Nathan Hale is the name of the author/artist, as well as the historical person who was hanged by the British during the Revolutionary War. The historical Hale acts as a host for the series, telling tales from history (usually U.S. history) to the hangman who is about to hang him and the British soldier who is guarding him, who offer commentary. No time seems to pass as the tales are told, so this small cast of recurring characters are always on the hangman's platform, telling and listening to tales from history.
The series has no explicit age guidelines, but is marketed to a primary school and young adult audience. Despite the treatment to appeal to a younger audience, the subjects are generally covered rather in depth.