Winning His Spurs: A Tale of the Crusades by G.A. Henty

Winning His Spurs: A Tale of the Crusades Reviews

• 
  Katrina Michelle

  I didn't really care for the main character all that much, and I suppose I'm not in the mood for so much telling instead of showing, and I won't deny that I'm relieved to be finished.
  
  But even if I didn't like it all that much, I do respect this short book. The historical detail, though... :)
  
  Besides, Robin Hood made an appearance. He had no dialogue, and he was only there for about half a page, but... ROBIN HOOD.
  
  So yeah. That was the highlight of the book for me.
• 
  Sarah

  I read this years ago in my early teens. I still love this story.
• 
  Rebecca

  When this adventure begins, Cuthbert is a boy of fifteen living at home with his mother in Norman England. He hears information and is able to warn the outlaws living in the forest, among whom he has relatives, of an impending attack by the Earl of Evesham, who resents their killing his deer without permission. The forest men are reconciled to the Earl, however, when Cuthbert summons their help to rescue the Earl’s daughter from a kidnapping by a nearby vindictive Norman nobleman. After Cuthbert participates in the victorious siege of the latter’s castle, the Earl of Evesham, who is himself a distant relative of Cuthbert, promises to take him with him when he next rides off to battle.
  
  Neither had any idea that they would be going off to battle so soon. King Richard the Lionhearted was gathering troops to set off on another crusade, and Cuthbert gets to go along, and be a party to major historic events. He witnesses the French and British rivalry, rescues a princess, wins a duel, fights the Moorish pirates, is knighted for saving King Richard’s life in a battle, escapes Saracen captivity, visits with a Dead Sea hermit, and returns to Europe with King Richard.
  
  When the Earl of Evesham was mortally wounded, he begged the king that his estates, title and daughter would be granted to Cuthbert. After Cuthbert and his faithful men make their dangerous journey across the snowy Alps and hostile European cities with many narrow escapes, they find themselves rather unwelcome in England. There he leads a Robin Hood style life, and with Robin Hood, no less! They finally see that Cuthbert’s mother and fiancée are in safety, and Cuthbert goes with Blondel to discover the place of King Richard’s imprisonment, and arrange for his ransom.
  
  This is one of the more exciting Henty adventures, and any lover of Robin Hood will certainly enjoy this tale. Cuthbert’s presence of mind and common sense, his loyalty, honesty, valor, and quick wits are all characteristics that make us and his authorities in the book admire and respect him. If it were a movie, you would find yourself holding your breath, but by the time you’re halfway through the book, you will be confident that Cuthbert can extricate himself and his friends from any kind of sticky situation. Plus, there is plenty of history and background included, from geography and the baron wars of England, to rivalries on the Crusades, to lifestyles of the Middle East. Find a comfortable seat and enjoy!
• 
  The Gatekeeper

  The thing I don't like about G.A. Henty is that he usually seems more interested in teaching history than in writing a good story. In The Dragon and the Raven, for example, he spends a lot more time talking about the battles between the British and Danish people than about the actual plot. For me, at least, that got a little boring. But Winning His Spurs is more balanced; there's still plenty of history, but it's mainly a series of fast-paced adventures in the life of Cuthbert, an exceptionally brave and resourceful young knight. It's a fun, exciting story that I really enjoyed reading. Owing to Henty's formal writing style, it wasn't as engrossing as The Brethren, my favorite book about the crusades, but Winning His Spurs is still worth checking out.
• 
  Skjam!

  G.A. Henty (1852-1902) was a writer of children’s historical fiction, who began his career as an author after a friend heard him telling bedtime stories to his kids. Like many Victorian authors, he’s out of favor these days, but my parents found this book at an estate sale.
  
  Cuthbert is fifteen when the story begins, a lad of mixed Norman and Saxon blood during the reign of Richard I (Richard the Lionheart.) This gives him ties to both his late father’s cousin, the Earl of Evesham, and his mother’s relative, the landless freeman Cnut. Learning that the Earl plans to rid the forest of the landless men, Cuthbert warns them in time, then happily finds a way for the woodsmen to help save the Earl’s daughter from his real enemy, the Baron of Wortham.
  
  Recognized for his bravery and cleverness, Cuthbert is made the Earl’s squire when a Crusade is called. The noble (in the best sense of the word) lad is quickly noted by King Rchard, and soon becomes a knight. Alas, after many adventures the old Earl dies without a male heir, but before he goes convinces Richard to appoint Cuthbert the new Earl of Evesham and the betrothed of the old Earl’s lovely daughter.
  
  More adventures later, Cuthbert arrives back in England incognito, to discover that wicked Prince John has appointed one of his unpleasant cronies as Earl and betrothed. Now Cuthbert must defeat the false Earl, save the maiden and find the missing true king. With a little help from Robin Hood and Blondel, he accomplishes all this.
  
  The prose is rather stiff with an antiquated vocabulary–today’s children might get the impression that they’re reading a book for grown-ups. Those looking for deep characterization are likely to be disappointed. Cuthbert begins the story honest, kind, brave and clever, and remains so throughout. His primary character flaw is that he is, perhaps, just a little too boyishly fond of adventure. When not engaged in battle, even the lowliest of persons is formal of speech.
  
  This is not to say the work is free of moral ambiguity. It’s admitted that the Crusades had generally bad results in spite of their lofty purposes, the Muslims have valid reasons for opposing the Crusaders, and King Richard’s selfish actions are shown to have negative consequences even while he remains the great hero of the story. Parents reading this with their children may wish to discuss how easily religion can be used as an excuse for war, and the real history of the Crusades.
  
  This book can also be found under the title “Winning His Spurs.” It’s a good example of children’s literature of a bygone age, and with some caveats is suitable as a bedtime story even today. As it’s in the public domain, there have been some inexpensive reprints in recent years.
• 
  Alicia Willis

  Winning His Spurs is an amazing book, detailing the life and adventures of a young Saxon/Norman page during the Third Crusade. Usual gallantry, adventure, and chivalry follow the antics of this very courageous and spirited young warrior.
  
  This was the book that first inspired me to write my own medieval series and was the book that made me keep trying to be a good writer - no matter what.
  
  For the most part, historical accuracy predominates the storyline. However, I did catch one or two questionable factors, such as a twenty year old page. However, the few errors were very slight. I would consider this book one of the most historically accurate medieval tales available.
  
  I loved the storyline. Brave Sir Cuthbert, his lovely fiancee, his friend Cnut, Robin Hood, Prince John, and King Richard the Lionhearted made for an adventurous tale of heroism and war. Venture into the Holy Land and see for yourself the perils of the Third Crusade. Stand for King Richard and honor chivalry in the pages of this must-read!
  
  Highly recommended.
• 
  Dani

  Read this aloud to the kids. We always enjoy reading Henty together; wonderful language, and great historical backgrounds. His books, if you read too many close together, definitely will start to sound alike; rather formulaic. Enjoyable nonetheless.
• 
  kezzie ☾ (taylor’s version)

  ✩ 2 stars
  ~
  [read for high school ‘freshmen year’ great books class]
• 
  Brittni

  I just do not like Henty
• 
  John Yelverton

  G.A. Henty's book was weak on the history, and a little brief on the relay of events. It also felt like he was just copying the story of Robin Hood with the character Sir Cuthbert, until Robin Hood actually shows up. It's not a bad book, but Henty has written a lot better.
• 
  Dianne

  Cuthbert, "...a lad of some fifteen years of age", finds himself in a series of incidents that demonstrate the strength of character that catches the eye of the nobles. Throughout the entire story, we see a young teenage boy develop into a mighty man of character, as he receives the trials and adventures which befall him on the journey of the Third Crusade in King Richard's army. The adventures allow the reader to glimpse into many facets of the history of the Third Crusade, and while no judgment is made about the Crusade, one is able to see the circumstances and events which shaped its outcome. This book is captivating, exciting, and the reader will love the hero. In true Henty style, the hero depicts character qualities that young men can desire to model, because becoming a man of integrity is not bound by culture or time.
• 
  David Burchard

  Simple, in the Right Way
  
  This is my first foray into the writings of Henty, "With Lee in Virginia" being my intended next target. Henty is simple in style, and makes quite plain where the plot is going with transparent foreshadowing throughout. But Henty knows how to capture truth, goodness, and beauty. He knows substantive glory. He writes in "The Boy Knight" a tale like that of St. George and the Dragon. This book is a celebration of chivalry, loyalty, valor, and winning the woman upon much hard work. It is a tale to aid boys in becoming courageous men.
• 
  Mark Zodda

  Enjoyable, Victorian-era romance that tells the story of a teenager who becomes a Crusader knight loved by all of his men because he cares for them and performs great feats of arms. That description is a bit tongue-in-cheek; in this telling, feudalism under King Richard was paternalistic and good for the people who would do anything for their beloved king. Still, as a historical romance and adventure, the hero saves the king, takes care of his men and saves the damsel who marries him. What more could you want?
• 
  Amy Harris

  Such an entertaining and fun way to learn about the history of the crusades and King Richard. The narrator's voice was a bit annoying. I would definitely try to find another version in the future. Our entire family enjoyed this and we listened to it on a cross-country trip together.
• 
  Dori

  Loved it!
• 
  Gregory

  A fun story (with all of the usual caveats about Henty being formulaic, dated, etc :-).
• 
  Natalie

  One of the best G. A. Henty books I've read!
• 
  Livi Taylor

  A good book to learn about the crusades in story form. It wasn’t as interesting to me as the other Henty book I read (The Dragon and the Raven) though.
• 
  Seth

  I love a lot of G.A. Henty's works. This is one of my favorites, covering a period of time during the crusades. Though a bit stiff in style (Henty died in the early 1900s), the adventure is exciting, the romance palatable, and from what I've read in other sources, the history is relatively accurate. I would suggest this book to history lovers, readers of Verne, Hugo, Conan Doyle, or Turtledove--or someone looking for a good adventure book outside the spectrum of popular fiction.