FEATURED WRITINGS
 Major General George Crook |
Campaigning
With Crook and Stories of Army Life |
The first book written by Charles King, Campaigning With Crook and Stories of Army Life, is an autobiographical account of his service in the Sioux Campaign of 1876 as part of the U.S. 5th Cavalry. It evolved from a series of newspaper articles for the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1879 to a separate pamphlet in 1880. In 1890 Harper & Brothers republished it as an actual book along with three of his short stories of army fiction. This historical work has proven to be King's most popular and enduring book.
Passages from Campaigning With Crook and Stories of Army Life
Savage
Warfare
Buffalo Bill
Cody and Yellow Hand
Travois
Plains Indian
Art
The
New York Times Book Review -1890
 |
The
Colonel’s Daughter; or, Winning His Spurs |
The Colonel's Daughter was King's first published and most successful romantic novel. Set at a military post in Arizona Territory, King's detailed descriptions of everyday life were based on his own journals from his U.S. Army service there in the 1870's. His writings included so many real life incidents that specific events can be found in the journals of Army officer's wives who lived at the posts. These descriptions also seem to have assisted later movie producers such as John Ford in his cinematic depictions of Army life on the American frontier.
The text selections below illustrate King's ability to portray action and to move his readers' emotions.
Passages from the book:
Rescue
of Miss Gracie
Jack's Secret
Grace and
Jack
Indian Agents
The
New York Times Book Review -1883
 |
Between
the Lines: A Story of the War |
Charles King served in the Civil War at age 16 as an orderly for Wisconsin's Iron Brigade. His personal experiences are reflected in his vivid battle descriptions, which received considerable critical acclaim from veterans of the war. This romantic novel, set in Virginia during the war, is considered one of King's best novels. The New York Times book review nicely summarizes the book's plot. In 1902, King remarked on this book "..because I am so strong a lover of the American Union that I should like to bury the bitter memories and cherish only those of heroism and chivalry so abundantly shown by both the North and the South."
Read sections of this book:
A
Young Girl
Lieutenant
Kearny
Fierce,
Thrilling Battle
The
New York Times Book Review -1888
Read more Charles King from selected passages relating to: