Gordon by C Brad Faught
Charles George Gordon was the preeminent military hero of the late-Victorian British Empire. A lifetime officer in the Royal Engineers, he served in several theaters of war and imperial contest, most notably China and the Sudan.
“Confidently based on the vast Gordon archive, Faught’s work offers excellent reading and will rank as an important contribution to re-examining the switchback reputation of Britain’s one-time—in Faught’s words—‘ultimate soldier of empire’”—Anthony Kirk-Greene, Emeritus fellow, St. Antony’s College, Oxford University
“Brad Faught is equally at home in Victorian religious history and imperial history. His present book on ‘Chinese’ Gordon is a superb and enlightening revisiting of the career of that imperial adventurer. Faught knows how to write a page-turner, yet the book is based on impeccable archival research and reading in the most up-to-date secondary works. Most important, Faught gives us a well-rounded account of Gordon’s career as military engineer and leader of irregular troops as well as religious icon, thereby rescuing him from the stereotype of mere religious fanatic. Readers of this book, whether professional historians or buffs, will be entertained and will learn much about this important Victorian public figure.”—Denis Paz, professor of history, University of North Texas
“This is an insightful and fast-moving biography of a figure of great importance to Britain’s 19th century empire. In describing Gordon’s role in the Crimean War, his contributions to the quelling of the brutal Taiping Rebellion in China, and/or his various expeditions to the Sudan that culminated in his dramatic death in Khartoum at the hand of the Mahdi in 1885, Faught does a marvelous job of depicting Gordon in all of his human contradictions—a man of war with a deep sense of religious faith, a loyal servant of the British Empire with strong ‘populist’ inclinations towards those over whom he governed, and a man of private sensibilities that achieved great public fame. This was a pleasure to read and is highly recommended.”—Paul Kingston, associate professor of political science, University of Toronto
“Presents the man with all his modern contradictions and historical righteousness.”—Book News, Inc.
"In only just about a hundred pages the author has provided the most concise and accurate account of the life and times of our great hero."—Bulletin of the Military Historical Society
“Faught’s book provides an excellent overview of Gordon’s career. Its mostly narrative structure is easy to follow and engagingly written, holding the attention of even the casual reader with its straightforward language and succinct coverage of events. . . . An up-to-date and thoroughly researched single-volume treatment of Gordon’s life that will provide readers with a firm base for further investigations.”—History: Review of New Books
“Brad Faught is equally at home in Victorian religious history and imperial history. His present book on ‘Chinese’ Gordon is a superb and enlightening revisiting of the career of that imperial adventurer. Faught knows how to write a page-turner, yet the book is based on impeccable archival research and reading in the most up-to-date secondary works. Most important, Faught gives us a well-rounded account of Gordon’s career as military engineer and leader of irregular troops as well as religious icon, thereby rescuing him from the stereotype of mere religious fanatic. Readers of this book, whether professional historians or buffs, will be entertained and will learn much about this important Victorian public figure.”—Denis Paz, professor of history, University of North Texas
“This is an insightful and fast-moving biography of a figure of great importance to Britain’s 19th century empire. In describing Gordon’s role in the Crimean War, his contributions to the quelling of the brutal Taiping Rebellion in China, and/or his various expeditions to the Sudan that culminated in his dramatic death in Khartoum at the hand of the Mahdi in 1885, Faught does a marvelous job of depicting Gordon in all of his human contradictions—a man of war with a deep sense of religious faith, a loyal servant of the British Empire with strong ‘populist’ inclinations towards those over whom he governed, and a man of private sensibilities that achieved great public fame. This was a pleasure to read and is highly recommended.”—Paul Kingston, associate professor of political science, University of Toronto
“Presents the man with all his modern contradictions and historical righteousness.”—Book News, Inc.
"In only just about a hundred pages the author has provided the most concise and accurate account of the life and times of our great hero."—Bulletin of the Military Historical Society
“Faught’s book provides an excellent overview of Gordon’s career. Its mostly narrative structure is easy to follow and engagingly written, holding the attention of even the casual reader with its straightforward language and succinct coverage of events. . . . An up-to-date and thoroughly researched single-volume treatment of Gordon’s life that will provide readers with a firm base for further investigations.”—History: Review of New Books
C. BRAD FAUGHT is a professor and chair of the Department of History, Tyndale University College, Toronto. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a senior fellow of Massey College, University of Toronto. His books include Gordon: Victorian Hero (Potomac Books, 2008); The New A–Z of Empire: A Concise Handbook of British Imperial History (2011); and Into Africa: The Imperial Life of Margery Perham (2012). He lives in Toronto.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781597971454 |
| ISBN 10 | 1597971456 |
| Title | Gordon |
| Author | C Brad Faught |
| Series | Military Profiles |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Potomac Books Inc |
| Year published | 2008-08-31 |
| Number of pages | 140 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |