This is an historical novel covering the Gordon riots of 1780 against popery. Barnaby Rudge is a young innocent simpleton who is devoted to his talkative raven, Grip. When he gets caught up in the mayhem of the Gordon riots and a mysterious unsolved murder, his life is put in jeopardy. Barnaby Rudge a powerful historical tale of treachery, forbidden love, abduction and the dangerous power of the mob.

Charles Dickens was born in Kent, England, in 1812 and died in 1870. This is an evocative description of the riots and deals with the many effects of capital punishment. It highlights the power of mob violence. It was Dicken's first historical novel and nowhere near scaled the heights of 'The Tale of Two Cities' much later.