G. A. Henty was a 19th century novelist, special correspondent and Imperialist. His best-known works are historical adventures. The book for adult readers begins: "The reconquest of the Soudan will ever be mentioned as one of the most difficult, and at the same time the most successful, enterprises ever undertaken. The task of carrying an army hundreds of miles across a waterless desert; conveying it up a great river, bristling with obstacles; defeating an enormously superior force, unsurpassed in the world for courage; and, finally, killing the leader of the enemy and crushing out the last spark of opposition; was a stupendous one." This adventure story is an exciting read filled with historical details.