III (Charles Wesley) Charles W. Porter

Charles W. Porter III, also listed in library records as Charles Wesley Porter, was an American writer and historian born in 1904 and died in 1987. His published work shows a strong interest in history, especially subjects tied to diplomacy and the colonial past.

His books include The Career of Théophile Delcassé and works for the National Park Service such as Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, North Carolina and Adventurers to a New World: The Roanoke Colony, 1585–87. Those titles suggest a writer who was comfortable moving between European political history and the story of England's earliest ventures in America.

Much of his work appears to have been written for readers who wanted history explained in a direct, accessible way. Even from the limited biographical details available, his bibliography points to a lifelong interest in making important episodes from the past understandable and engaging.