Top Ten Tuesday: Classic Adventure Novels

I was feeling in the mood for a blog meme of some sort, so I dropped by The Broke and the Bookish to see what was on the menu for this week's Top Ten Tuesday. Turns out that this week is a "freebie," where everyone picks their own theme. So I decided to shine the spotlight on an old favorite genre of mine—classic novels of adventure! The big, thick, swashbuckling sort, with colorful historical settings, a large cast of characters and plenty of battles and excitement. So without further ado, here's my top ten in the order of favorites:

Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley

If I had to pick just one favorite novel, it would probably be this one. A tale of English explorers in the Elizabethan era, its multifaceted storyline, memorable characters and sparkling dialogue are just as good every time I re-read it.

The Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter

I don't know how close this book is to to the actual exploits of William Wallace and Robert Bruce, but it sure is a good story. Capturing of castles, a treacherous countess, a heroine with an unrequited love, and lots more.

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

And more of the same. The best thing about a big thick novel is the way the various storylines intertwine and supporting characters turn up again in unexpected places. I loved the appearance by Robin Hood, and the comic relief provided by Athelstane, Wamba and Friar Tuck.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

The very definition of the classic adventure story! This was a family read-aloud of ours years ago, and everyone's attention was riveted from start to finish.

Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne

Verne is mainly known for his science fiction, but this is my favorite of his books. Michael Strogoff, the courier of the Czar, must make a perilous trek across Russia during a Tartar rebellion with an important message. Again, there's some great comic relief from a pair of rival newspaper correspondents who turn up every now and then along the way.

The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This one follows a young English squire and his companions as they travel to France and Spain with a company of archers to fight in the Hundred Years' War—with battles at sea, jousting, the siege of a castle, and other adventures along the way. The author of Sherlock Holmes knew how to write a good historical adventure too.

The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson

Set during the Wars of the Roses, a tale involving a villainous guardian, a mysterious outlaw band bent on avenging wrongs, and changing of sides between York and Lancaster.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I've never viewed this one as typical Dickens. It's a lot more exciting, and has a somewhat more focused plot than his other sprawling novels. I think perhaps it's the story's centering around a particular historical event in the French Revolution that makes the difference.

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

A small group of characters traveling through forests thick with hostile Indians during the French and Indian War, the search for the colonel's kidnapped daughters...and incidentally, I guess the presence of David Gamut proves that comic relief is an essential ingredient in an adventure story.

Robin Hood by Paul Creswick

This version of Robin Hood is interesting because it takes a different track than the most familiar legends—an original twist on the story of how he became an outlaw, with some newly invented characters and different interpretations of others.

Have you read any of these? What are your favorite classic adventure novels?