Under the Red Dragon.

A romance of arms and affection in the older sense, this Victorian novel joins the fortunes of a soldier to those of the woman he loves.

What it's about

Under the Red Dragon follows a young officer through service, separation and the trials of campaign, its narrative braiding military incident with a story of courtship and constancy. In the manner of its period, the plot turns on questions of honour, rivalry and fidelity, carrying its hero from home and hearth to the hazards of the field and back again.

Themes

Duty and desire pull against each other throughout, as the claims of the regiment compete with the claims of the heart. Loyalty, class and the ideal of the gentleman-soldier shape the characters and their choices.

Why it still matters

Novels like this were the popular reading of their day, and they preserve the values, sentiments and storytelling habits of Victorian Britain. They offer a window onto how an age imagined heroism, love and the life of a soldier.

Who it's for

For readers who enjoy nineteenth-century adventure and romance, and for those curious about the popular fiction that filled Victorian shelves.