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Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A young Englishman enters a war where danger reaches from the Nile delta to the fortified walls of Acre.
In G. A. Henty’s At Aboukir and Acre, a resourceful young Englishman is drawn into Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt. Napoleon hopes to strike at Britain’s power in the East. Caught in the campaign, the young hero must rely on courage and quick wits as the fighting spreads across land and sea.
At Aboukir Bay, Horatio Nelson’s fleet attacks the anchored French ships. On the Syrian coast, Sir Sidney Smith helps Acre’s defenders face Napoleon’s siege. Between these places, Henty brings together battles, espionage, and danger behind enemy lines, showing how the struggle between Britain and France reaches far beyond Europe.
What you’ll discover
- Courage under pressure Follow a capable young hero whose quick thinking matters when war puts him in danger.
- Ships at Aboukir Bay Enter the sea battle as Nelson’s British fleet attacks the French ships anchored near Alexandria.
- The walls of Acre Reach a fortified port where Sir Sidney Smith helps the defenders resist Napoleon’s besieging army.
- Behind enemy lines Discover the espionage and hidden dangers that give this historical adventure its sense of risk.
- History through action Trace a campaign from Egypt to Syria through a young Englishman’s encounters with war.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this if you like historical adventure with real battles, loyal friendships across cultures, and a clever young hero. Napoleon in Egypt, Nelson at sea and the siege of Acre are all seen through one eyewitness.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A rescue creates a brotherhood
- The invasion separates Edgar from home
- Courage cannot replace disciplined tactics
- A sea battle changes the campaign
- Loyalty needs a clear head
- Restraint gives strength its purpose
- People give weak walls their strength
- Decency decides what skill serves
- Friendship runs beneath the campaigns
Who’s who
- Edgar BlagroveA merchant's son from Alexandria, skilled in boxing and languages, who wants adventure and stays loyal to the friends who shelter him.
- Sidi Ben OuafyThe young Bedouin chief's son whom Edgar rescues, and who calls him brother and fights beside him for his tribe's freedom.
- Ben OuafySidi's father, a proud sheik who gives Edgar a horse and a place in his tribe and leads his horsemen against the French.
- Mr. BlagroveEdgar's father, a careful Alexandria merchant who sees the French danger early and tries to protect his family and goods.
- Sir Sidney SmithThe daring British captain who makes Edgar his interpreter and midshipman and commands the defense of Acre.
- WilkinsonA cheerful young midshipman who befriends Edgar aboard the Tigre and shares with him the command of the gunboat Tigress.
- CondorA bullying master's mate who learns a hard lesson from Edgar's fists and slowly becomes a better shipmate.
- Mr. MullerThe trusted German assistant who keeps the Alexandria business going under French rule and waits for Edgar's return.
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At Aboukir and Acre
by G. A. Henty · 1899
A young English boxer in Alexandria sees Napoleon's fleet arrive and rides into war beside a Bedouin brother.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
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“Henty's Crimean experiences were to be but short, but they enabled him to give us many admirable and vivid pictures of those stirring days.”
In short
What if the only thing standing between you and a knife in a dark Egyptian road is a quick straight punch? That is where Edgar Blagrove begins.
At Aboukir and Acre at a glance
- Reading time
- About 6 h 55 min5 h 30 min fast, 8 h 15 min slow
- Length
- 98,900 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1899by G. A. Henty
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A street fight wins Edgar a brother
Edgar Blagrove is the son of an English merchant in Alexandria. He speaks Arabic, Turkish, French and Italian as easily as English. Sent to school near London, he learns from the best boxing teachers and comes home at sixteen with fists as quick as lightning.
One evening, riding home at dusk, he hears shouting beyond the edge of town. Two ruffians, a Greek and a Maltese, are dragging a young Arab from his horse. Edgar drops the first man with a blow to the chin and the second before he can draw his knife.
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Details
- First published
- 1899
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 8 h 10 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Henty, G. A. At Aboukir and Acre. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/at-aboukir-and-acre.
Henty, G. A. (2026). At Aboukir and Acre. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/at-aboukir-and-acre (Original work published 1899)
Henty, G. A. At Aboukir and Acre. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/at-aboukir-and-acre.
@book{henty2026at,
author = {Henty, G. A.},
title = {At Aboukir and Acre},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/at-aboukir-and-acre},
note = {First published 1899}
}
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What is At Aboukir and Acre about?
It follows Edgar Blagrove, an English merchant's son in Alexandria, through Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798 and the British response. He sees the Pyramids, the sea battle at Aboukir, the Cairo rising and the siege of Acre.
Is At Aboukir and Acre a true story?
The battles, dates and leaders are real, including Napoleon, Nelson, Sir Sidney Smith and Abercrombie. Edgar and his friends are invented to tell the history through one eyewitness. Henty wrote it as a historical adventure for young readers.
Who is Sidi in At Aboukir and Acre?
Sidi Ben Ouafy is the son of a Bedouin sheik whom Edgar saves from two street ruffians in Alexandria. He becomes Edgar's adopted brother and rides with him through the invasion, the Cairo rising and the later British campaign.
The author
G. A. Henty
1832–1902 · English historical adventure novelist
George Alfred Henty (1832–1902) was a British novelist and war correspondent. He was born in Trumpington, Cambridgeshire, and lived in London. During the late nineteenth century, he wrote historical adventure novels for young readers. His books include The Cat of Bubastes, The Dash for Khartoum, and With Cochrane the Dauntless.
“From now on, you are my brother.”
More by G. A. Henty
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