G A Henty was a 19th century novelist, special correspondent and Imperialist. His best-known works are historical adventures. By Sheer Pluck, published on 1884, is a story of the Ashanti War. Henty's participation in this campaign makes his tale all the more thrilling. His descriptions contain details all the more vivid because they come from his first hand experiences. The hero of the story has many thrilling adventures in the interior before being captured by the king. He is able to escape just before the war and becomes a part of the English expedition to Coomassie.