A Treasury of Heroes and Heroines / A Record of High Endeavour and Strange Adventure from 500 B.C. to 1920 A.D.

The volume collects concise biographies and portraits of heroic figures from antiquity to the early twentieth century, pairing real historical lives with semi‑historical and fictional characters to illustrate a wide range of human experience. Each chapter sketches the deeds, character, and circumstances of individuals—saints, warriors, explorers, statesmen, reformers, and involuntary heroes—emphasizing contrasts between practical achievement and legendary or literary fame. Selections proceed with chronological and thematic variety, presenting celebrated historical actors alongside imaginative figures whose reputations reflect cultural ideals, and the narrative is accompanied by illustrations that underscore moments of daring, devotion, and adventure.