Spain in the Elizabethan era. The novel based its premise around the real life Preston Somers Expedition which took place in 1595. This was a raid in which the Spanish colonial city of Caracas in South America was captured and sacked by privateers led by Amyas Preston and George Somers. Although originally a political radical, Kingsley had by the 1850s become increasingly conservative and a strong supporter of overseas expansion. The novel consistently emphasises the superiority of English values over those of the "decadent Spanish". Although originally written for adults, its mixture of patriotism, sentiment and romance deemed it suitable for children, and it became a firm favourite of children's literature. A prominent theme of the novel is the 16th-century fear of Catholic domination, and this reflects Kingsley's own dislike of Catholicism. The novel repeatedly shows the Protestant English correcting the worst excesses of the Spanish Jesuits and the Inquisition. The novel's virulent anti-Catholicism, as well as its racially insensitive depictions of the South Americans, has made the novel less appealing to a modern audience, although it is still regarded by some as Kingsley's "liveliest, and most interesting novel." Adaptations In April 1925, the book was the first novel to be adapted for radio by the BBC. The first movie adaptation of the novel was a 1919 silent film, Westward Ho!, directed by Percy Nash. A 1988 children's animated film, Westward Ho!, produced by Burbank Films Australia, was loosely based on Kingsley's novel. Legacy The book is the inspiration behind the unusual name of the village of Westward Ho! in Devon, the only place name in the United Kingdom that contains an exclamation mark. J. G. Ballard, in an interview with Vanora Bennett, claimed that being forced to copy lines from the novel as a punishment at the age of eight or nine was the moment he realised he would become a writer. References External links 1855 British novels British historical novels Novels by Charles Kingsley Novels set in Devon Novels about pirates Novels set in Tudor England Inquisition in fiction British novels adapted into films Cultural depictions of Walter Raleigh Cultural depictions of Francis Drake Novels adapted into radio programs Anti-Catholic publications