The Lion of the North

Name: The Lion of the North
Rating: 2.5 (5 reviews)

by G. A. Henty

First published 1886

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2.5(5)

A young Scottish soldier enters the service of Gustavus Adolphus as Sweden intervenes in the Thirty Years’ War. Campaigning in Germany exposes him to an army whose discipline and tactical methods are changing the conduct of European warfare, while religious allegiance and dynastic interest continually complicate the stated Protestant cause.

The protagonist follows Gustavus through victories, marches and the increasingly dangerous struggle against Imperial forces. Battlefield success brings promotion and responsibility but also demonstrates how fragile an army can become when it depends heavily on a single commander. The novel places a fictional military career beside the historical campaigns that made Gustavus one of the most influential soldiers of the seventeenth century.