, having read 16 of Haggard's books, several of them more than once, I'd be inclined to urge readers new to Haggard not to start with Heu-Heu; read She.Haggard's romance She is, on one level, just outstanding pulp-fiction adventure; as a work of the mythopoeic imagination, its peers are masterpieces such as Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Shelley's Frankenstein, Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or George MacDonald's Lilith.Or, if you've become interested in Allan Quatermain thanks to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, start your reading of Haggard with King Solomon's Mines.

Yet after all there is one, admittedly extrinsic, reason why some readers might begin Haggard with Heu-Heu, namely the likelihood that the original movie of King Kong is indebted to it.I don't want to give away too much about Heu-Heu, so I will just say that readers expecting a climactic battle with a huge monster will not find that in Haggard's book; but the core situation - - the cyclical offering to a monster, on a forbidden island, of a beautiful chained maiden- - is here in Heu-Heu.(Haggard's narrator, Allan Quatermain, points to a parallel from Greek Mythology, the story of Andromeda!)It is certainly possible that someone involved in the creation of the King Kong movie had read Haggard's book, published just a few years before the movie was released, in time to influence the development of the movie.If your first Haggard romance is Heu-Heu, though, don't suppose that you can judge this great storyteller's achievement by this book...

Two and a half stars out of five.

ANOTHER GREAT QUATERMAIN TALE
"Heu-Heu, or the Monster" is one of the 14 novels that the great H. Rider Haggard wrote that deals with the life of Allan Quatermain, an English hunter in South Africa. This is a stand-alone novel. Unlike the first two novels in the series, "King Solomon's Mines" and its sequel, "Allan Quatermain"; the so-called Zulu trilogy ("Marie," "Child of Storm" and "Finished"); and the loosely linked series of books that I call the Taduki quartet ("Allan and the Holy Flower," "The Ivory Child," "The Ancient Allan" and "Allan and the Ice Gods"), "Heu-Heu" can be read all by itself, and without any previous knowledge of the Quatermain universe. Yes, references are made to previous adventures and characters, but they are passing references at best, explained as they are brought up, and would in no way unduly confuse a reader new to the Quatermain cycle.
This time around, Allan and his sidekick, the faithful and always amusing Hottentot Hans, go on a mission for the Zulu wizard Zikali (himself featured in many of the previous Quatermain books) and endeavor to bring back some leaves from the rare Tree of Illusions. They also attempt to delve into the mystery of Heu-Heu, a monstrous, 12-foot-tall, clawed and red-bearded semigorilla god who may or may not exist. As is usual with Haggard, the novel starts off with a great action set piece (the mother of all storms, in which our heroes are forced to seek shelter in a creepy Bushman cave), and from there moves swiftly and excitingly. Haggard was a master storyteller, even in his twilight years (this book was written in 1923, two years before his death), and this novel gives fans all the goods that they've come to expect from him. Before all is said and done, we have been treated to an exciting desert crossing (not as harrowing as the one depicted in "King Solomon's Mines," perhaps, but still fun...for the reader, that is), a petrified ancient civilization, a monster flood, a volcanic eruption, and a canoe chase on a raging river. Haggard was also the master (if not the originator) of the "lost civilization" tale, and in "Heu-Heu" we are treated to two such: the Walloos,a people on the decline who worship the giant ape god, and the Hairy Ones, who are more ape than man and may even constitute the fabled Missing Link. Typically, the Hottentot Hans provides most of the comedic relief, and saves the day on more than one occasion. Allan Quatermain, no slouch himself in the action department, admits in this book that he would long since have expired without the resourcefulness of this amusing little character. The two combined make for one of the best action duos in the history of adventure-fantasy literature. All in all, "Heu-Heu," while perhaps not on a par with some of the other Quatermains mentioned above, is still an exciting tale that should provide most red-blooded readers with a few nights of thrills and laughs. Like ALL the other books in the Quatermain cycle, I heartily recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Title:A Tale of Three Lions

Author:H. Rider Haggard



CHAPTER I

THE INTEREST ON TEN SHILLINGS

Most of you will have heard that Allan Quatermain, who was one of the
party that discovered King Solomon's mines some little time ago, and
who afterwards came to live in England near his friend Sir Henry
Curtis. He went back to the wilderness again, as these old hunters
almost invariably do, on one pretext or another.[*] They cannot endure
civilization for very long, its noise and racket and the omnipresence
of broad-clothed humanity proving more trying to their nerves than the
dangers of the desert. I think that they feel lonely here, for it is a
fact that is too little understood, though it has often been stated,
that there is no loneliness like the loneliness of crowds, especially
to those who are unaccustomed to them. "What is there in the world,"
old Quatermain would say, "so desolate as to stand in the streets of a
great city and listen to the footsteps falling, falling, multitudinous
as the rain, and watch the white line of faces as they hurry past, you
know not whence, you know not whither? They come and go, their eyes
meet yours with a cold stare, for a moment their features are written
on your mind, and then they are gone for ever. You will never see them
again; they will never see you again; they come up out of the unknown,
and presently they once more vanish into the unknown, taking their
secrets with them. Yes, that is loneliness pure and undefiled; but to
one who knows and loves it, the wilderness is not lonely, because the
spirit of nature is ever there to keep the wanderer company. He finds
companions in the winds--the sunny streams babble like Nature's
children at his feet; high above them, in the purple sunset, are domes
and minarets and palaces, such as no mortal man has built, in and out
of whose flaming doors the angels of the sun seem to move continually.
And there, too, is the wild game, following its feeding-grounds in
great armies, with the springbuck thrown out before for skirmishers;
then rank upon rank of long-faced blesbuck, marching and wheeling like
infantry; and last the shining troops of quagga, and the fierce-eyed
shaggy vilderbeeste to take, as it were, the place of the cossack host
that hangs upon an army's flanks.

[*] This of course was written before Mr. Quatermain's account of the
adventures in the newly-discovered country of Zu-Vendis of
himself, Sir Henry Curtis, and Capt. John Good had been received
in England.--Editor.

"Oh, no," he would say, "the wilderness is not lonely, for, my boy,
remember that the further you get from man, the nearer you grow to
God," and though this is a saying that might well be disputed, it is
one I am sure that anybody will easily understand who has watched the
sun rise and set on the limitless deserted plains, and seen the
thunder chariots of the clouds roll in majesty across the depths of
unfathomable sky.

Well, at any rate we went back again, and now for many months I have
heard nothing at all of him, and to be frank, I greatly doubt if
anybody will ever hear of him again. I fear that the wilderness, that
has for so many years been a mother to him, will now also prove his
grave and the grave of those who accompanied him, for the quest upon
which he and they have started is a wild one indeed.

But while he was in England for those three years or so between his
return from the successful discovery of the wise king's buried
treasures, and the death of his only son, I saw a great deal of old
Allan Quatermain. I had known him years before in Africa, and after he
came home, whenever I had nothing better to do, I used to run up to
Yorkshire and stay with him, and in this way I at one time and another
heard many of the incidents of his past life, and most curious some of
them were. No man can pass all those years following the rough
existence of an elephant-hunter without meeting with many strange
adventures, ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Super Reader
Wandering around looking for stuff is all well and good, but being a bit careful is something you should do.

When a lioness takes Jim for later snacks, tracking her down gives them a lot more than they bargained for.

It is lucky for them that Hunter Quatermain turned up when he did. Well, a bit late for Jim, but lucky for others. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1914, H. Rider Haggard-adventure novelist, diplomat, farmer, lawyer, and, above all, renowned author of such classic and influential bestsellers as King Solomon's Mines and She-returned to South Africa, the country that had fired his literary imagination, for the first time in a quarter century.

Haggard, whose work is today considered a prototype of colonial literature, barely recognized the Africa of his youth. The discovery of gold, the destruction of the Zulu kingdom, and the aftermath of the Anglo-Boer war had all radically transformed the political, cultural, and often physical landscape.

No longer the diehard imperialist of his youth, when conquest and colonization were the order of the day, Haggard toured southern Africa extensively during this trip, acquiring an impression of black politics and even meeting the first president of the African National Congress, John Dube. This is the chronicle, in Haggard's own hand, of that journey.

A remarkable literary find, written by a man who helped shape Western perceptions of Africa, this hitherto unpublished manuscript presents a portrait both surprising and in some ways familiar of Africa and of a central figure in the literature of African colonialism. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1906.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

AN UNJUSTLY NEGLECTED WONDER
This all-but-forgotten work by the master of the "lost race" adventure story has just about everything a reader could possibly hope for in a book: a treasure hunt, battles between savage African tribes, a pluckyheroine, a shipwreck, an insane Jewish villain, the ghost of a 17th centuryPortuguese woman, mesmerism and even a nice romantic love story. It is ashame that this wonderful fantasy has been out of print for 20 years, as itis a book that can be enjoyed by anyone, young or old, with a love offantastic adventure. It's well worth seeking out. ... Read more

Product Description
Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

One Of Haggard's Most Beautifully Written Books
At the beginning of his 25th novel, "Stella Fregelius" (1903), H. Rider Haggard deemed it necessary to offer an apology to his public. In this brief foreword, the author warns prospective readers that "Stella" is not one of his typical tales, and one with "few exciting incidents." Indeed, those expecting the typical Haggardian mix of lost races, African adventure, big-game hunting, massive battle scenes and historical sweep may be disappointed with this book. However, I feel that Rider Haggard need not have bothered with an apology, as "Stella Fregelius" turns out to be one of his most beautifully written, deeply felt and truly romantic works.

The story here concerns one Morris Monk, a British inventor who is trying, when we first meet him, to perfect a device that he calls an "aerophone" (it seems, from the description, to be a bulkier version of today's ubiquitous cell phone). As his name implies, Monk is a scholarly man with little to no interest in women. Soon, however, he is coerced into marrying his wealthy first cousin (don't ask), Mary, as a means of saving his family's debt-ridden estate. Trouble is not long in coming, when Morris saves the life of the eponymous Stella from a shipwreck in the North Sea. As in Haggard's earlier novel "Mr. Meeson's Will" (1888) and the later "Benita" (1906), a shipwreck does play a pivotal role in this story. This shipwreck scene and its aftermath, by the way, constitute the only true action set pieces in the novel. It doesn't take too long for the reader to realize that Morris and Stella are "soul mates," which situation leads to all sorts of Edwardian mishegas, including [WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD!!!] Stella's death. And it is here that the novel reveals its true purpose, that of showing us that there are loves that survive beyond the grave, and that a spiritual connection is so much more important than the physical and temporal. Toss out your Harlequin paperbacks, ladies; this story is a TRUE romance! The theme of "eternal love" was one that Haggard returned to repeatedly, from his very first novel "Dawn" (1884), through all four She novels, and elsewhere. He himself was involved with a "soul mate" who he just happened to NOT be married to, and thus one can understand why "Stella" meant so much to him. This novel is somewhat reminiscent of his "Jess" (1887) and also his "Beatrice" (1890), in that it deals with a married man who finds his perfect match...elsewhere. All three tales end tragically, but in "Stella Fregelius," at least Haggard holds out the hope of a happy ending in the form of a blissful afterlife. The scenes in which the bereaved Morris attempts to communicate with his lost Stella are truly touching, and are written in some of Haggard's most beautiful, lyrical prose. This is also one of the most symbolic and metaphor packed of all Haggard's novels(at least, of the two dozen that I've been fortunate enough to have read), and contains many passages that the reader may want to peruse over and over, or at least underline for future reference. Filled with warm and touching characters; featuring a few genuinely exciting scenes; and crammed with Haggard's thoughts on life, love, religion and the afterlife, "Stella Fregelius" is a wonderful read. And certainly nothing to apologize for! I hope that Haggard felt, when he reread this finished work, something akin to the sentiment that Stella describes in one scene: "I have done something; it is good; it cannot be changed; it is a stone built forever in the pyramid of beauty, or knowledge, or advancement."

ONE OF HAGGARD'S MOST BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN BOOKS
At the beginning of his 25th novel, "Stella Fregelius" (1903), H. Rider Haggard deemed it necessary to offer an apology to his public. In this brief foreword, the author warns prospective readers that "Stella" is not one of his typical tales, and one with "few exciting incidents." Indeed, those expecting the typical Haggardian mix of lost races, African adventure, big-game hunting, massive battle scenes and historical sweep may be disappointed with this book. However, I feel that Rider Haggard need not have bothered with an apology, as "Stella Fregelius" turns out to be one of his most beautifully written, deeply felt and truly romantic works.
The story here concerns one Morris Monk, a British inventor who is trying, when we first meet him, to perfect a device that he calls an "aerophone" (it seems, from the description, to be a bulkier version of today's ubiquitous cell phone). As his name implies, Monk is a scholarly man with little to no interest in women. Soon, however, he is coerced into marrying his wealthy first cousin (don't ask), Mary, as a means of saving his family's debt-ridden estate. Trouble is not long in coming, when Morris saves the life of the eponymous Stella from a shipwreck in the North Sea. As in Haggard's earlier novel "Mr. Meeson's Will" (1888) and the later "Benita" (1906), a shipwreck does play a pivotal role in this story. This shipwreck scene and its aftermath, by the way, constitute the only true action set pieces in the novel. It doesn't take too long for the reader to realize that Morris and Stella are "soul mates," which situation leads to all sorts of Edwardian mishegas, including [WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD!!!] Stella's death. And it is here that the novel reveals its true purpose, that of showing us that there are loves that survive beyond the grave, and that a spiritual connection is so much more important than the physical and temporal. Toss out your Harlequin paperbacks, ladies; this story is a TRUE romance! The theme of "eternal love" was one that Haggard returned to repeatedly, from his very first novel "Dawn" (1884), through all four She novels, and elsewhere. He himself was involved with a "soul mate" who he just happened to NOT be married to, and thus one can understand why "Stella" meant so much to him. This novel is somewhat reminiscent of his "Jess" (1887) and also his "Beatrice" (1890), in that it deals with a married man who finds his perfect match...elsewhere. All three tales end tragically, but in "Stella Fregelius," at least Haggard holds out the hope of a happy ending in the form of a blissful afterlife. The scenes in which the bereaved Morris attempts to communicate with his lost Stella are truly touching, and are written in some of Haggard's most beautiful, lyrical prose. This is also one of the most symbolic and metaphor packed of all Haggard's novels(at least, of the two dozen that I've been fortunate enough to have read), and contains many passages that the reader may want to peruse over and over, or at least underline for future reference. Filled with warm and touching characters; featuring a few genuinely exciting scenes; and crammed with Haggard's thoughts on life, love, religion and the afterlife, "Stella Fregelius" is a wonderful read. And certainly nothing to apologize for! I hope that Haggard felt, when he reread this finished work, something akin to the sentiment that Stella describes in one scene: "I have done something; it is good; it cannot be changed; it is a stone built forever in the pyramid of beauty, or knowledge, or advancement." ... Read more

Product Description
Guided by a vision, an Englishman and his companion search the mountains of Asia for the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian priestess. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Ayesha, the return of She
Facinating book.I think that She, Ayesha, and the third one, should be made into a proper miniseries for television.The film that I remember of She did not fit the details properly, and using a beautiful blond to depict a black-haired ethereal figure didn't serve the correct purpose.Excellent writing by the author gets the imagination running as we try to conjure up the places he describes.Great literature not to be taken too litterally, but giving great images of the British Empire at that time.

Super Reader
Leo has left, and Ayesha, he thinks, is dead. Do immortal antiheros with superpowers stay dead? Only sometimes, would be the answer to that question. This is most definitely not one of those times.

Leo is a pretty hot guy, it seems, as the Queen of Kaloon falls for him, and he is in danger of yet another woman scorned. He now, of course, only wants Ayesha. Mortal types, in the end, can't handle the heat.

very poor edition
This review is not for the story, but the printing of this edition is terrible.There are an incredible amount of spelling an punctuation errors that really detract from the book.

Great Book - Poor Print Quality
H. Rider Haggard wrote amazing books that are still as deeply compelling today as they were when they were written in the 1900's."She" and "The Return of She" are two of my favorites.Unfortunately, this publisher does not do justice to this great book. The print quality is extremely poor, particularly ruining the wonderful illustrations by Maurice Greiggenhagen.Anyone interested in this book should order a version by another publisher.

Terrific!
Second in the trilogy of "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed".Still terrific, still imaginative and thrilling.How does Haggard do it?The scenes and images he conjures up.The cliff-hanging(literally), Perils of Pauline adventures just fascinate.And yet again, the battle between the spirit and flesh, the mortality and divinity, of man.In this one, however, it began to slow about two-thirds of the way thru, as if Haggard were stretching at times.But then he roused himself magnificently to a thrilling finish!The scene of Ayesha and her army riding across the plain to save Leo is the stuff of movies. It is no less a book than the first, which is unusual for sequels.This one takes place in Tibet, rather than Libya, and Haggard foresees the importance of radium. ... Read more

Product Description
Quatermain loads his elephant gun and embarks on more adventures

This is the fifth volume of Leonaur's seven volume complete coordinated collection of the epic adventure stories of Allan Quatermain, Rider-Haggard's consummate nineteenth century white man in Africa. The Quatermain tales include many that are much less familiar than the first story-the famous King Solomon's Mines. Quatermain is a man of his time and place so most of his adventures included the wild, warlike, tribal nations of South East Africa, its beautiful and untamed landscape and its spectacular and often dangerous fauna. Historically accurate elements such as slavers and the imperial domination of Victorian powers are also common. But Rider-Haggard always held a space open for the fantastical. Wizardry, ghosts, hidden peoples, bizarre cults and incredible creatures-which seemed to have the potential to be hidden somewhere in the dark heart of the Dark Continent-and all are likely to make appearances in their turn. This volume includes the two novels The Ancient Allan & She and Allan to delight Quatermain's enthusiastic aficionados. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Quality small press title....
This review is for the Leonaur Press edition.Leonaur has taken great care to provide a quality product.With sturdy binding, covered with buckram, beautifully set and selected fonts and text and careful copyediting.I am currently reading "The Ancient Allan" and find the font very pleasing to the eye. The overall feel of the book provides a comfortable reading experience.Definitely a must for any serious Haggard reader looking for hard bound editions of some elusive adventure stories.Leonaur appears to be a fine private press to my estimation.Looking forward to other Haggard editions. ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook is the H. Rider Haggard's classic African adventure, ALLAN'S WIFE (#3 in the Allan Quatermain series).

Elephants, lions, baboons, and other fauna of the African wilds abound on these pages, and we have a Zulu impi and the resulting carnage described with the author's usual vivid power of narration. Our old friend, Allan Quatermain, figures as the hero throughout, and the most substantial part of the volume is occupied with the story of his wooing, and the brief episode of his married life. The romance, however, is subsidiary to the sauce piquante of livelier incidents.

Henry Rider Haggard (1856-1925) was an English writer of adventure novels set predominantly in Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. Haggard is most famous as the author of the novels KING SOLOMON'S MINES and its sequel ALLAN QUATERMAIN, and SHE and its sequel AYESHA, swashbuckling adventure novels set in the context of late 19th century Africa.Hugely popular KING SOLOMON'S MINES is one of the best-selling adventure books of all time.

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