George Manville Fenn Popular Books

George Manville Fenn Biography & Facts

George Manville Fenn (3 January 1831 in Pimlico – 26 August 1909 in Isleworth) was a prolific English novelist, journalist, editor and educationalist. Many of his novels were written with young adults in mind. His final book was his biography of a fellow writer for juveniles, George Alfred Henty. Life and works Fenn, the third child and eldest son of a butler, Charles Fenn, was largely self-educated, teaching himself French, German and Italian. After studying at Battersea Training College for teachers (1851–1854), he became the master of a national school at Alford, Lincolnshire. Fenn later became a printer, editor and publisher of some short-lived periodicals, before attracting the attention of Charles Dickens and others with a sketch for All the Year Round in 1864. He contributed to Chambers's Journal and to the magazine Once a Week. In 1866, he wrote a series of articles on working-class life for the newspaper The Star. These were collected and republished in four volumes, and were followed by a similar series in the Weekly Times. Fenn's first story for boys, Hollowdell Grange, appeared in 1867. It was followed by a succession of other novels for juveniles and adults. The Star-Gazers (1894), for example, was a three-volume "astronomical romance" for adults. Having become the editor of Cassell's Magazine in 1870, Fenn then purchased Once a Week and edited it until it closed in 1879. He also wrote for the theatre. Fenn authored many historical fiction novels, including Crown and Sceptre: A West-Country Story (1889) about the English Civil War, Ned Ledger (1899), focusing on naval combat during War of the Austrian Succession, The King's Sons (1901) about King Alfred, and Marcus, the Young Centurion (1904), about Julius Caesar.Fenn and his family lived at Syon Lodge, Isleworth, Middlesex, where he built up a library of 25,000 volumes and took up telescope making. His last book was a biography of a great fellow writer of boys' stories, George Alfred Henty. Family In 1855, George Manville Fenn married Susanna Leake; they had two sons and six daughters. He died at his home on 26 August 1909. Fenn's works Novels References External links Works by George Manville Fenn at Project Gutenberg Works by or about George Manville Fenn at Internet Archive Works by George Manville Fenn at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks) Eric Ford: A Forgotten Victorian Author and the Society He Knew. Critical Essay Archived 29 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine From Contemporary Review; Sept. 1999. "FENN, George Manville". Who's Who biographies, 1901. 1901. p. 414. George Manville Fenn at Library of Congress, with 95 library catalogue records. Discover the George Manville Fenn popular books. Find the top 100 most popular George Manville Fenn books.

Best Seller George Manville Fenn Books of 2024

  • The Devon Boys, A Tale of the North Shore synopsis, comments

    The Devon Boys, A Tale of the North Shore

    George Manville Fenn

    As per the title, the story revolves round the cliffs of the north shore of Devon, in South West England. It is 1752. There are three local teenage boys, who are all boarders at ...

  • The Black Tor, A Tale of the Reign of James the First synopsis, comments

    The Black Tor, A Tale of the Reign of James the First

    George Manville Fenn

    As always with this author there is plenty of action in this book. Two teenage boys of about the same age come from families which have been in intense rivalry for centuries. Eac...

  • Patience Wins or War in the Works synopsis, comments

    Patience Wins or War in the Works

    George Manville Fenn

    According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was a British writer. He worked as a teacher in Lincolnshire, until he became p...

  • A Double Knot synopsis, comments

    A Double Knot

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular 19th century novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor and ed...

  • The Weathercock, Being the Adventures of a Boy with a Bias synopsis, comments

    The Weathercock, Being the Adventures of a Boy with a Bias

    George Manville Fenn

    Our sixteenyearold hero. He is living with his uncle, who is a doctor in a small Lincolnshire village. He is friendly, after a fashion, with three boys who are living in the Rect...

  • The Man With a Shadow synopsis, comments

    The Man With a Shadow

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular nineteenthcentury novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor a...

  • The Little Skipper, A Son of a Sailor synopsis, comments

    The Little Skipper, A Son of a Sailor

    George Manville Fenn

    According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was a British writer. He worked as a teacher in Lincolnshire, until he became p...

  • King of the Castle synopsis, comments

    King of the Castle

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular novel, published in 1892. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor ...

  • Christmas Penny Readings, Original Sketches for the Season synopsis, comments

    Christmas Penny Readings, Original Sketches for the Season

    George Manville Fenn

    Collection of Christmas stories, first published in 1876. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novel...

  • A Little World synopsis, comments

    A Little World

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular nineteenthcentury novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor a...

  • Featherland or How the Birds Lived at Greenlawn synopsis, comments

    Featherland or How the Birds Lived at Greenlawn

    George Manville Fenn

    As he explains in the last paragraph the book was written for the amusement of two little girls who were fond of leaning up against his knee, and asking him to tell them a story. ...

  • The Mynns Mystery synopsis, comments

    The Mynns Mystery

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular nineteenthcentury novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor a...

  • Menhardoc, A Story of Cornish Nets and Mines synopsis, comments

    Menhardoc, A Story of Cornish Nets and Mines

    George Manville Fenn

    Mr Temple and his two 15 or 16 year old twin sons have come to stay for the summer holidays in a Cornish fishing village. The two boys are very different. Arthur, or Taff, is ver...

  • George Alfred Henty synopsis, comments

    George Alfred Henty

    George Manville Fenn

    Biography of the historical novelist G. A. Henty. According to Wikipedia: "George Alfred Henty (8 December 1832 – 16 November 1902), was a prolific English novelist and a special ...

  • A Fluttered Dovecote synopsis, comments

    A Fluttered Dovecote

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor and educationalist....

  • Adventures of Working Men synopsis, comments

    Adventures of Working Men

    George Manville Fenn

    Classic novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor and educationalist....

  • Of High Descent synopsis, comments

    Of High Descent

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular nineteenthcentury novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor a...

  • The Young Hero synopsis, comments

    The Young Hero

    George Manville Fenn

    In the opening scene Doctor Martin, a most learned gentleman, is teaching Phil, the hero, his Latin. Phil is perhaps eight or none years of age, not older then that, Dr Martin i...

  • Original Penny Readings synopsis, comments

    Original Penny Readings

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular nineteenthcentury novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor a...

  • Real Gold synopsis, comments

    Real Gold

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular nineteenthcentury novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor a...

  • The Silver Canyon, A Tale of the Western Plains synopsis, comments

    The Silver Canyon, A Tale of the Western Plains

    George Manville Fenn

    This book is by an author who revels in putting his heroes into tense and dangerous situations, and never more so than in the Western plains of North America in the middle of the ...

  • Dutch the Diver synopsis, comments

    Dutch the Diver

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor and educationalist....

  • Old Gold or The Cruise of the Brig Jason synopsis, comments

    Old Gold or The Cruise of the Brig Jason

    George Manville Fenn

    According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was a British writer. He worked as a teacher in Lincolnshire, until he became p...

  • Blue Jackets or The Log of the Teaser synopsis, comments

    Blue Jackets or The Log of the Teaser

    George Manville Fenn

    Another very exciting nautical novel by this author, who is a master of suspense. HMS Teaser, a clippergunboat, is patrolling the China Seas on the lookout for pirates. At the ti...

  • Quicksilver or The Boy With No Skid to His Wheel synopsis, comments

    Quicksilver or The Boy With No Skid to His Wheel

    George Manville Fenn

    The entire action of this book takes place in a small English village. The local doctor, having retired childless, decides he would like to adopt a boy. Being a Governor of the l...

  • Cormorant Crag, A Tale of the Smuggling Days synopsis, comments

    Cormorant Crag, A Tale of the Smuggling Days

    George Manville Fenn

    According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was a British writer. He worked as a teacher in Lincolnshire, until he became p...

  • Trapped by Malays, A Tale of Bayonet and Kris synopsis, comments

    Trapped by Malays, A Tale of Bayonet and Kris

    George Manville Fenn

    According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was a British writer. He worked as a teacher in Lincolnshire, until he became p...

  • Yussuf the Guide or The Mountain Bandits, Being a Story of Adventures in Asia Minor synopsis, comments

    Yussuf the Guide or The Mountain Bandits, Being a Story of Adventures in Asia Minor

    George Manville Fenn

    Lawrence is a boy in his late teens, who has consumption, which makes him feel very tired and helpless. He says one day that he would love a holiday somewhere hot and sunny. He h...

  • To Win or Die, A Tale of the Klondike Gold Craze synopsis, comments

    To Win or Die, A Tale of the Klondike Gold Craze

    George Manville Fenn

    This is a tough tale about tough men. Right from the first chapter we are living with men who are fighting for survival, the enemy being as often as not other men who would rob th...

  • The Dark Horse synopsis, comments

    The Dark Horse

    George Manville Fenn

    It would be hard to praise this book highly enough. It is in essence a murder and detection mystery, the sort of thing that great midtwentieth century writers like Agatha Christie...

  • Commodore Junk synopsis, comments

    Commodore Junk

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular novel first published in 1889. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, ed...

  • Off to the Wilds, Being the Adventures of Two Brothers synopsis, comments

    Off to the Wilds, Being the Adventures of Two Brothers

    George Manville Fenn

    According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was a British writer. He worked as a teacher in Lincolnshire, until he became p...

  • Midnight Webs synopsis, comments

    Midnight Webs

    George Manville Fenn

    Popular 19th century novel. According to Wikipedia: "George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was an English novelist, journalist, editor and ed...

  • Syd Belton or The Boy Who Would Not Go to Sea synopsis, comments

    Syd Belton or The Boy Who Would Not Go to Sea

    George Manville Fenn

    The book opens with a domestic scene with the boy Sydney having just finished dinner with his father, a Captain in the navy, and his uncle, an Admiral. They are discussing Syd's c...