The Wages of Virtue (Adventure Classic) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. From the Author of Beau Geste, Stories of the Foreign Legion, Cupid in Africa, Stepsons of France, Snake and Sword, Port o' Missing Men & The Young StagersBy P. C. Wren
Length10h 47m
About this audiobook
The Wages of Virtue is a vigorous specimen of early twentieth-century imperial adventure fiction, shaped by P. C. Wren's characteristic fascination with honour, exile, comradeship, and moral endurance under pressure. Set against the hard, romanticized world of soldiering and colonial frontier life, the novel blends melodrama, irony, and brisk narrative momentum with a code-of-conduct seriousness typical of the post-Victorian adventure tradition. Its title points to Wren's central paradox: virtue is not rewarded sentimentally, but tested through sacrifice, misunderstanding, and danger. P. C. Wren, best known for Beau Geste, drew much of his imaginative power from the culture of empire, military discipline, and the mythology of the French Foreign Legion. Educated at Oxford and long associated with British imperial India, he possessed an insider's ear for hierarchical institutions, barrack-room loyalties, and the theatrical rituals of masculine honour. Whether factual or self-fashioned, his supposed proximity to legionary experience helped him create fiction charged with authenticity and romantic glamour. This book is recommended to readers who value classic adventure with ethical weight: not merely action, but action governed by loyalty, restraint, and tragic consequence.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.7 (65)
Includes Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing
GenreAction and Adventure
Length10 hrs 47 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateSep 12, 2015
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Wages of Virtue (Adventure Classic) (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5The Wages of Virtue (Adventure Classic) (pt. 1)
Mostrar todos os capítulosVer menos
6The Wages of Virtue (Adventure Classic) (pt. 2)
7The Wages of Virtue (Adventure Classic) (pt. 3)
8The Wages of Virtue (Adventure Classic) (pt. 4)
9Analysis
10Reflection
11Memorable Quotes
P. C. Wren: Adventure Novels & Tales From the Foreign Legion (Annotated)P. C. Wren44h 35m$2 · $0.00
BEAU SABREUR: Adventures of Major De Beaujolais (Annotated)P. C. Wren12h 3m$2 · $0.00
BEAU GESTE - Complete Collection: Beau Geste, Beau Sabreur & Beau Ideal TRILOGY + Good Gestes - Stories of Beau Geste, His Brothers and Their Comrades in the French Foreign Legion (Annotated)P. C. Wren48h 10m4.3 (124)$2 · $0.00
BEAU GESTE: The Mystery of the "Blue Water" & Major Henri de Beaujolais' Story (Adventure Classic) (Annotated)P. C. Wren17h 2m4.0 (11.6K)$2 · $0.00
P. C. Wren: Collected Works (Annotated)P. C. Wren44h 34m$2 · $0.00
BEAU GESTE - Complete Collection: Beau Geste, Beau Sabreur & Beau Ideal TRILOGY + Good Gestes - Stories of Beau Geste, His Brothers and Their Comrades in the French Foreign LegionP. C. Wren48h4.3 (60)$1 · $0.00
The Beau Geste Trilogy - Complete CollectionP. C. Wren47h 59m4.1 (86)$1 · $0.00
Cardboard CastleP. C. Wren11h 5m$2 · $0.00
Beau Sabreur - Complete Adventures of Major De BeaujolaisP. C. Wren12h 6m3.9 (774)$1.99 · $0.00
Cupid in Africa - The Baking of Bertram in Love and War (Adventure Classic) (Annotated)P. C. Wren10h 59m3.8 (13)$2 · $0.00
The Adventures of Major De BeaujolaisP. C. Wren11h 8m4.0 (216)$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of P. C. WrenP. C. Wren102h$2 · $0.00
P. C. Wren: Adventure Novels & Tales From the Foreign LegionP. C. Wren44h 24m$2 · $0.00
SNAKE & SWORDP. C. Wren9h 33m3.7 (69)$1 · $0.00
The Collected Works of P. C. Wren: Complete Beau Geste Series, Novels & Short StoriesP. C. Wren102h 8m4.4 (15)$2.99 · $0.00
Beau Geste: The Mystery of the "Blue Water" & Major Henri De Beaujolais' Story (Adventure Novels)P. C. Wren16h 55m4.1 (5.6K)$1.99 · $0.00
Cupid in Africa: The Baking of Bertram in Love and WarP. C. Wren10h 18m3.8 (13)$1.99 · $0.00
DRIFTWOOD SPARS (Annotated)P. C. Wren8h 59m$1.99 · $0.00
SNAKE AND SWORD (Unabridged) (Annotated)P. C. Wren9h 42m3.6 (32)$1.99 · $0.00
The CommodoreP. T. Deutermann11h 53m4.5 (2.4K)$20 · $0.00
A Closed and Common OrbitBecky Chambers11h 30m4.4 (140.7K)$29 · $0.00
Thud!Terry Pratchett10h 31m4.4 (112.6K)$8 · $0.00
All Quiet on the Western Front (Annotated)Erich Maria Remarque8h 34m4.4 (12.9K)$1.99 · $0.00
Crime and punishmentFyodor Dostoevsky22h 34m4.4 (1.3M)$3 · $0.00
Exit FeeBrad Taylor3h 16m4.5 (1.9K)$18 · $0.00
The Alice NetworkKate Quinn15h 7m4.4 (887.1K)$33 · $0.00
The Ohio River Trilogy: Betty Zane, The Spirit of the Border & The Last TrailZane Grey29h 8m4.4 (1.8K)$1 · $0.00
A Darkness ReturnsRaymond E. Feist19h 29m4.4 (1.9K)$40 · $0.00
THE VALLEY OF SILENT MEN (Annotated)James Oliver Curwood8h 25m4.5 (420)$2 · $0.00
West of the TularosaLouis L’Amour5h 53m4.4 (3.6K)$20 · $0.00
The Emperor's FistJay Allan8h 37m4.5 (272)$26 · $0.00
The Amazing Interlude (Annotated)Mary Roberts Rinehart8h 42m4.5 (365)$1.99 · $0.00
Hornblower and the Hotspur (Annotated)C. S. Forester14h 7m4.4 (17.3K)$2 · $0.00
Shades of WickedJeaniene Frost8h 51m4.4 (19.5K)$29 · $0.00
The Log of a Cowboy (Annotated)Andy Adams9h 47m4.4 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
Everything She WantedJennifer Ryan9h 9m4.4 (1.3K)$29 · $0.00
The Ballad of the White HorseG. K. Chesterton2h 43m4.4 (3.8K)$1.20 · $0.00
The Complete Huckleberry Finn & Tom Sawyer Adventures (Unabridged) (Annotated)Mark Twain26h 21m4.3 (16.7K)$2 · $0.00
Countdown to MidnightDale Brown13h 6m4.3 (4.1K)$33 · $0.00
You may also like
Eight Hundred Leagues on the AmazonJules Verne10h 36m3.8 (2.9K)$2.30
Treasure IslandRobert Louis Stevenson6h 34m4.1 (609.3K)Free
Treasure IslandRobert Louis Stevenson7h 13m4.1 (628.8K)$1.20 · $0.00
The Lone Star RangerZane Grey10h 22m4.2 (2.5K)$2.30 · $0.00
Beau Geste: The Mystery of the "Blue Water" & Major Henri De Beaujolais' Story (Adventure Novels)P. C. Wren16h 55m4.1 (5.6K)$1.99 · $0.00
Series of Unfortunate Events #4: The Miserable MillLemony Snicket2h 57m4.0 (222.2K)$18 · $0.00
Moll FlandersDaniel Defoe13h 31m3.7 (62.1K)$4 · $0.00
The Trumpeter Of Krakow, A Tale Of The Fifteenth CenturyEric P. Kelly6h 17m3.9 (11K)$2.30
The Sheriff's SonWilliam MacLeod Raine7h 23m4.2 (252)$2 · $0.00
Beau GesteP. C. Wren13h 8m4.1 (5.6K)$25
Series of Unfortunate Events #8: The Hostile HospitalLemony Snicket4h 17m4.2 (158.3K)$20 · $0.00
The Border LegionZane Grey10h 32m4.0 (2K)$2.30
Treasure Island (Adventure Classic with Illustrations)Robert Louis Stevenson8h 50m4.5 (11.2K)$1.99 · $0.00
With the Devil's HelpNeal Wooten9h 49m4.1 (829)$20 · $0.00
A Brush With The Chinese.G. A. Henty54m$2.30
The Misadventures of John NicholsonRobert Louis Stevenson2h 32m3.2 (163)$0.60 · $0.00
The Lookout ManB. M. Bower8h 7m3.5 (35)$1 · $0.00
Born to Good Luck, or The Boy Who SucceededSelf-made man3h 9m$2.30
A Certain Dr. ThorndykeR. Austin Freeman10h 5m3.9 (168)$2 · $0.00
Through Russian Snows / A Story of Napoleon's Retreat from MoscowG. A. Henty12h 3m4.0 (570)$2.30