Beric the Briton

G. A. Henty sets this adventure during the Roman conquest of Britain, when the tribes of the island still resisted the legions. Beric, a young chief among the Iceni, fights alongside Queen Boudica in her doomed revolt before he is captured and carried off to Rome. There he is trained as a gladiator, survives the intrigues of Nero’s court, and eventually finds his way back toward Britain and freedom. As in Henty’s other books for young readers, the history is worn lightly over a brisk tale of courage, loyalty, and hard-won manhood. First published in 1893, it remains a lively introduction to first-century Britain and Rome. Free to read in this PDF and EPUB edition.