by JOHN OXENHAM. Modernized with a new Introduction by Colin Heston

A powerful historical novel of religious persecution, courage, and the struggle for freedom of conscience.

In Under the Iron Flail, John Oxenham transports readers to a turbulent age when religious conviction could mean imprisonment, exile, or death. Against a background of political upheaval and bitter religious conflict, ordinary men and women confront extraordinary choices as they struggle to preserve their faith, dignity, and humanity.

Oxenham combines historical drama with personal tragedy, exploring the devastating consequences of intolerance and the courage required to resist oppression. His characters must navigate a world in which loyalty, love, and conscience are repeatedly tested by forces beyond their control.

More than a tale of persecution, Under the Iron Flail examines the relationship between religious authority and political power, the cruelty that can arise from unquestioning obedience, and the resilience of individuals determined to remain true to their beliefs.

Written at the beginning of the twentieth century, the novel reflects Oxenham's deep concern with moral responsibility, spiritual conviction, and the human cost of fanaticism. Its themes remain strikingly relevant in an age still troubled by ideological division, authoritarianism, and struggles over freedom of belief.

This Read-Me.Org Modernized Classic introduces Oxenham's historical fiction to contemporary readers through updated language and presentation, making the narrative more accessible while seeking to preserve its dramatic intensity, historical atmosphere, and central moral questions.

For readers interested in historical fiction, religious persecution, the history of intolerance, and the enduring struggle between individual conscience and institutional authority, Under the Iron Flail offers both a compelling narrative and an invitation to reflect on the meaning of courage and freedom.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 320p.

by JOHN OXENHAM. Modernized with a new Introduction by Colin Heston

In two novels published a year apart, John Oxenham sent his readers to opposite ends of the earth. One is set in the frozen prison camps of Tsarist Siberia and the other among the coral reefs of the South Pacific. Yet both tell the same story: what happens when love and conviction burn so fiercely that they will carry a person anywhere, at any cost.

In Hearts in Exile (1904), Hope Arskaïa gives her hand not to Paul Pavlof, the young doctor who adores her, but to his friend Serge Palma, who will share her dangerous work for Russia’s oppressed. When both men are condemned to Siberia, Paul makes a secret sacrifice on the long convict road that binds the three of them together. Hope follows her husband five thousand miles to the penal settlement at Kara, only to find what she least expects.

In White Fire (1905), Jean Arnot, a spirited Scottish heiress, defies convention by proposing marriage to Kenneth Blair, a missionary home from the South Seas. Aboard their armed schooner, the Torch, they sail for the Dark Islands. There they confront tribal warfare, epidemic, natural catastrophe, and the “blackbirders” who kidnap islanders for forced labor.

John Oxenham, the pen name of William Arthur Dunkerley (1852–1941), was a bestselling novelist and poet whose hymn “In Christ There Is No East or West” is still sung today. These two adventure romances show him at his most energetic, combining fast-moving plots with stories of courage, faith, and self-sacrifice.

This Read-Me.Org Modernized-Classic has American spelling and modern typography while keeping Oxenham’s text and chapters intact. It includes fourteen original illustrations by G. Grenville Manton. Colin Heston’s new Introduction places the novels in their historical setting, from the Russian exile system to the Pacific labor trade, and discusses candidly the period attitudes modern readers will meet. Review and discussion questions make the book well suited to book clubs and classrooms.

Read-Me.Org Inc. is a nonprofit publisher dedicated to free online access to classic literature.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 414p.