Ballantyne The Brave

One hundred ten years ago today Robert Louis Stevenson died. Not only was Stevenson one of the great nineteenth century authors, he was also one of the young men that was directly effected by Ballantyne's witness through literature. As a young man Stevenson was so impressed with the story of The Coral Island that he would later base portions of his famous book Treasure Island on themes from Ballantyne's The Coral Island.

R.L. Stevenson

Stevenson was also the man who gave Ballantyne the name "Ballantyne the Brave." He did this to honor Ballantyne for his bold vision of manhood -- a vision which influenced Stevenson himself. In fact, he began his book Treasure Island with a poem telling the boys of England, Scotland, and the world not to forget the great authors of the past such as J.F. Cooper, R.M. Ballantyne, and W.H.G. Kingstone.

Stevenson, though not perfect, gave us many great works of literature and may be thanked for his excellent book Treasure Island. In the end, though, we can thank Ballantyne for having such an important influence on the boys of England and Scotland, including the young Robert Louis Stevenson.

R.L. Stevenson

December 03, 2008 | Permalink