Russell Anthony Kelly

author

Russell Anthony Kelly

b. 1893

An American who joined the French Foreign Legion during World War I, he left behind vivid letters that became a firsthand account of war, exile, and adventure. His only known book captures the voice of a very young soldier writing from the edge of history.

1 Audiobook

Kelly of the Foreign Legion: Letters of Légionnaire Russell A. Kelly

Kelly of the Foreign Legion: Letters of Légionnaire Russell A. Kelly

by Russell Anthony Kelly

About the author

Born in 1893, Russell Anthony Kelly is known for Kelly of the Foreign Legion, a 1917 book built around his letters as a member of the French Foreign Legion. The Library of Congress credits him as the author and dates the book to the First World War era.

His writing stands out because it is personal rather than distant or official. Instead of a broad military history, the book offers a direct view of legion life through the eyes of someone living it, which helps explain why it still attracts readers interested in wartime memoirs and unusual true stories.

Very little widely documented biographical information about Kelly appears to be available beyond his authorship and birth year. What remains most memorable is the record he left behind: a young American's account of service in one of the world's most storied military units.