Thomas Mayne Reid, who published most of his works as "Captain Mayne Reid," was one of the most prolific and well-known authors of the Victorian Era. Although he wrote both adult and juvenile books, Reid would eventually regret the years he spent writing for children, claiming that his efforts in the field prevented him from achieving major critical acclaim. It is pointless to differentiate between Reid's adult and juvenile works, because many of the romances and adventures he originally wrote for adults were later abridged, sanitized, or rewritten as children's books. Even the volumes that were not revised for children were sought out and read by young fans of the author. Conversely, many adults enjoyed reading his juvenile works. Though Reid came to be known primarily as a "children's author," most nineteenth-century readers made little distinction between the adult and juvenile books in the author's canon.

Born 4 April...