Westward Ho!' is a historical novel written by Charles Kingsley and written around 1855. Set in the late 16th century, the book follows the adventures of Amyas Leigh, a young Englishman, and his companions as they embark on a journey across the seas to the New World. The novel delves into themes of exploration, colonization, and religious conflict during the Elizabethan era. Amyas and his fellow adventurers encounter pirates, Spanish conquistadors, and indigenous peoples as they navigate the treacherous waters of the Atlantic and the jungles of South America. Kingsley's vibrant prose brings to life the exhilaration and perils of maritime exploration, portraying the bravery, loyalty, and ambition of the characters. Through their trials and triumphs, the novel explores notions of honor, justice, and the clash of cultures.
Charles Kingsley was a broad church priest of the Church of England, a university lecturer, a social reformer, a historian, a novelist, and a poet. He lived from 12 June 1819 to 23 January 1875. He is known for his involvement in Christian socialism, the working men's college, and the establishment of labor cooperatives, which were unsuccessful but inspired later labor reforms. He was Charles Darwin's friend and correspondent. The eldest child of the Reverend Charles Kingsley and his wife, Mary Lucas Kingsley, Kingsley was born in Holne, Devon. Both his sister Charlotte Chanter (1828-1882) and brother Henry Kingsley (1830-1876) were writers. He was the uncle of the explorer and scientist Mary Kingsley and the father of the novelist Lucas Malet (Mary St. Leger Kingsley, 1852–1931). (1862–1900). The early years of Charles Kingsley were spent in Barnack, Northamptonshire, and Clovelly, Devon, where his father served as Curate from 1826 to 1832 and Rector from 1832 to 1836. Before attending King's College London and the University of Cambridge, he received his education at Bristol Grammar School and Helston Grammar School. Charles enrolled in Cambridge's Magdalene College in 1838 and earned his degree there in 1842.
