The Scarlet Pimpernel

They seek him here, 
They seek him there, 
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. 
Is he in heaven? 
Is he in hell? 
That damned, elusive Pimpernel. 

Part romance, part adventure, and part suspenseful spy thriller, The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of the first action-adventure stories, paving the way for swashbucklers like the Lone Ranger, Zorro, and Batman. Set in 1792, this is the story of Sir Percy Blakeney, armed with only his wits and cunning, who defies the French revolutionaries to rescue innocent men, women, and children from the guillotine. The ruthless Chauvelin is determined to uncover the identity of this masked Pimpernel and hunt him down.  

“Arguably the best adventure story ever published and certainly the most influential that appeared during the early decades of the twentieth century.”—Gary Hoppenstand