Old Ballantyne Editions

May 29, 2008

Today I thought I would put up some images of old edition Ballantyne books.

This first book, The Pirate City, is one of the first ten published by Vision Forum. The Pirate City is the story of the Algerian pirates who were the scourge and tribulation of the Mediterranean sea during the early 18th century.

An original binding of The Pirate City.

These are the original bindings. I love the way the old publishers bound their books.

This Is one of the original bindings of The Cannibal Islands.

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 03:21 PM | Permalink

Winner of The Week

May 27, 2008

I was so very impressed with some of the letters from the boys and girls who sent in questions or comments. One that stood out to me as a really observant comment was this one:

Dear Joshua, I happened to find a book by Robert Ballantyne as I was organizing my books last week. I knew about him from my brother, who had read "The Young Fur Trader", but I had not read any of his books personally. I read it over the weekend, and wanted to share some thoughts.

One of the things I like about Charles Dickens' novels is the way that he "shows" the story instead of "telling" it. It is as if you are a bystander to the story; he describes a character or mimics a persons' speech impediment so clearly that you are transported into his world.

This is what jumped off the page the instant I picked up "Twice Bought". I was captivated by Mahogany Drake, the "Rose of Oregon", Gashford and Tom Brixton. I was so taken with the story that I couldn't set it down. Add to this the fact that the story is historical, and free from swearing, and many other aspects of Dickens' work which make it inappropriate for young people, and it is a wholesome experience. Add the fact that the characters show the path of salvation so clearly; and the redemptive quality of the characters' lives, and you have the ultimate novel.

One question I have is if the characters Ballantyne develops as his Christian heroes in his other stories have any weakness or ever stumble in their walk with the Lord. Does he paint a purely black and white picture, or does he show examples of Christians wrestling through temptations? I understand that the characters who are not Christians at the beginning of the story struggle with their old self, but do characters like Frank and Betty ever make the wrong choices? How does he portray the ongoing life of a mature Christian?

On the whole, I found it an engaging book and well worth my time. Thank you for putting on this website, and keep up the good work.

In Christ's Service, Isaac L

Isaac, what a great comment. I really understand what you mean about Dickens and his portrayal of the characters in his novels. As to your questions: there are a couple of examples of Ballantyne not doing the best job of putting his characters in purely Christian settings, though he tried to do his best to show a Christian world-view in the lives of his heroes and heroines. I was speaking to a friend of mine this last week and he brought to my attention the fact that some of the Ballantyne books (not yet re-published) did not have the best character portrayal in them. And in a few rare cases this is true, but even here Ballantyne shows that he is trying to make his characters grow in the Lord. This obviously was a little bit hard for him when writing about the Vikings, or Indian tribes, but you can see that for the most part his characters lives are definitely changing for the better.

I will be sending Isaac his free copy of Fighting The Flames .

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 10:52 PM | Permalink

Ballantyne in Japan and Kittens Losing Mittens

May 24, 2008

This week I have had a couple of really interesting emails. I received this email from a gentleman in Japan. It so amazing to hear from people all around the world who are reading or listening to Mr. Ballantyne's books.

Hi J. Titus. I am listening to my first Ballantyne book through the librivox.org website (put on my ipod) as I travel around Tokyo in my ministry as a church-planting missionary. I was intrigued by the way Ballantyne weaved his faith into the story (The Madman and the Pirate), so I looked it up on Wikipedia and was led to your excellent site. Thanks for your work and keep it up! Steve and Kathi W.

I have also received some really fun emails from young men and ladies in many locations.

My mom is reading us Coral Island and I just wanted to send a comment on Peterkin and the black cat. I really enjoyed that part. It's one of my favorites. I really love it when Peterkin says, "I love you, I do! Do you love me?" That's some of the exact words that I say to my 2-year-old black cat named Tex. I asked him if he loved me and he sometimes meowed in reply. That was before I even heard of that book. I tell him I love him almost every day. He understands too, (I think). Grace B.

Dear Grace: Thanks for this very humorous note. You might also find it interesting to know that Ballantyne was also the author of the "Three Little Kittens Who lost Their Mittens." Alba Gu Bra, Joshua Titus

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 10:24 PM | Permalink

New Book Review of The Lonely Island

May 21, 2008

I just put up a new book review of one of my favorite Ballantyne works, The Lonely Island. This is one of the greatest retellings of what happened to the mutineers from the Bounty after they colonized an island. You can read another review on Red Rooney at Inashoe.com written by Deanna C.

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 11:02 AM | Permalink

Book Review of The Lonely Island

By Deanna C. — May 21, 2008

The Lonely Island is about some sailors who are under a brutish tyrannical captain who abuses them for no good reason. They decide that they've had enough [Read more...]

This Week's Winning Comment

May 20, 2008

Special thanks to this week's winning commentator for these helpful thoughts on Ballantyne and the Grace of God:

One thing I've noticed about Ballantyne, is that he writes openly about how wicked men can be without the grace of God. In Hunted and Harried, he writes about the bloody dragoons who tormented and persecuted the true Church in Scotland. In Pirate City he writes about the cruel means of torture the pirates used. It is a helpful reminder to thank God for His grace that He has given us, and that without it, we are no better than the vilest of men. Eph. 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Sans Peur, Brittney S.

Brittney will receive a complimentary copy of one of Ballantyne's greatest: The Norseman in the West. Thanks to all of my readers for your questions and comments. I also happily welcome feature articles, and book reviews. Each Monday, a winner will be announced, so please get me your questions and comments by the weekend.

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 09:10 PM | Permalink

Old Cornwall

May 20, 2008

Ballantyne and his wife

"For three months my wife and I stayed in the town of Saint Just, closeto the Land's End, during which time I visited some of the principal mines in Cornwall; associated with the managers, "captains," and miners, and tried my best to become acquainted with the circumstances of the people.

The Cornish tin trade is very old. In times so remote that historical light is dim, the Phoenicians came in their galleys to trade with the men of Cornwall for tin.

Herodotus, (writing 450 years B.C.) mentions the tin islands of Britain under the name of the Cassiterides and Diodorus Siculus, (writing about half a century B.C.), says:

"The inhabitants of that extremity of Britain which is called Bolerion, excel in hospitality, and also, by their intercourse with foreign merchants, they are civilised in their mode of life. These prepare the tin, working very skilfully the earth which produces it."

There is said to be ground for believing that Cornish tin was used in the construction of the temple of Jerusalem. At the present time the men of Cornwall are to be found toiling, as did their forefathers in the days of old, deep down in the bowels of the earth--and even out under the bed of the sea--in quest of tin."

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 12:13 AM | Permalink

The Boys Who Followed Ballantyne

May 19, 2008

R.M.Ballantyne was loved by the boys of his time. After the publication of his book The Coral Islands, he had the experience (which at the time he thought was strange) of being followed around by young school boys who wanted his autograph. This soon became a regular part of his life, which was great because Ballantyne loved children, especially his own. The evidence indicates that his own children may have played a significant role inspiring many of Ballantyne's story lines. The same was true of G.A.Henty, who is said to have come up with his stories around the dinner table talking to his children.

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 01:56 PM | Permalink

Book Review Of Post Haste

By John Horn — May 19, 2008

Post Haste is a tale of the British postal system in the nineteenth century. The reader follows the main character, a post boy by the name of Phillip Mayland... [Read more...]

"To be a true hero you must be a true Christian. To sum up then, heroism is largely based on two qualities- truthfulness and unselfishness, a readiness to put one's own pleasures aside for that of others, to be courteous to all, kind to those younger than yourself, helpful to your parents, even if helpfulness demands some slight sacrifice of your own pleasure. . .you must remember that these two qualities are the signs of Christian heroism." - G.A. Henty

George Alfred Henty was born on December 8, 1832, at Trumpington, England, seven years after Ballantyne was born. He was the second of four children, a sickly child who had to spend long periods in bed. We see quite often that he had almost an English version of Theodore Roosevelt's early life. During his continuous illnesses, he read almost non stop and developed a huge amount of knowledge. While attending Westminster School, he took to strenuous exercise like rowing and boxing.

Like many men of his time, he was very private, and most of what we know about him is from his books and letters. He lived through the news of many amazing events of his time from the Crimean War to the American Civil War. He attended Westminster School, London, and later Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. George and his brother Frederick left Cambridge early, without completing their degree courses, to serve in the Crimean War. He would join the Army Hospital Commissariat as a volunteer, and would win the Turkish Order of Medjidie Third Class for his work with the English and Turkish wounded. He was later promoted to Captain in the Purveyor's Department.

Much like Ballantyne, his letters home were filled with fascinating accounts of the battles and adventures he was experiencing. His father was so impressed by his son's letters and stories that he sent them to The Morning Advertiser to be published. The success of his stories among the general public was probably the reason Henty decided to accept an offer to become a "Special War Correspondent" for the newspaper, The Standard.

In 1866, the newspaper sent him to report on the Austro-Italian War. There he would meet Giuseppe Garibaldi (Garibaldi would become a character for one of Henty's later books). He went on to cover many important events such as the 1868 British punitive expedition to Abyssinia, the Franco-Prussian War, the Ashanti War, the Carlist Rebellion, and the Dreyfus Trial, to name just a few. On July 1, 1857, at age twenty five, he would finally settle down and marry Elizabeth Finucane, They had four children. Elizabeth died in 1865 after a long illness. Later in 1889, he would marry Elizabeth Keylock.

G.A. Henty once said his storytelling skills had grown out of the stories he told his children around the dinner table. He wrote his first boy's novel, Out on the Pampas in 1868 (but was not published until 1870), the book's main characters were named after Henty's own children, Charlie, Hubert, Maud, and Ethel, to their great delight.

Henty suffered much illness during his lifetime, and while aboard his yacht "The Egret" with his second wife Elizabeth, on the 16th of November, 1902, he passed away.This was before the completion of his last novel, By Conduct and Courage which was to be completed by his son Capt. C.G. Henty. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery in London, beside his wife and his daughters in one family grave.

Henty's boys' stories always revolved around a boy or young man in adventurous and even dangerous times. Henty's stories took place in times as far ranging as ancient Egypt all the way to the "modern" wars, such as the Boxer Rebellion. Henty's heroes are all courageous, honest, and resourceful (with an extra amount of 'pluck') but are also modest young men who don't boast about their advancements.These virtues have made Henty's novels popular today among many young men around the world who would wish to glean something from the boys of Henty's books.

One astonishing thing about these two authors, R.M.Ballantyne and G.A.Henty, is the fact that there is no competition between them. They fit perfectly together. Ballantyne seemed to know that his strength was in geographical history, where Henty was strongest in his great knowledge of historic wars and battles. And so they both supplied something which was really needed at the time: knowledge of wars and history as well as knowledge of the different parts of the globe. This is what made what we now know as the "British Empire." Without these two men history would not be what it is today!

Special thanks to Roger Childs of the Henty Society for information and editing help.

Ballantyne's Lesson

May 17, 2008

Since my blog launch over a week ago, I have received over a hundred wonderful questions, comments and letters from the readers of Ballantynethebrave.com. I am grateful for each and every one of these, and I am still in the process of answering many of them. Below is one example of the questions sent to me:

What was the mistake Ballantyne made in book, The Coral Islands? I haven't read any Ballantyne books yet, so I'm interested to find out more.

Marshall

Dear Marshall,

Let me answer in Mr. Ballantyne's own words;

"... Despite the utmost care of which I was capable, while studying up for the Coral Island, I fell into . . . a blunder through ignorance in regard to a familiar fruit. I was under the impression that cocoa-nuts grew on their trees in the same form as that in which they are usually presented to us in on grocers' windows- namely, about the size of a large fist with three large spots, suggestive of a monkey's face, at one end. I sent one of my heroes up a tree for a nut, through the shell of which he bored a hole with a penknife and drank the 'lemonade' . . . but in fact the cocoa nut is nearly as large as a man's head, and its outer husk over an inch thick, so that no ordinary penknife could bore into its interior." R. M. Ballantyne - "Personal Reminiscences of Book Making"

Thank you for you excellent question.

Alba Gu Bra, J. Titus

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 12:02 AM | Permalink

My First Two Ballantyne Books

May 16, 2008

R.M. Ballantyne and his brother John in the uniform of the Edinburgh Volunteer Corpes, 1859.

As we were going from one vendor to the next Dad and I would always ask to see their selection of 19th century Christian boys literature like the works of G.A.Henty ( with whom I was very familiar at that time). On this occasion I stopped at the table of one vendor and asked the lady who operated the table about her Henty books. She replied, and then asked me I had ever "heard of an author by the name of Ballantyne?"

I certainly never imagined then how important that question was to become for my literary diet. At the time I was completely unfamiliar with Ballantyne. But as she began to explain the power of Ballantyne's stories, and the reason why Christian boys should love them, I became intrigued. She the apologized that she only had two Ballantyne books left.

We looked the books over and I asked Dad if he would be willing to add these to our pile. Dad said he would but I needed to promise him that I would read them. I immediately said that I would. Dad purchased for me my first two Ballantyne---The Coral Island and Martin Rattler. These two are still among my ten favorites. As to the Coral Island, it is not only Ballantyne's most popular book, it is my top recommendation for an introduction into the world of R.M. Ballantyne.

(Above is an image of R.M. Ballantyne and his brother John in the uniform of the Edinburgh Volunteer Corpes, 1859.)

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 11:42 AM | Permalink

First Ballantyne Winner Announced

May 14, 2008

Many thanks to all of you who visited BallantyneTheBrave.com and who sent in so many thoughtful comments and questions. It was a real blessing to correspond with you. Below are a few of the many questions and comments I received:

Dear Joshua: What is most important characteristic that you have learned or have had reinforced by reading Ballantyne’s books? Sincerely, Nathan A.

Thank you Nathan for your question, I believe that one of the most important characteristic's of Ballantyne’s is that we must include Christ in everything we do. That means in what we write, how we live, and the way we treat each other. Ballantyne emphasized this principle through heroic characters in his stories and through his own life. I really like this quote from Ballantyn'es own pen:

“...in all my writings I have always tried — how far successfully I know not — to advance the cause of Truth and Right and to induce my readers to put their trust in the love of God our Saviour, for this life as well as the life to come.”

God bless you.

Alba Gu Bra, Joshua Titus

This writer had questions about whether Ballantyne stories include female characters.

...I am a 14 year old girl from Iowa and I’ve really enjoyed reading the G.A. Henty books that are offered by Vision Forum. My personal favorite is In Freedom’s Cause. But none of his stories have any girl characters in the adventures. Do any of the Ballantyne books have girls ‘in on the action’?

Allison, Thank you for your excellent question. Both Ballantyne and Henty specifically wrote to the boys of their generation. They often set their stories in the context of wars and adventures where men were being challenged to play the role of men. Because of this fact, the stories favor male characters over female characters. But that does not mean that women are excluded from the stories. There are both boys and girls in many of the Ballantyne books. In my view, while these books were written specifically for young men, they are wonderful for the entire family. There are many benefits that women will get reading the stories, including the fact that they will learn to appreciate the type of courageous Christian men who are best suited as husbands and fathers. On a personal note, my own sisters have read G.A. Henty’s books and they are now starting the Ballantyne series as well.

Alba Gu Bra, J Titus

This writer wanted to know if there was truth to the stories of cannibalism in the South Seas.

Hi, I am thirteen years old and I have just finished reading The Coral Island and have begun to read The Gorilla Hunters. I cannot read the books fast enough, they are very exciting! I would like to know if there is any truth to these stories? Did “savages” really eat other people? And prefer eating one color of people over another? Thank you, Nathan O.

Nathan, This is an excellent and interesting question. As to your first question, I must say that presently, The Coral Island is one of my Ballantyne favorites, (though The Gorilla Hunters is a close second).

Concerning cannibalism: It is true, sadly, that cannibalism was as prevalent among the pagan nations of the South Seas. The Gospel coming to the islands through Christian missionaries (many of whom came from Ballantyne’s own Scotland) helped to bring an end to this barbaric practice.

As to your question concerning whether or not the savages preferred one skin color (melanin count) over another, I am not sure. Ballantyne seemed to think so. This much is true, Ballantyne always tried to be very accurate. It is also true that many of the Pacific Islanders had strange superstitious beliefs.

Thank you so much for your question.

Alba Gu Bra, Joshua Titus

And this writer asked about the maxim on our banner.

Could you please explain your closing, “Alba Gu Bra”? I did a quick search on the internet, but couldn't find a translation. Is it Gaelic? Thank you for taking the time to respond. Your web-site is a great idea! May God bless your endeavors, Joseph, a fellow Henty reader

Thank you for your question Joseph, “Alba Gu Bra” was the cry “Scotland forever” that was yelled by the Scots during battle.

Ballantyne was a patriotic Scot who personified the best of the Scottish traditions of orthodox Christianity and love of his nation. To honor Mr. Ballantyne, and in preparation for my own journey to Scotland, I wanted to adopt this maxim.

God bless you, Alba Gu Bra, Joshua Titus

In the future I will be looking for different types of questions and comments. But today I selected the first winner of my weekly Ballantyne give-away, because the writer asked a very simple, but important question which I believe is on the minds of many readers:

We have Henty. What does Ballantyne give us that Henty does not? Thanks! Hannah H.

Thank you Hannah, What a great question! There are some wonderful similarities between Ballantyne and Henty, but there are two primary differences between the two authors.

The first difference is this: Henty teaches courageous boyhood in the context of history. Henty’s stories are set in the context of real historical events. They are a wonderful way to learn history and manhood. Ballantyne sets manly adventures in the context of diverse geographic locations. Readers of Ballantyne learn to appreciate and understand the mysterious and wonderful world created by the Lord.

The second difference pertains to the way the two men communicate their faith. Both Henty and Ballantyne are professing Christian men who take Christianity very seriously. Henty’s theological roots are Anglican. Ballantyne is a self-conscious Reformed Christian. Henty is less overt about his faith, and the Gospel is more implicit, than explicit in his writings. Ballantyne, on the other hand, is a soul-winner who overtly preaches the Gospel through his stories and characters. His is a bold and courageous orthodox Christianity.

Alba Gu Bra J. Titus

Congratulations Hannah!

In the future, I hope to award books to individuals that not only ask important questions, but who write helpful comments and insights concerning specific Ballantyne books. Keep writing. God bless you.

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 11:15 AM | Permalink

Welcome to BallantyneTheBrave.com!

May 14, 2008

Welcome to the Ballantyne Blog. This blog is dedicated to talking about the great Christian boys authors of the past. On this blog I intend to explore the works of R.M. Ballantyne and to examine the most important ideas and story elements he brings to the table through his writings.

I will try to post at least three times a week, but for today I invite you to read our articles, to view the image gallery, and click through the map on the home page where you can learn more about specific Ballantyne books.

Make sure to contact me with your questions, ideas and commentary on all subjects related to R.M. Ballantyne and Christian boys literature. I will be posting some of your questions and comments here on the Ballantyne Blog. I will also be giving away a free Ballantyne book to one of my readers each week leading up to the 2008 Scotland Faith and Freedom Tour, at which time I will be reporting on Ballantyne directly from Scotland.

If you have not yet experienced the joys of reading R.M. Ballantyne, I invite you to start your collection immediately by looking at the list of twenty volumes published by The Vision Forum. It was my joy to work with my Father in the selection and publication of these books, and I think they will be a great blessing to you. If you like these new editions as much as I do, then I suspect that you may soon want to begin your own collection of antique 19th century volumes of Ballantyne. My own collection is growing, and I would like to be able to offer tips and discussions here at ballantynethebrave.com on some of the best ways to find the books and to build great collections of courageous boys literature.

Thanks for visiting my website. I hope to be hearing from you.

Alba Gu Bra, J. Titus

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 11:11 AM | Permalink

From the Pen of R.M. Ballantyne

On the Preeminence of Jesus Christ in Boys’ Literature

“...in all my writings I have always tried — how far successfully I know not — to advance the cause of Truth and Right and to induce my readers to put their trust in the love of God our Saviour, for this life as well as the life to come.” —R.M. Ballantyne, from Personal Reminiscences in Book-Making

On the Detestable Slave Trade

“In writing this book, my aim has been to give a true picture in outline of the Slave-Trade as it exists at the present time on the east coast of Africa. In order to do this, I have selected from the most trust-worthy sources what I believe to be the most telling points of ‘the trade,’ and have woven these together into a tale, the warp of which is composed of thick cords of fact; the woof of slight lines of fiction, just sufficient to hold the fabric together. Exaggeration has been easily avoided, because—as Dr. Livingstone says in regard to the slave-trade — ‘exaggeration is impossible.’ I began my tale in the hope that I might produce something to interest the young (perchance, also, the old) in a most momentous case—the total abolition of the African slave-trade. I close it with the prayer that God may make it a tooth in the file which shall eventually cut the chain of slavery, and set the black man free.” —R. M. Ballantyne

On the Importance That Boys Take Manly Risks

“Boys [should be] inured from childhood to trifling risks and slight dangers of every possible description, such as tumbling into ponds and off of trees, etc., in order to strengthen their nervous system... They ought to practice leaping off heights into deep water. They ought never to hesitate to cross a stream over a narrow unsafe plank for fear of a ducking. They ought never to decline to climb up a tree, to pull fruit merely because there is a possibility of their falling off and breaking their necks. I firmly believe that boys were intended to encounter all kinds of risks, in order to prepare them to meet and grapple with risks and dangers incident to man’s career with cool, cautious self-possession...” —R. M. Ballantyne

Of Melancholy Boys Who Should Not Read Ballantyne

“If there is any boy or man who loves to be melancholy and morose, and who cannot enter into the regions of fun, let me seriously advise him to shut my book and put it away. It was not meant for him.” —R.M. Ballantyne, from the preface to The Coral Islands

What Others Say About R.M. Ballantyne

Ballantyne and the Rich Scottish Legacy of Unbridled Courage

“R.M. Ballantyne was born into Edinburgh’s great 19th century publishing elite. His family firm published both Walter Scott and Thomas Chalmers. No wonder he knew how to spin a classic yarn! His prodigious output of nearly a hundred adventure stories was the natural fruit of the rich Scottish legacy of unbridled courage, undaunted chivalry, literary excellence, Christian virtue, and global vision. I am so grateful that Vision Forum has once again made these rip-roaring tales available. May they inspire the next generation to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.” —Dr. George Grant

Ballantyne Helps Boys to Think Like Men

“In today’s world, when a boy turns thirteen, his life may change, but probably not for the better. He becomes a “teenager”; entering into the most selfish and indulgent period of his life. He has no new duties or obligations, no one considers him to be a man, nor has any higher expectations for him. But it was not always that way. There was a time when at the age of thirteen, a young fellow was acting and thinking like a man. He was doing manly things, being courageous and brave, and he put off the childish things of his previous years. But in order for today’s young men to do this, they need an example set before them, an illustration of what manhood is. This is why I love Ballantyne’s books, the main characters of his books always display impeccable manners, and demonstrate a high degree of courage; a very good and biblical model for the boys of this generation. His characters always exhibit a lot of character growth, and the historical representation is always accurate. Ballantyne’s works should be read by all young men who are in the need of surrounding themselves with good, biblical role models.” —Noah J. Botkin, Age 13

He Was the Hero of a Generation of Boys

“The immense popularity of the scores of books he had written for the young men of his day had created a legend regarding their author that made them eager to subscribe to what they hoped would be a lasting monument to perpetuate his name. Led by the boys of Harrow School, a movement started almost immediately when the news of his death reached England. They voted to raise a fund to erect a marble edifice so that later generations would remember the name of the man who had brought them so many hours of excitement and pleasure. Within a few months, over six hundred Pounds ($1,440) had been collected in schools throughout the country, mostly in hard won pennies and sixpence from the pockets of teenage boys. Such a spontaneous gesture by the impecunious schoolboys of Victoria’s Britain is without precedent and nothing of similar nature has ever occurred from that day onwards.” —Eric Quayle, Author

Scotland Faith & Freedom Tour - 2008

Journey With Me Day by Day Through the Land of Ballantyne
and the Greatest Scottish Heroes

In June of this year I will be traveling with my family and one hundred friends for the trip of a lifetime — the 2008 Vision Forum Ministries Scotland Faith and Freedom Tour. My father, Douglas Phillips, will be leading the tour. He will be joined by Christian historians Bill Potter and Dr. Joe Morecraft. We will also have the honor of traveling with the award-winning filmmaker and native Scotsman, Colin Gunn, and with my favorite balladeer, Mr. Charlie Zahm.

My father describes our adventure thusly: “Our journey will take us through nearly two thousand years of Scottish history. We will visit Roman ruins, stand where the Druids built their ancient monoliths, voyage to the island where Christianity was birthed in Great Britain, survey the land of the Covenanters, immerse ourselves in the lives of Knox and the Reformers, study heroes of Scottish Christian literature, walk on the battlefields of the Bravehearts, explore ancient castle after castle, delve into the lives of the most effective missionaries in history, and even search for the Loch Ness monster. We will learn of Scottish queens, Pictish warriors, and dragon legends that reinforce the biblical account of the post-Flood world. And before the week is over, we will sample haggis and attend the oldest Highland games in the world — founded by Robert the Bruce and held consecutively every year (except for war) since 1315.”

Even if you can’t be with us in Scotland this year, you can join me at BallantyneTheBrave.com for a day by day journey into Scotland’s past with a special emphasis on the life and writings of R.M. Ballantyne, his life and stories. Each day of my journey I will be posting pictures, film clips and stories from the tour. Make sure to visit BallantyneTheBrave.com in June, and keep sending your questions and comments. I will try to answer them from Scotland as much as is possible.

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 04:34 PM | Permalink

Other Sites Worth Visiting

My goal on this page is to provide the boys and girls of America, England, Scotland, and the world with links to websites which will help them continue their study of the writings of Ballantyne, of related authors who encourage men to stand firm in the battle for Christendom, and of sites of general interest to courageous boyhood and virtuous womanhood. —Joshua Titus

Boys [should be] inured from childhood to trifling risks and slight dangers of every possible description, such as tumbling into ponds and off of trees, etc., in order to strengthen their nervous system... They ought to practice leaping off heights into deep water. They ought never to hesitate to cross a stream over a narrow unsafe plank for fear of a ducking. They ought never to decline to climb up a tree, to pull fruit merely because there is a possibility of their falling off and breaking their necks. I firmly believe that boys were intended to encounter all kinds of risks, in order to prepare them to meet and grapple with risks and dangers incident to man’s career with cool, cautious self-possession... —R.M. Ballantyne, The Gorilla Hunters

Welcome to Ballantyne the Brave. My name is Joshua Titus Phillips and I am the Director for BTB. I am a young man, eighteen years old, who for more than 10 years has enjoyed reading historical boys’ literature. My own literary journey has brought me through more than ninety books by G.A. Henty and numerous works of the great Christian author R.M. Ballantyne, to whom this website is dedicated. I have also had the honor of serving as a regular guest on San Antonio’s KSLR radio broadcast to discuss historical boys’ literature.

When I started reading Ballantyne’s boys’ stories, I was barely ten years old. After reading my very first Ballantyne book, The Coral Islands, I was amazed! I thought to myself: “This is what every boy must be reading.” Here was an author who taught boys to be strong, vigorous, and courageous, but he did so in the context of a Christian world view and pure faith in Jesus Christ. Ballantyne takes boys to the four corners of the earth on amazing adventures, and the Gospel message is an important part of his stories.

It was another Scotsman, Robert Louis Stevenson, who coined the phrase “Ballantyne the Brave.” He did this to honor Ballantyne for his bold vision of manhood — a vision which influenced Stevenson himself.

Ballantyne recognized the importance of Christian adventure literature for the boys of his generation. He was a remarkable Christian adventurer in his own right who traveled the world, and dedicated his life to giving young men a treasure trove of wonderful stories. More than a hundred years later Ballantyne’s books remain timely and inspiring.

My research revealed that Ballantyne’s books were fabulously popular in the 19th and early 20th century. But this led me to wonder why Ballantyne’s books were not more readily available from publishers today. The more I researched the more I realized that modern critics and publishers object to Ballantyne’s overt Christianity and his vigorous manhood — the very two elements which make Ballantyne great.

That is when my father and I began a project of finding creative ways to introduce this important literature to the boys of the 21st century. The first approach was to get the books republished. Then in January of this year, I approached my father with the idea for this website. He loved it.

We believe that there are many things competing for the attention of young men. Unfortunately, much of it is unhealthy. The other issue is that boys are not exposed to good things which build them up as future men. The result is a generation of weak boys who lack focus and vision. Another part of the problem is that too many are fearful about presenting manly, Christian stories to young men. It is not just secular publishers but also Christians who have lost the vision to train boys up to be manly. In the absence of good preaching, good examples, and good literature, many boys are taught by our culture to believe that effeminacy and wimpiness are virtues. This is wrong! Something must be done to reverse this trend.

Now, a number of young men (myself included) have come together under the guidance of our fathers to work toward the restoration of courageous Christian boyhood all over the world.

John Horn, sixteen years of age, is one of these men. Starting in August, 2009, John will be the new Managing Editor for BTB. John Horn is a friend and a first rate chap who shares the vision for both Henty and Ballantyne. As Managing Editor, John is responsible for overseeing the greater part of this site. He will be writing blog posts, updating articles, and answering questions. John has spent untold hours researching R.M. Ballantyne and has gathered a great amount of information on Ballantyne’s time in Canada.

John is also an expert on G. A. Henty's books, having read 60+ over the last seven years. Like myself John has read and enjoyed many other great historical authors of fiction and non-fiction ever since he first learned to read. Authors such as J. F. Cooper, Jules Verne, and R.L. Stevenson.

As soon as he read his first book by Ballantyne, The Coral Island, he began to enjoy, appreciate, and understand the investment which has been given to us. John feels that the boys of this generation have been given a heroic literary heritage, which must be benefited from – and added to for our own children.

John’s mission is to take “Ballantyne the Brave” to the next level – that means expanding the scope of our discussion to many more authors, in-depth research, and even more thought-provoking commentary. We also want to have more hard-hitting commentary on subjects of importance to boys in the modern day. We hope to receive more book reviews, and more commentary on 19th century literature from our readers.

John and I both believe that the time is ripe for a revival of Christ-honoring heroic and courageous boys literature. BallantyneTheBrave.com is dedicated to this purpose. It’s time to begin changing the culture!

—J.Titus P.

Ballantyne and Henty: The Gentlemen Adventurers of the World of Boys’ Literature

By Lucas Botkin — May 06, 2008

Our great-great grandfathers on both sides of the Atlantic thrilled to tales of adventure and courage written by R.M. Ballantyne and G.A. Henty [Read more...]

Who Was R.M. Ballantyne?

By Joshua Phillips — May 05, 2008

When Eric Quayle, author of Ballantyne the Brave, penned these words thirty years ago, the works of R.M. Ballantyne were still known to the men of that generation [Read more...]