To this end he published a number of serious works but these had little success. Caine acted as secretary to Dante Gabriel Rossetti and at one time he aspired to become a man of letters. His novels were primarily romantic in nature, involving the love triangle, but they did also address some of the more serious political and social issues of the day. In his time he was exceedingly popular and at the peak of his success his novels outsold those of his contemporaries. He is best known as a novelist and playwright of the late Victorian and the Edwardian eras.

A man of striking appearance, he travelled widely and used his travels to provide the Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine CH, KBE (1853-1931), usually known as Hall Caine, was an English author. The love story is the strongest element in this greatly popular book.Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine CH, KBE (1853-1931), usually known as Hall Caine, was an English author. The perils of the communistic and antimilitary movement as well as its spiritual ideals form the background of the story, but its main theme is love-the upraising of a woman’s character under the influence of a pure affection.

At the crisis of his endeavor he is betrayed into the hands of authorities by the woman he loves, who is moved solely by the desire to save his life. A socialist leader of high character and capacity, David Rossi, makes an effort to carry into effect the teachings of Mazzini, which he understands to be according to the precepts of the Lord’s Prayer. The story which was first published in 1901, anticipated the Socialistic and Communistic movement, not only in Italy, but throughout Europe. The chief scene is Rome, and the Pope (a reverent portrait resembling Pius IX) is one of the leading characters. It is intended to show that the morality which is required of individual men should govern nations also.

This is by much the most popular of Hall Caine’s novels thus far, more than a million copies of have been sold in English editions only.

The Eternal City by Hall Caine