There are two types of fiction: hard fiction and soft.  Hard fiction takes place in a reality that is as true to science, engineering, and history as possible with drama and characters added to make the story.  Henty writes hard historical fiction.

In G. A. Henty's, Cat of Bubastes, topics such as irrigation, deserts, and crocodiles are discussed in the context of the story.  This is true of the stories in general so that the student, while reading the books, is given a history lesson, since each story takes place in an actual historical setting, as well as topical studies as characters interact with the environment around them.

Military discussions often take into account the engineering and science involved.

History unit studies can be made of the five areas of:

Year			ANCIENT HISTORY
1250 BC			The Cat of Bubastes
220 BC			The Young Carthaginian
A.D 61			Beric the Briton
A.D.70			For the Temple
			THE MIDDLE AGES
870			The Dragon and the Raven
1066			Wulf the Saxon
1190			Winning His Spurs
1314			In Freedom's Cause
1340			St. George for England
1380			The Lion of St. Mark
1381			A March on London
1400			Both Sides of the Border
1415			At Agincourt
1480			A Knight of the White Cross
			REFORMATION AND EXPLORATION
1579			By Pike and Dyke
1580			St. Bartholomew's Eve
1580			Under Drake's Flag
1588			By England's Aid
1595			By Right of Conquest
			WARS OF RELIGION AND SUCCESSION
1630			The Lion of the North
1640			Won by the Sword
1650			Friends Though Divided
1666			When London Burned
1690			Orange and Green
1695			A Jacobite Exile
1703			The Cornet of Horse
1705			The Bravest of the Brave
1710			In the Irish Brigade
1745			Bonnie Prince Charlie
			COLONIAL DISRUPTIONS AND COMPETITION
1759			With Wolfe in Canada
1760			With Frederick the Great
1780			True to the Old Flag
1780			Held Fast for England
1786			With Clive in India