Carpenter, Humphrey, and Mari Prichard. The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1984. Contains a brief overview of Garfield's works, which summarizes Smith's plot and literary qualities, and sets the novel in the context of the author's other novels.

Natov, Roni. " 'Not the Blackest of Villains... Not the Brightest of Saints': Humanism in Leon Garfield's Adventure Novels." Lion and the Unicorn (Fall 1978): 44-71. This article focuses on the way the author embraces humanity in all its weaknesses as well as all its strengths. Natov compares Garfield to some of the best nineteenth-century novelists and shows how Smith is both cynical and sentimental.

Stott, Jon C. Children's Literature from A to Z: A Guide for Parents and Teachers. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984. The entry on Garfield suggests that his novels are effective in introducing the violent aspects of eighteenth-century life to young readers.

Townsend...