Other editions of book The Prisoner Of Zenda : By Anthony Hope - Illustrated

Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautifully bound pocket-sized gift editions of much loved classic titles. Bound in real cloth, printed on high quality paper, and featuring ribbon markers and gilt edges, Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure. English gentleman, Rupert Rassendyll, arrives in the kingdom of Ruritania on the eve of King Rudolf’s coronation. That night the king is abducted and held prisoner in a castle in the small town of Zenda. Rupert, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Rudolf, is persuaded to impersonate the King in order to stop the king’s brother, Prince Michael, from seizing the throne. Rupert is determined to rescue the King but can he defeat the dastardly villain, Rupert of Hentzau? A swashbuckling adventure that never takes itself too seriously, The Prisoner of Zenda is packed with intrigue, backstabbing, bravery and romance. This beautiful Macmillan Collector's Library edition features an afterword by children’s author, Philip Ardagh.

The Prisoner of Zenda (1894), by Anthony Hope, is an adventure novel in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in order for the king to retain the crown, his coronation must proceed. Fortuitously, an English gentleman on holiday in Ruritania who resembles the monarch is persuaded to act as his political decoy in an effort to save the unstable political situation of the interregnum.

'If love were the only thing, I would follow you-in rags if need be ... But is love the only thing?'Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda is a swashbuckling adventure set in Ruritania, a mythical pocket kingdom. Englishman Rudolf Rassendyll closely resembles the King of Ruritania, and to foil a coup by his rival to the throne, he is persuaded to impersonate him for a day. However, Rassendyll's role becomes more complicated when the real king is kidnapped, and he falls for the lovely Princess Flavia. Although the story is set in the near past, Ruritania is a semi-feudal land inwhich a strong sword arm can carry the day, and Rassendyll and his allies fight to rescue the king. But if he succeeds, our hero and Flavia will have to choose between love and honour.As Nicholas Daly's introduction outlines, this thrilling tale inspired not only stage and screen adaptations, but also place names, and even a popular board game. A whole new subgenre of 'Ruritanian romances' followed, though no imitation managed to capture the charm, exuberance, and sheer storytelling power of Hope's classic tale.