17 h 11 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 17 h 11 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What holds a soldier steady when love calls him home and duty leads him into battle?
In Under the Red Dragon, James Grant brings a love story into the world of the Crimean War. British soldiers travel far from home to a country most have never imagined. Through camp life, long marches and battle, the novel follows the strain between private affection and the flag a soldier has sworn to follow.
The red dragon is the old emblem of Wales, and Grant honors the Welsh soldiers who serve beneath it. His warm, patriotic adventure places honor, loyalty to comrades and love of country beside the hope of a safe return. The campaign tests courage, but the pull of home gives the military story its personal stakes.
What you’ll discover
- Love against duty Follow a romance shaped by the competing claims of the heart and the colors.
- Life on campaign Enter a soldier's world of camp life, long marches and the dangers of battle.
- The Welsh connection Discover how the red dragon points to Welsh soldiers and pride in their service.
- Courage far from home Explore the bond between soldiers, their comrades and the places they leave behind.
- A warm Victorian adventure Experience a military romance where honor and affection matter as much as action.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy soldier stories, Victorian romance, Welsh country houses, rival suitors, a scheming villain and eyewitness scenes of the siege of Sebastopol and the battle of Inkermann.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A letter from Wales stirs a soldier's hopes
- Craigaderyn Court gathers hearts and rivals
- A birthday fête leads to the cliffs
- A storm at sea forces a secret promise
- Guilfoyle's schemes and a woman in black
- The wronged wife's story and a cruel misreading
- Soldiers meet war before Sebastopol
- A flag of truce and a bloody morning
- A lonely ride takes Harry beyond the camp
- What the story is really about
Who’s who
- Harry HardingeA poor, honest subaltern of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers who loves a peer's daughter and must prove himself in war.
- Lady Estelle CressinghamA proud, beautiful earl's daughter under pressure from her ambitious mother, torn between love and a rich marriage.
- Winifred LloydSir Madoc's elder daughter, warm, loyal and quietly in love with her old friend Harry.
- Dora LloydWinifred's high-spirited younger sister, whose jokes and mischief change what happens to the others.
- Sir Madoc LloydA hearty Welsh baronet who loves horses, pedigrees and Harry, and wants to see his friends happy.
- Hawkesby GuilfoyleA smooth, boastful gambler with a diamond ring and many stories, who schemes to get what he wants.
- Philip CaradocHarry's cheerful brother officer, who loves Winifred and tries to win her.
- Valerie VolhonskiA clever, golden-haired Russian lady whom Harry meets after a desperate escape.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 17 h 11 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Sous le Dragon rouge in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Sous le Dragon rouge
by James Grant · 1872
A subaltern accepts a Welsh invitation and finds a rival, a cliff path and a boat with no oars.
Challenging10–20 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
What would you risk for one more chance to see the woman you love? Harry Hardinge, a poor young officer in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, takes up a country invitation to Wales while his army waits at Varna for its next move.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A letter from Wales stirs a soldier's hopes
Harry Hardinge reads a letter in his Winchester barracks room while his regiment waits in the East for orders. It comes from Sir Madoc Lloyd, an old family friend, and it asks him to a summer fête at Craigaderyn Court in North Wales. Two fellow officers, Philip Caradoc and Charley Gwynne, tease him about it.
The letter names two guests who matter to him. Lady Estelle Cressingham, a proud earl's daughter, is staying there, and Harry has loved her in secret since a London season. Hawkesby Guilfoyle, a smooth gentleman nobody can place, is there too, and he seems far too attentive to her.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Sous le Dragon rouge
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Under the Red Dragon about?
It follows Harry Hardinge, a young Welsh Fusilier officer, through a country-house romance in North Wales, a secret engagement, a scheming rival and the dangers of the Crimean War.
Who is the Red Dragon in the title?
It is the badge of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, a red dragon on a green mountain with the motto Ich dien, meaning I serve. It stands for regimental pride and courage in battle.
Is Under the Red Dragon a true story?
It is a novel, written by James Grant, but its battles, generals and details of the Crimean War, such as Alma, Inkermann and the Redan, come from real history.
The author
James Grant
1822–1887 · Scottish historical novelist
James Grant was a Scottish novelist born in Edinburgh in 1822. He wrote historical novels and books about military history. His first novel, The Romance of War, appeared in 1845. His other novels included Jane Seton and Under the Red Dragon. He died in London in 1887.
More by James Grant
All 5 booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
