author
David Roberts
1757–1819
Best known for the lively satirical tale The Military Adventures of Johnny Newcome, this British army officer turned his own experience of military life into witty, sharp-eyed fiction. His work survives as a vivid glimpse of the Napoleonic era, especially in its mix of humor, social observation, and service life.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in 1757, he served in the British Army and rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. Reference sources identify him as both a military officer and a writer, and his career in the army clearly shaped the kind of story he became known for.
His best-known book is The Military Adventures of Johnny Newcome, a comic military narrative first associated with Thomas Rowlandson’s illustrations. The book follows an inexperienced young officer through campaign life and society, and it has remained of interest as both a satire and a period piece.
Although not a widely documented literary figure today, he still stands out as an example of an author whose fiction grew directly from lived experience. He died in 1819.