author

James Campbell

1787–1858

A British army officer turned colonial official, he wrote from direct experience of war and military life. His surviving work offers a candid, firsthand view of the British Army in the early nineteenth century.

1 Audiobook

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.

by James Campbell

About the author

Born in 1787, James Campbell is best remembered as a lieutenant-colonel in the British Army who served with distinction in the Peninsular War. Later in life he emigrated to New Zealand, where he became a land commissioner and then Registrar of Deeds in Canterbury.

He also wrote about the army from an insider's point of view. His best-known book, A British Army, as it was,—is,—and ought to be, reflects practical experience rather than distant theory, giving readers a sharp look at military organization, conduct, and reform in his era.

Reliable biographical details about his personal life are limited, so much of his interest as an author comes from the unusual path he followed: soldier, public official, and observer of the institutions he served.