The collection gathers twenty-four notable historical narratives and biographies, ranging from the conquest of Mexico by Hernan Cortés to the Scottish wanderings of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. Andrew Lang carefully selected these accounts from authentic contemporary sources, native historians, and eyewitness records to interest younger readers in genuine historical events.
The volume opens with the life of John Tanner among the Red Indians, detailing his capture as a young child and his long adaptation to indigenous customs and survival in the North American wilderness. Subsequent chapters relate the astonishing escapes of Casanova from the Venetian Inquisition, Baron Trenck from Prussian imprisonment, and Benvenuto Cellini from the Castle of St. Angelo.
Maritime disasters and engagements occupy several chapters, including the historic naval battle between the Shannon and the Chesapeake, the capture of Captain Snelgrave by pirates on the Guinea coast, and the heroic rescue by Grace Darling during the wreck of the Forfarshire in the Farne Islands.
Ancient history is represented by the stand of the Spartan three hundred at the pass of Thermopylae against the Persian forces of Xerxes, while Scandinavian history appears in the narrative of Leif the Lucky finding Vineland the Good. Other accounts describe the adventures of John Foxe, the mysterious fate of Kaspar Hauser, and the disastrous battle of Isandhlwana.
The editorial approach preserves the original character of each source, rejecting modern simplifications or alterations. The volume serves as a bridge between formal historical records and accessible literature for younger readers.
