Novel Adventures: The Life and Writing of General Charles King

Visit the Online Experience

The online experience, Novel Adventures: The Life and Writing of General Charles King, highlights the achievements of a remarkable author of military romances. The online experience allows you to read selections from King's writings, view notable illustration from his novels, and perhaps learn more about Charles King, the man.

The literary novels of Charles King (1844-1933) reflect Victorian ideals, morals and views, played out on Western frontiers, the Civil War, and the Spanish Philippines. His melodramatic stories are based on his personal adventures with the U.S. Army. King was a popular author in his day, publishing over 60 novels and numerous short stories. Yet today he is known mostly for one title, Campaigning With Crook, an autobiographical history based on his journal of the U.S. Army's Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition of 1876.

A special feature of the Novel Adventures online experience is attention to the illustrations within King's books. As King was a highly regarded writer in his day, the books boast the talent of such artists as Frederic Remington, Rufus Zogbaum, Gilbert Gaul, A.F. Harmer, E.W. Deming, and many others. These images capture the spirit of adventure and romance so typical of King and provide clear windows into his stories.

King's military career became the touchstone of his many novels, as he served in five military campaigns over seventy years from the Civil War through the First World War. The McCracken Research Library portion of the exhibition closed on January 31, 2003.