Westward Ho! By Charles Kingsley (complete set volume 1 and 2) historical novel: The novel was based on the adventures of Elizabethan corsair Amyas ... World, where they battle with the Spanish.

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Now, of course, the main attraction of Westward Ho! is its long sandy beach. After all, the village was first built as a resort specifically to serve the shoreline and act as a gateway to the great expanse of gold that stretches as far as the eye can see. Don Guzman remained a constant presence throughout the story, but his conflict with Amyas was bought to an end in a way that I definitely had not expected.

We’d never intended to visit Westward Ho! But sometimes it’s best to just follow the signs and follow wherever they might lead to. (And besides, did curiosity really kill the cat?) Driving through the North Devonian countryside following a visit tonearby Clovelly (which is supposedly the prettiest village in the UK), we couldn’t help but notice the signposts for a name with an actual exclamation mark in it. The novel's virulent anti-Catholicism, as well as its racially insensitive depictions of the South Americans, has made the novel less appealing to a modern audience, although it is still regarded by some as Kingsley's "liveliest, and most interesting novel." [6] Adaptations [ edit ] 1920 edition illustrated with paintings by N.C. Wyeth.

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Westward Ho! Or The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight of Burrough, in the County of Devon, in the reign of Her Most Glorious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, Rendered into Modern English by Charles Kingsley’. Set initially in Bideford in North Devon during the reign of Elizabeth I, Westward Ho! follows the adventures of Amyas Leigh, an unruly child who as a young man follows Francis Drake to sea. Amyas loves local beauty Rose Salterne, as does nearly everyone else; much of the novel involves Rose's elopement with a Spaniard. Altogether there are almost two miles of sand, reaching the horizon on either side of the town. And just one trip here shows you exactly why the Victorians chose to build along these shorelines. Best things to do in Westward Ho!

The book is the inspiration behind the unusual name of the village of Westward Ho! in Devon, the only place name in the United Kingdom that contains an exclamation mark. [10] When the ship is damaged in a later encounter with the Spaniards, the crew beaches her and begins a march toward the fabled city of Manoa. It is a long and hazardous journey over high mountains and through a land of hostile Indians. They find no El Dorado, but a young priest of one of the tribes falls in love with Amyas and follows him the rest of the journey. She is called Ayacanora, and, although she is of an Indian tribe, she seems to have the look of a white woman.In comparison with other Devonian towns (even the nearby large town of Bideford), Westward Ho! is a fairly new addition to the landscape, meaning that there aren’t too many historicbuildings of interest about. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t interesting things to do (and spots to eat at). The Pig on the Hill In fact, Charles Kingsley’s novel proved so popular that there was a renewed interest in North Devon among wealthy Victorians. Rich businessmen in nearby Bideford saw the tourism potential almost immediately. Hodges, C. Walter (1979). The Battlement Garden: Britain from the Wars of the Roses to the Age of Shakespeare (1st Americaned.). New York: Houghton. p. 116. ISBN 9780816430048. A prominent theme of the novel is the 16th-century fear of Catholic domination, [5] and this reflects Kingsley's own dislike of Catholicism. [4] The novel repeatedly shows the Protestant English correcting the worst excesses of the Spanish Jesuits and the Inquisition. [4]

Set in the 16th-Century, the story follows theCorsair’s (fancy word for pirate) journey to sea with Francis Drake (a famous confidant toQueen Elizabeth I). The book includes fights with the Spanish in the Americas, searches for gold and life in Devon. Although originally a political radical, Kingsley had by the 1850s become increasingly conservative and a strong supporter of overseas expansion. [4] The novel consistently emphasises the superiority of English values over those of the "decadent Spanish". [1] Although originally written for adults, its mixture of patriotism, sentiment and romance deemed it suitable for children, and it became a firm favourite of children's literature. [5] The book is written in pretend Elizabethan and is named after river boats on the Thames in London. During the Elizabethan period, sailors would shout ‘Eastward Ho!’ or ‘Westward Ho!’ depending on the boat’s final destination. The full novel’s title is: After a time, Amyas fits out a ship and prepares to go with Drake to Virginia, but before they sail, the Spanish Armada arrives off English shores. Amyas, with his ship, joins the rest of the fleet in that famous battle. After twelve terrible days, the Armada is defeated and almost every Spanish ship destroyed. Amyas, however, is not satisfied. Don Guzman is aboard one of the Spanish ships, and although Amyas pursues him relentlessly, he has to sit by and watch a storm tear the Spaniard’s ship apart. Amyas curses that he himself was not able to kill Don Guzman and thus avenge his brother’s death. After more than three years, the little band reaches the shore of New Granada. There, after a furious fight, they capture a Spanish galleon. After they secure her and set sail, they go into the hold and release the prisoners the Spaniards have aboard. One of them is Lucy the witch, who tells them of the horrible fate of Rose and Frank. Before Eustace disappeared from La Guayra, he reported to the Inquisition that Rose kept her Protestant faith. She and Lucy were taken before the terrible tribunal, where Frank was also turned over to the torturers. Lucy confessed that she accepted the Catholic faith, but Frank and Rose, refusing to yield to the Inquisitors, were tortured for many days before they were burned at the stake. When Amyas hears this story, he is like a madman, vowing never to rest until he kills every Spaniard he sees. Two Spanish dignitaries on the ship witnessed the burning of Frank and Rose, and Amyas has them hanged immediately.Feb 2007. ("Westward Ho! is an invigorating starting point, because it's the only place in the British Isles with an exclamation mark.") Construction of the town began in 1865 during the Victorian era and was built in a style typical of resort towns in the 19th-Century. The house façades are high and palm trees are everywhere. Should you opt to visit the seaside resort today, you’ll find a town which is much like many other former Victorian seaside resorts in the UK (a little weathered in places and otherwise very popular). Westward Ho! The Novel by Charles Kingsley Amyas spends time in the Caribbean coasts of Venezuela seeking gold, and in the process finds his true love, the beautiful Indian maiden Ayacanora. During the return journey to England, he discovers that Rose and his brother Frank have been burnt at the stake by the Spanish Inquisition. He vows revenge on all Spaniards, and joins in the defence of England against the Spanish Armada. When he is permanently blinded by a freak bolt of lightning at sea, he accepts this as God's judgement and finds peace in forgiveness. The seafront and the part of the village leading down to the water are part of a Natural Landscape(AONB) which covers the majority of Devon’s north coast. And the Earl of Portsmouth founded a hotel named ‘Westward Ho!’ Soon enough, other villas started to pop up nearby. And thus, the town of Westward Ho! was born. Find the Westward Ho! book for sale here. Westward Ho! Beach