Miles Milton is a stubborn and strong-willed young man, determined to join the army as soon as he can, much to his fatherās horror. The pair often clash over the matter and one day, following a particularly furious row, Miles storms out of the family home ā to make good on his word to join the military. Before long Miles finds himself sailing away on the high seas, en route to unforgettable adventures and experiences - but his conscience wonāt let him forget the way he spoke to his father, and the manner of his departure. Can Miles ever forgive himself? An exciting and moralistic tale from the popular childrenās author R.M. Ballantyne.
R.M. Ballantyne (1825-1894) was a Scottish artist and prolific author of mostly childrenās fiction. Born in Edinburgh, Ballantyne was the ninth of ten children. At the age of 16 Ballantyne moved to Canada, where he worked for the Hudsonās Bay Company, travelling all over the country to trade for fur. He returned to Scotland in 1847 following the death of his father, and it was then that he began his literary career in earnest, writing over 100 childrenās adventure books over the course of his life. Stories such as āThe Coral Islandā and āThe Young Fur Tradersā were hugely popular, and many of them drew on his own experiences of travelling throughout Canada. A stickler for detail, Ballantyne continued to travel widely to research the backgrounds and settings for his exciting stories. His tales became an inspiration for authors of the future, including āTreasure Islandā novelist Robert Louis Stevenson. Ballantyne spent the latter period of his life living in London and Italy for the sake of his health. He died in Rome in 1894 at the age of 68.