Charles Cooper King

Born in 1843, Charles Cooper King was a British Army officer who later became known as a military lecturer and author. He wrote across several subjects, but military history was at the center of his work, including books such as The Story of the British Army and a short life of George Washington.

King also wrote about China from direct experience, including The Great War in China, which helped introduce British readers to the events of the Boxer era. That mix of soldierly background, public lecturing, and wide-ranging curiosity gave his books a practical, explanatory tone meant for ordinary readers rather than specialists.

Today he is remembered mainly through his historical and military writing, which captures the interests of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: empire, war, and the lives of major public figures. Even in brief works, he aimed to make big subjects approachable and readable.