author
Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy
1812–1878
Best known for turning major turning points in military history into vivid popular reading, this Victorian historian and jurist wrote with energy and a strong sense of drama. His most famous book, The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World, helped bring big-picture history to a wide audience.
1 Audiobook
The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: from Marathon to Waterloo
by Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy
About the author
Born in Bexley, Kent, in 1812, Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy was educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge. He trained as a lawyer, became a fellow of King's College, and later taught history at the University of London.
Creasy is remembered chiefly as a historian. His best-known work, The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World, became widely read for its clear, forceful account of battles he believed changed the course of history. He also wrote other historical studies, including works on England's invasions and on the rise and progress of the English constitution.
His career was not limited to writing. In 1860 he was appointed Chief Justice of Ceylon and was knighted, serving there for many years before his death in London in 1878. That combination of legal work, teaching, and historical writing gave his books an assured, public-minded tone that appealed strongly to Victorian readers.