The Great War of 189-: A Forecast

Archibald Forbes

1838–1900

A fearless Victorian war correspondent, this Scottish writer turned battlefield reporting into vivid, fast-moving storytelling. His firsthand accounts of major 19th-century conflicts helped shape how readers back home imagined war.

Charles Lowe

1848–1931

A longtime foreign correspondent for The Times in Berlin, he turned firsthand knowledge of European politics into vivid historical biography. He is best remembered for writing about Tsar Alexander III and for chronicling his years reporting from Germany.

A British general and military historian, he wrote brisk, practical studies of war that drew on both battlefield experience and deep reading. His books helped shape English-language understanding of strategy, cavalry, and Napoleon’s campaigns.

John Frederick Maurice

1841–1912

Best known for turning military experience into clear, influential writing, this British officer wrote about strategy, war, and the army in a way that reached readers beyond the barracks. His career joined active service, teaching, and public debate, making him a notable military author of late Victorian Britain.

David Christie Murray

1847–1907

A Victorian novelist and journalist with a sharp eye for everyday life, he turned newsroom experience into popular fiction that mixed social observation with lively storytelling. His work ranged from journalism and novels to collaborations for the stage, making him a versatile literary figure of late 19th-century Britain.

A British journalist best remembered as a war correspondent, he wrote with the eye of someone who had seen public events up close. His surviving books suggest a writer interested in both current affairs and imaginative speculation.