The Cornet of Horse - A Tale of Marlborough's Wars by George Alfred Henty AUDIOBOOK

Set against the sweeping backdrop of Marlborough's campaigns during the War of the Spanish Succession, George Alfred Henty's The Cornet of Horse is both a historical narrative and a study in the forging of character and honour. The young Rupert Holliday, spirited and quick-witted, grows up at Windthorpe Chace under the careful guidance of his grandfather, Colonel Holliday—a steadfast Royalist seasoned by the tribulations of civil war and exile. Through fencing lessons with Monsieur Dessin, a skilled French émigré, and the watchful influence of strong-willed matriarch Dorothy Holliday, the boy comes of age in an England sharply divided by politics, inheritance, and memories of recent strife.

Henty’s prose, always firmly anchored in period detail, evokes the refined manners, the gravity of family legacy, and the tensions between tradition and change at the dawn of the eighteenth century. The early chapters create an atmosphere at once domestic and martial, where the intricacies of courtly behaviour and the disciplined world of fencing serve as metaphors for the larger conflicts raging across Europe. Scenes of instruction, familial debate, and quiet resolve form a prelude to the battlefield ordeals that await Rupert, drawing listeners into questions of loyalty, courage, and personal destiny.

Like much of Henty’s work, this novel is informed by a sense of historical continuity; its characters navigate private loss, political animosity, and the responsibilities of class with a realism both sympathetic and critical. The Cornet of Horse appeals to readers and listeners interested in the nuances of English history, those who appreciate a careful rendering of period life, and anyone intrigued by the development of young men poised on the threshold of war, duty, and selfhood.

Audiobook time & format : 10h20m5s, OPUS, 484 Mo
Audiobook free extract time & format : 5m (see below to listen), WAV
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