Christopher Ward (1)

A collection of parodies of novels, some of which appeared in the Saturday Review. I enjoyed the opener, Robinson Crusoe, which begins "I was born in the year 1632 in the city of York, the son of a linen-draper and of his wife by marriage, though not by blood. They gave me the name Robinson Crusoe, which was the only one they had, being in narrow circumstances." This parody also has the benefit of numerous (imitation?) woodcuts by an uncredited artist (signature: a W inside a circle). After show more his first shipwreck, Crusoe realizes he is a Jonah and rents himself out to sink ships for the insurance. Other targets include John Masefield, Edna Ferber, Joseph Hergesheimer, Kathleen Norris, and many names I don't recognize. While there is clever wordplay throughout, parodies need to be taken in small doses, and you need to be very familiar with the source material to get the joke. Otherwise, reading is a slog, as it was for me.

Not recommended unless you're well-versed in the popular American novels of the early 1900s. show less

Many people confuse the American Revolution with the American War of Independence, however while the former is both military and political developments the latter is strictly for the armed conflict that was apart of the former. The War of the Revolution by Christopher Ward follows the armed conflict in eastern North America that would bring about the birth of the United States.

While histories of the American Revolution cover all facets of the conflict, for 95% of this book Ward focuses only show more on the military aspect on land—this includes both battlefield events and provisioning the armies—of the conflict. Save for setting up how the fighting began between the colonists and the British army in Massachusetts and interesting asides, Ward follows the maneuvers, tactics, and strategies of both sides as well as the personalities of their generals, officers, and notable regular soldiers. Originally published as two volumes, one focused on the war in the North and the other in the South, not only due to the shift of geographic emphasis that occurred during the war but also the nature of the war in each region. One interesting feature is that Ward is very detailed in describing the history of the Continental regiments from Maryland and Delaware, this is because this book is an outgrowth of a history Ward wrote about Delaware’s contribution to the Continental Army throughout the war.

The War of the Revolution is an excellently written military history of the American War of Independence that Christopher Ward developed out of a history of the participation of one of the smallest states within the Continental Army. Though roughly 70 years old, this book is a must read for those fascinated with military history whether of the United States specifically or in general. show less

The life of John Smith, based on his own highly account with a generous admixture of sheer fantasy, turned into a verse epic. More a curiosity than either history or literature, but rather fun

Brisk, amusing summaries of a wide variety of literary "classics" -- the Arthurian legends, Greco-Roman epics, Victorian novels, plus Yankee Doodle Dandy, a parody of Benet's John Brown's Body applying his style to the American Revolution, a lengthy Ballad of Billy the Kid and another about the Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis, and several miscellaneous pieces.