Held Fast for England

by G. A. Henty

First published 1892

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2.5(5)

Schoolboy Bob Repton is sent to Gibraltar just as Britain is being drawn into the great siege of 1779–1783. The Rock is cut off by Spanish and French forces, and Bob's taste for adventure soon places him among soldiers, sailors and civilians trying to keep the fortress supplied while enemy batteries tighten the blockade.

Bob takes part in privateering cruises, cutting-out expeditions and missions connected with bringing food and information into Gibraltar. As the siege intensifies, the defenders endure bombardment and shortages before facing the assault by floating batteries. The novel presents the siege through a young participant whose movements between the fortress and the surrounding sea show how much Gibraltar's survival depended on naval action, improvised supply and the determination of a garrison that could not afford to be isolated.