Lew Wallace

Born in Indiana in 1827, Lew Wallace built an unusually varied career. He studied law, served in the Mexican-American War, and later became a Union general during the Civil War. After the war, he continued in public service, including terms as governor of the New Mexico Territory and as U.S. minister to the Ottoman Empire.

Wallace is remembered above all for Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, published in 1880. The novel became an enormous success and made his name famous far beyond politics and military history. He also wrote other novels, plays, and memoirs, but Ben-Hur remained the work that defined his literary reputation.

What makes Wallace especially interesting is how many lives he seemed to fit into one: soldier, lawyer, public official, diplomat, inventor, artist, and writer. He died in Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 1905, leaving behind a career that still stands out for its sheer range.