Tells the story of Gay-Neck, a carrier pigeon raised and trained by an Indian boy in Calcutta. Gay-Neck flew messages for the Allies in France during World War I.

Newbery Awards.

Take flight with Gay-Neck, the passenger pigeon with a shimmery throat, his kind young master and Ghond, the wildlife expert, on their adventures in a village, across the Himalayas and to a battlefield in France. In this heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking tale, soar through Gay-Neck’s encounters with hawks and eagles, his quests with the swifts and a monk, and finally his heroic service as a bearer of messages filled with love and courage during the First World War. A prequel to Gay-Neck’s internationally renowned story, Ghond the Hunter focuses on the first fifteen years in the life of Gay-Neck’s trainer, Ghond. The young boy’s initiation into forest life, his understanding of dangerous animals, his run-ins with eagles, snakes and tigers, and his experiences with his pet panther make for this riveting tale of a master hunter. This special edition brings together two classic stories – Gay-Neck, the Story of a Pigeon and Ghond the Hunter – by Dhan Gopal Mukerji, the only Indian to have won the John Newbery Medal. Describing animal life with nail-biting realism, Dhan Gopal Mukerji’s stories take you to a place where the feral meets the tame, man meets nature, and all that matters is the law of the jungle!

Philip Marsham is orphaned by a shocking accident and he flees to London in fear of his life. There he joins the dark frigate ‘Rose of Devon’, bound for safety in Newfoundland. But before they reach their destination, Philip’s life is in danger once again as pirates seize the ship. Forced to join their company, Philip is now an outlaw too, with only the hangman’s noose awaiting him in England. Set in the 17th century, ‘The Dark Frigate’ is a classic children’s sea faring adventure by the American writer Charles Boardman Hawes. Full of betrayal, battles, bloodshed and gold, this is a story that will appeal to seafarers of all ages. Charles Boardman Hawes (1889 – 1923) was an American writer of children’s historical sea adventures. He was best known for his three novels ‘The Mutineers’, ‘The Great Quest’ and ‘The Dark Frigate’. In 1922, The American Library Association selected The Great Quest’ as a Newbery Honour Book. He was also posthumously awarded the 1924 Newberry Medal for his novel ‘The Dark Frigate.’ Hawes was known for his book’s historical authenticity thanks to his extensive research and his sea adventures have seen him compared to Herman Melville. Fans of Johnny Depp and 'Pirates of the Caribbean' would appreciate his books.

Cher Ami was one of six hundred carrier pigeons used by the American Army during World War I. Cher Ami was a hero who, against all odds, helped rescue a lost battalion of soldiers.

Mukerji (1890-1936) holds the distinction of being the first South Asian immigrant to have a successful career in the United States as a man of letters. This reissue of his classic autobiography, with a new Introduction and Afterword, seeks to revitalize interest in Mukerji and his work and to contribute to the exploration of the South Asian experience in America.