author
Cornélis De Witt Willcox
1861–1938
A soldier-scholar with a gift for languages and military history, he brought first-hand experience from West Point, the Philippines, and the Spanish-American War to his writing. His books blend careful research with the eye of someone who had seen military life up close.
1 Audiobook
The Head Hunters of Northern Luzon
by Cornélis De Witt Willcox
About the author
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1861, Cornélis De Witt Willcox became an American Army officer, teacher, and writer whose career moved easily between military service and scholarship. He studied at the University of Georgia, graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1885, and later continued his education at the Artillery School and the University of Grenoble.
Willcox served in the U.S. Army during a period of major change, including service connected with the Santiago campaign and later work in the Philippines. He also taught modern languages at West Point, a role that matched his strong interest in language, translation, and military learning.
As an author, he wrote on military subjects, geography, and travel, and he was especially known for making complex topics readable for a wider audience. That mix of practical experience and intellectual curiosity gives his work a distinctive voice: informed, observant, and shaped by both the classroom and the field.