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A month or so ago, in the thread CW Soldiers in the WWI American Army [http://civilwartalk.com/threads/civil-war-soldiers-in-the-ww-i-us-army.95693/#post-812699], we met Gen. Charles King, who had begun as an aide to his father Gen Rufus King of the Iron Brigade, then attended West Point (grad 1866), and went on to earn campaign medals for the ACW, Indian Wars, SpAm War, Philippine Insurrection and even WW I, retiring shortly before his death in 1933 with a record of 70 years' service.
King was also a quite prolific and in his time, popular writer. His first book Campaigning with Crook (1879), is perhaps his best known. He wrote several other nonfiction books, mostly on the Indian Wars period, but including a Life of Gen. Grant, The Story of Manila, and Famous and Decisive Battles of the World.
The last-named, published in 1884, sketches battles from Marathon to Plevna (Russo-Turkish War of 1877/8). I suspect most of us have read at least one such 'survey' of military history, and King's work turns out to be quite a good one (if necessarily somewhat dated). He gives very clear summations of the opposing forces, commanders and armaments. He is especially detailed in discussion of the terrain and landscape of the battle. The progress of the action is described generally to the brigade level, and strategy and movements are explained with great clarity. The three ACW battles he includes are Second Manassas, Gettysburg, Nashville, and Five Forks. I must admit I got a much clearer understanding of the last two from this book than I had before. All in all, Famous and Decisive Battles of the World is a well worthwhile introduction (particularly for 17th-19th century battles).
King also wrote a great deal of fiction: mostly highly romantic tales in settings inspired by his own experience. Titles like The Apache Princess, Trooper Gallahad, and A Warrior's Wooing, don't seem to promise much. But, I chose one called Between the Lines: a story of the war (1889). It involves two cavalry officers, one from Virginia, the other New Jersey, who had been best friends in school before the war. It takes place during Second Manassas, and there's plenty of good combat action, punctuating the intense but precarious relationship of the Yankee lieutenant and the rebel captain's beautiful sister. It's a good, entertaining read, and the military side of the story is very convincingly written. When I'm in the mood for some well-written, light 'escapist' reading, I'll probably sample more of his fiction (though I think I'll skip A Warrior's Wooing.)
Most of Charles King's works are available free online: http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/k#a6787
Cheers!
jno
King was also a quite prolific and in his time, popular writer. His first book Campaigning with Crook (1879), is perhaps his best known. He wrote several other nonfiction books, mostly on the Indian Wars period, but including a Life of Gen. Grant, The Story of Manila, and Famous and Decisive Battles of the World.
The last-named, published in 1884, sketches battles from Marathon to Plevna (Russo-Turkish War of 1877/8). I suspect most of us have read at least one such 'survey' of military history, and King's work turns out to be quite a good one (if necessarily somewhat dated). He gives very clear summations of the opposing forces, commanders and armaments. He is especially detailed in discussion of the terrain and landscape of the battle. The progress of the action is described generally to the brigade level, and strategy and movements are explained with great clarity. The three ACW battles he includes are Second Manassas, Gettysburg, Nashville, and Five Forks. I must admit I got a much clearer understanding of the last two from this book than I had before. All in all, Famous and Decisive Battles of the World is a well worthwhile introduction (particularly for 17th-19th century battles).
King also wrote a great deal of fiction: mostly highly romantic tales in settings inspired by his own experience. Titles like The Apache Princess, Trooper Gallahad, and A Warrior's Wooing, don't seem to promise much. But, I chose one called Between the Lines: a story of the war (1889). It involves two cavalry officers, one from Virginia, the other New Jersey, who had been best friends in school before the war. It takes place during Second Manassas, and there's plenty of good combat action, punctuating the intense but precarious relationship of the Yankee lieutenant and the rebel captain's beautiful sister. It's a good, entertaining read, and the military side of the story is very convincingly written. When I'm in the mood for some well-written, light 'escapist' reading, I'll probably sample more of his fiction (though I think I'll skip A Warrior's Wooing.)
Most of Charles King's works are available free online: http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/k#a6787
Cheers!
jno
Bringing the