I Walked by Night

I Walked by Night, edited by Lilias Rider Haggard and published in 1986 by The Boydell Press, is a compelling collection of autobiographical and historical writings drawn from the life and experiences of Sir Rider Haggard, one of the most influential adventure writers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Edited by his daughter, Lilias Rider Haggard, this volume offers readers a more personal and reflective view of the man behind classics such as King Solomon's Mines and She. First published posthumously in earlier forms, this 1986 Boydell Press edition presents the material with scholarly care and lasting historical value.

In I Walked by Night, the focus moves beyond fiction to reveal Rider Haggard's inner life, spiritual reflections, and experiences shaped by travel, colonial administration, and personal loss. The writings explore themes of faith, doubt, destiny, and the unseen aspects of human experience, reflecting Haggard's lifelong interest in mysticism and the metaphysical. Through diary extracts, reflections, and narrative commentary, the book provides insight into how his beliefs and experiences informed both his worldview and his literary output.

Lilias Rider Haggard's role as editor is central to the book's strength. Her careful selection and contextual framing preserve the authenticity of her father's voice while making the material accessible to modern readers. The result is a work that functions both as a spiritual memoir and a historical document, illuminating the intellectual climate of late Victorian and Edwardian Britain.

Published by The Boydell Press in 1986, I Walked by Night is particularly valued by collectors of Rider Haggard's works, readers of literary biography, and those interested in the spiritual and philosophical undercurrents of imperial-era writing. It stands as a thoughtful and revealing companion to Haggard's fiction, offering depth, introspection, and historical resonance well suited to a serious second-hand book collection.