The Return of “Ballantyne the Brave”

Thanks to my parents’ love for good books, from my childhood I have been an avid reader of classic literature. Dickens, Stevenson, Cooper, Dumas, Henty, Anderson, Bronte, Defoe, and many other classic authors have provided me reading pleasure and thought-provoking stories for years, and my knowledge of bygone days and far-off lands stems in large part from their respective pens.

Nobility of character and a bold performance of duty regardless of the consequences is a prevailing theme throughout these favorite authors’ tales, and from a young age I was strongly impacted by their stories. At times their protagonists struggled and sometimes failed in pursuit of various quests, but generally emerged victorious through the conflict and demonstrated principles of honor, bravery, sacrifice, and perseverance while so doing. Many of these fictitious characters became my heroes and friends, and I learned what it meant to be a man in "the best of times........[and] the worst of times." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities).

Regrettably, too often in my favorite classics there is a very important element either hidden or missing altogether, namely Christ. Although Christian concepts are discussed and generally esteemed in these written works, in many cases they are divorced from their Ultimate Source and achieve success and provide benefit to others only through the "borrowed fruits" principle. I have long searched for more Christian authors from this era who offered both excellent stories and a true understanding of, and submission to, their Creator. Enter Robert Michael Ballantyne, or, "Ballantyne the Brave," as his literary protégé Robert Louis Stevenson affectionately titled him in Stevenson’s introductory poem to Treasure Island. Having read several of R. M. Ballantyne’s approximately eighty books, I am thrilled to share that Vision Forum is bringing back Ballantyne to tell his stories anew, offering today’s boys and families tales of grit, determination, exploration, and spirited adventure around the globe, each written from an unabashedly Christian perspective.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1825, R. M. Ballantyne was a contemporary of noted authors Rudyard Kipling, G. A. Henty, and H. Rider Haggard. Ballantyne’s timeless stories were enhanced by their reliance upon first-hand experiences and accounts, often stemming from Ballantyne’s personal worldwide travels. In each of his books, Ballantyne self-consciously communicated both a spirit of manly adventure and the duties of Christians toward God and others, emphasizing God’s sovereignty over all of life.

Today’s R. M. Ballantyne readers inherit a treasure trove of classic tales featuring 19th century history, manly adventure, and Christian character. Each Ballantyne story reveals a lost era of chivalry and self-sacrifice, replete with exciting accounts of courage, fortitude, and perseverance in realms ranging from the British Isles, to South America, to the North Pole. Readers of all ages are now heirs to Ballantyne’s literary legacy of God-honoring adventure tales, and I encourage all those reading this post to consider adding Ballantyne to their own families’ libraries.

Forthcoming Titles

• The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean
• The Gorilla Hunters: A Tale of the Wilds of Africa
• Hunted and Harried: A Tale of the Scottish Covenanters
• Martin Rattler: Adventures of a Boy in the Forests of Brazil
• The Giant of the North: Pokings Round the Pole
• Blue Lights, or Hot Work in the Soudan
• The Pirate City: An Algerine Tale
• Red Rooney, or The Last of the Crew
• The Young Fur-Traders: A Tale of the Far North
• Deep Down: A Tale of the Cornish Mines

Watch for Vision Forum’s release of ten R. M. Ballantyne books in the next week or so. I hope to post a personal review of Ballantyne’s most famous work, The Coral Island, on Monday.