Henderson's Boys
Encyclopedia
Henderson's Boys is a series of young adult spy novels
written by English
author Robert Muchamore
. The series follows Charles Henderson, the creator of the fictitious CHERUB organisation. The novels are set in 1940, during World War II
, during which time Henderson leads a series of adventures, aided by children.
Henderson's Boys is a spin-off
of the popular CHERUB
series, which centres around the same organisation in modern times. The series features its origins and revealed what CHERUB
stands for and how the organisation's logo was designed.
In France, 1940, Hitler's Nazi armies are invading and forcing civilians to flee. Meanwhile, German agents are tracking two British children, Paul
and Rosie Clarke. Charles Henderson
, a British spy, finds himself trying to reach them before the Germans can. However, he finds himself enlisting the help of Marc Kilgour
, a French orphan, in order to save the pair. He soon realises that children will be essential recruits if the British are to win the war. Meanwhile, Paul and Rosie find a six-year old called Hugo, who has been accidentally killed.
July, 1940. The Battle of Britain
is in full swing and Hitler is planning to cross the channel and invade Britain. It falls to Charles Henderson and four children (Rosie and Paul Clarke, Marc Kilgour and PT Bivott) to stop his plan and save the country from Nazi occupation.
January/February 1941. British spy Charles Henderson has returned to Britain, having thwarted Nazi invasion plans, and wants to start an organisation training teenagers as secret agents. Secret Army concerns the training of the first group of agents of his new organisation (formally named CHERUB by the end of the book) - Paul and Rosie Clarke, Marc Kilgour, PT Bivott, Luc, and Joel, together with the recruitment of the first members of Group B. Their training takes place in a requisitioned village, with parachute training in Scotland, followed by an exercise where the CHERUB team, and groups of Polish, Norwegian, and French SOE
agents, are parachuted over northern England and instructed to steal an anti-aircraft gun and deliver it to Kings Cross station in London within 48 hours - despite Air Vice Marshal Walker, the head of SOE, wanting the CHERUB agents to fail.
A team of German submarines are destroying ships conveying food and supplies to Britain. It is up to Henderson and his team to sabotage the German submarines, or the people of Britain will starve. At the end of the book, one of the main characters will be in Nazi custody. It was later revealed that in the latest newsletter that the story was split into two books.
The Prisoner will be about Marc Kilgour
's imprisonment in Frankfurt.
Mid-1943. In 'One Shot Kill', Henderson's Boys will try to capture German rocket technology which Hilter believes will turn the war back in his favour.
June, 1944. The seventh book will be set during the final days of the Nazi occupation of France, in which large sections of the French population are in rebellion and the Nazis are at their most brutal. Henderson and his team embark on a mission to sabotage German supply lines. One of the main characters will also not have survived until the end of the series.
Spy fiction
Spy fiction, literature concerning the forms of espionage, was a sub-genre derived from the novel during the nineteenth century, which then evolved into a discrete genre before the First World War , when governments established modern intelligence agencies in the early twentieth century...
written by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
author Robert Muchamore
Robert Muchamore
Robert Kilgore Muchamore is an English author, most notable for writing the CHERUB and Henderson's Boys novels.-Prior to writing:...
. The series follows Charles Henderson, the creator of the fictitious CHERUB organisation. The novels are set in 1940, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, during which time Henderson leads a series of adventures, aided by children.
Henderson's Boys is a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the popular CHERUB
Cherub
A cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...
series, which centres around the same organisation in modern times. The series features its origins and revealed what CHERUB
CHERUB
CHERUB is a series of young adult spy novels, written by the English author Robert Muchamore, focusing around a division of the British Security Service named CHERUB, which employs minors, predominantly orphans, as intelligence officers...
stands for and how the organisation's logo was designed.
The Escape
- Published March 2009
In France, 1940, Hitler's Nazi armies are invading and forcing civilians to flee. Meanwhile, German agents are tracking two British children, Paul
Paul Clarke (character)
Paul Clarke is a fictional character from the Henderson's Boys Series by Robert Muchamore. His mother died before the Second World War and his father died whilst carrying valuable radio blueprints for the British Secret Service.- Background and early life :...
and Rosie Clarke. Charles Henderson
Charles Henderson (character)
Charles Henderson is a fictional character from the Henderson's Boys Series by English author, Robert Muchamore. He is the founder of CHERUB. He is a member of the obscure branch of Naval intelligence known as Espionage Research Unit...
, a British spy, finds himself trying to reach them before the Germans can. However, he finds himself enlisting the help of Marc Kilgour
Marc Kilgour
Marc Kilgour is a fictional character from the Henderson's Boys series of books by Robert Muchamore. He was born in France not long before the Second World War. He was found by Charles Henderson and helped him to foil the German Invasion of Britain....
, a French orphan, in order to save the pair. He soon realises that children will be essential recruits if the British are to win the war. Meanwhile, Paul and Rosie find a six-year old called Hugo, who has been accidentally killed.
Eagle Day
- Published June 2009
July, 1940. The Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
is in full swing and Hitler is planning to cross the channel and invade Britain. It falls to Charles Henderson and four children (Rosie and Paul Clarke, Marc Kilgour and PT Bivott) to stop his plan and save the country from Nazi occupation.
Secret Army
- Published February 2010
January/February 1941. British spy Charles Henderson has returned to Britain, having thwarted Nazi invasion plans, and wants to start an organisation training teenagers as secret agents. Secret Army concerns the training of the first group of agents of his new organisation (formally named CHERUB by the end of the book) - Paul and Rosie Clarke, Marc Kilgour, PT Bivott, Luc, and Joel, together with the recruitment of the first members of Group B. Their training takes place in a requisitioned village, with parachute training in Scotland, followed by an exercise where the CHERUB team, and groups of Polish, Norwegian, and French SOE
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
agents, are parachuted over northern England and instructed to steal an anti-aircraft gun and deliver it to Kings Cross station in London within 48 hours - despite Air Vice Marshal Walker, the head of SOE, wanting the CHERUB agents to fail.
Grey Wolves
- Published February 2011
A team of German submarines are destroying ships conveying food and supplies to Britain. It is up to Henderson and his team to sabotage the German submarines, or the people of Britain will starve. At the end of the book, one of the main characters will be in Nazi custody. It was later revealed that in the latest newsletter that the story was split into two books.
The Prisoner
- Set to be published February 2012.
The Prisoner will be about Marc Kilgour
Marc Kilgour
Marc Kilgour is a fictional character from the Henderson's Boys series of books by Robert Muchamore. He was born in France not long before the Second World War. He was found by Charles Henderson and helped him to foil the German Invasion of Britain....
's imprisonment in Frankfurt.
One Shot Kill
- Set to be published Novemember 2012.
Mid-1943. In 'One Shot Kill', Henderson's Boys will try to capture German rocket technology which Hilter believes will turn the war back in his favour.
The Hunt
- Set to be published February 2013.
June, 1944. The seventh book will be set during the final days of the Nazi occupation of France, in which large sections of the French population are in rebellion and the Nazis are at their most brutal. Henderson and his team embark on a mission to sabotage German supply lines. One of the main characters will also not have survived until the end of the series.
Main characters
Listed are the major characters in the series. Ages are all as of June 1940.- Marc KilgourMarc KilgourMarc Kilgour is a fictional character from the Henderson's Boys series of books by Robert Muchamore. He was born in France not long before the Second World War. He was found by Charles Henderson and helped him to foil the German Invasion of Britain....
– age 12, abandoned as a baby, Marc escapes from his orphanage in The Escape and is looked after by Charles HendersonCharles Henderson (character)Charles Henderson is a fictional character from the Henderson's Boys Series by English author, Robert Muchamore. He is the founder of CHERUB. He is a member of the obscure branch of Naval intelligence known as Espionage Research Unit...
until they return to England. - Paul ClarkePaul Clarke (character)Paul Clarke is a fictional character from the Henderson's Boys Series by Robert Muchamore. His mother died before the Second World War and his father died whilst carrying valuable radio blueprints for the British Secret Service.- Background and early life :...
– age 11, the youngest of the protagonists as of Secret Army, Paul is an introvert who prefers reading or drawing to sports. - Charles HendersonCharles Henderson (character)Charles Henderson is a fictional character from the Henderson's Boys Series by English author, Robert Muchamore. He is the founder of CHERUB. He is a member of the obscure branch of Naval intelligence known as Espionage Research Unit...
– age 33, the founder of CHERUB, Charles Henderson is the spy who discovered that minors could be useful for espionage. - Rosie Clarke – age 13, the only girl in the group, Rosie is bossy and tough but is also a good leader.
- PT BivottPT BivottPhilippe Tomás Bivott is an American born boy from the Henderson's Boys book series by Robert Muchamore. Fifteen years of age as of Eagle Day. He first appears at the end of The Escape. PT emigrated to France after stealing a lot of money. It is also revealed in Maximum Security that PT became...
– age 15, an American criminal, PT finds himself conscripted into Henderson's group by chance. He is a keen gambler who is good at cards
See also
- CHERUBCHERUBCHERUB is a series of young adult spy novels, written by the English author Robert Muchamore, focusing around a division of the British Security Service named CHERUB, which employs minors, predominantly orphans, as intelligence officers...
- Robert MuchamoreRobert MuchamoreRobert Kilgore Muchamore is an English author, most notable for writing the CHERUB and Henderson's Boys novels.-Prior to writing:...
- List of Henderson's Boys characters