Inkling, Historian, Soldier, and Brother - by King (Hardcover)

From the Back Cover

The first full biography of Warren Lewis, brother and secretary of C. S. Lewis

Detailing the life of Warren Hamilton Lewis, author Don W. King gives us new insights into the life and mind of Warren's famous brother, C. S. Lewis, and also demonstrates how Warren's experiences provide an illuminating window into the events, personalities, and culture of 20th-century England. Inkling, Historian, Soldier, and Brother will appeal to those interested in C. S. Lewis and British social and cultural history.

As a career soldier, Warren served in France during the nightmare of World War I and was later posted to Sierra Leone and Shanghai. On his retirement from the army, he became an active member of the household at the Kilns, the residence outside Oxford that he co-owned with his brother and Mrs. Janie Moore, and he played an important role in the relationship between his brother and Joy Davidman, the woman who became C. S. Lewis's wife. A talented writer and accomplished amateur historian, Warren also researched and wrote seven books on 17th-century French history.

Inkling, Historian, Soldier, and Brother examines Warren Lewis's role as an original member of the Oxford Inklings--that now famous group of novelists, thinkers, clergy, poets, essayists, medical men, scholars, and friends who met regularly to drink beer; discuss books, ideas, history, and writers; and share pieces of their own writing for feedback from the group.

Drawing from Warren Lewis's unpublished diaries, his letters, the memoir he wrote about his family, and other primary materials, this biography is an engaging story of a fascinating life, period of history, and of the warm and loving relationship between Warren and his brother, which lasted throughout their lives.

Review Quotes

Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) 2023 Bronze Medal Winner in World History

"King combines careful research, captivating prose, and frequent literary references to weave his way through the life of the sometimes maligned and often misunderstood founding member of the Inklings." --Journal of Inklings Studies

"Here is an important and valuable book on an unexpectedly neglected figure in C.S. Lewis and Inklings studies." --Mythlore

"Long regarded as a thorough and meticulous scholar, Don King has left no manuscript or stone unturned in his effort to bring to life one of the most interesting of the Inklings. .... King not only uncovers the primary resources that bring us close to the life of Warnie Lewis, but he also has the skill to weigh them and balance them against each other to give a critical picture of Warren Lewis independent of the brother he so loved. .... This book provides a much-needed picture of the life of a man who had a significant literary career on his own and played a major role in the dynamics of the Inklings." --Christian Scholar's Review

"In the last two decades, availability of scholarship on Warnie Lewis has changed significantly for the better, largely due to the tireless archival research and writing of Don W. King, which are now crowned by his biography of the 'other Lewis brother.' .... In Inkling, Historian, Soldier, and Brother: A Life of Warren Hamilton Lewis, King demonstrates his mastery of the extensive Lewis corpus, both published and unpublished, as well as his skill in synthesizing a vast quantity of material in a manner that is readable and scholarly at the same time." --VII: Journal of the Marion E. Wade Center

"A consistently interesting and well-paced life story of Warren Lewis. .... To bring Warren out of the shadows, Don King's biography draws upon a wide range of sources, especially published and unpublished passages from his diary." --CSL: The Bulletin of the New York C.S. Lewis Society

"Don W. King offers a consistently fact-filled and engaging account of Warren Lewis's life and times, providing as well an illuminating social history of 20th-century Britain. This work allows readers to view C. S. Lewis's life from a new perspective. Warren's story deserves to be told, and Don King is just the right person to tell that story." --David C. Downing, codirector, Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton College

"King gives us a richly detailed life of Warnie Lewis to make the case that he is interesting not only because of his famous brother but in his own right. We see Warnie with C. S. Lewis growing up, living at the Kilns, and as Inklings, but we also clearly see the complexities of Warnie himself, proud soldier and self-taught historian who yet was psychologically dependent on his brother and tragically diminished by alcoholism." --John Rosegrant, author of Tolkien, Enchantment, and Loss: Steps on the Developmental Journey

"King offers a treasure trove of new information and at the same time succeeds admirably in engaging both the expert and someone new to Lewis studies. This book is a must have for any serious Lewis collection--as much for its insights and commentary as for the information it provides." --Devin Brown, professor of English, Asbury University, and author of A Life Observed: A Spiritual Biography of C. S. Lewis

About the Author

Don W. King is Faculty Fellow and professor of English at Montreat College. On multiple occasions he has led Lewis seminars at the Kilns--Lewis's home in Oxford. He is the author of C. S. Lewis, Poet: The Legacy of His Poetic Impulse, The Collected Poems of C. S. Lewis: A Critical Edition, and Plain to the Inward Eye: Selected Essays on C. S. Lewis. He has also written extensively on the important women in Lewis's life, including Hunting the Unicorn: A Critical Biography of Ruth Pitter and Out of My Bone: The Letters of Joy Davidman. He previously served as editor of the Christian Scholar's Review.