Edward Frederick Knight | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1852-04-23)23 April 1852 England |
| Died | 7 March 1925(1925-03-07) (aged 72) England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | English |
Edward Frederick (E. F.) Knight (23 April 1852 – 3 July 1925) was an Englishbarrister, soldier, journalist, and author of 20 books, many based on his dispatches as awar correspondent.[1]
Knight was born in England, and travelled with his family toBritish India at an early age. He was educated atWestminster School andCaius College, Cambridge, where he pursued legal studies. He wascalled to the Bar fromLincoln's Inn in 1879.[2] However, he abandoned the legal profession to pursue a career in journalism instead, writing primarily for theMorning Post andThe Times.
During theFranco-Prussian War of 1870, while living in France at his father's house in Honfleur he attempted to enlist with the French Army near Rouen, but was turned down as he was an alien. In 1878, he explored Albania andMontenegro, returning to the Balkans during theRusso-Turkish War.
In 1889 Knight sailed tothe island of Trindade off the coast of Brazil in a 64-foot cutter named theAlerte. He was in search of treasure. (He had previously visited the island in his first boat the Falcon I). He wrote the bookThe Cruise of the Alerte about his journey with detailed descriptions of Trindade. He was an influence on children's authorArthur Ransome who used Knight's bookSailing to teach himself how to sail; and in theSwallows and Amazons series as a resource for his fictional characters, who often refer toKnight on Sailing. Ransome also used Knight's descriptions of Trindade as a model for his fictional Crab Island in the bookPeter Duck.Erskine Childers was another author who was influenced by Knight's writing. He usedThe 'Falcon' in the Baltic as material for his bookThe Riddle of the Sands.[3]
During 1890, Knight visitedKashmir and went travelling in theHimalayas to gather material for his bookWhere Three Empires Meet. He visitedLadakh and went on toGilgit. He arrived in Gilgit in time to become involved in the 1891 British campaign against the minor states ofHunza andNagar, led by the Resident, Col.Algernon Durand.[4] He was temporarily appointed an officer in charge of some native troops, and acted as a correspondent forThe Times.
Knight subsequently coveredKitchener'sSoudan Expedition, theSpanish–American War in Cuba, theFrench expedition against Madagascar, theAnglo-Boer War. He was severely wounded in South Africa during theBattle of Belmont, resulting in the amputation of his right arm.
In 1894 he had visited the new territory ofRhodesia just asCecil Rhodes was conqueringMatabeleland in south-western Rhodesia and his assessment of the country, presented in a series of articles written forThe Times, later appeared in book form under the title ofRhodesia of Today.
From 1904 to 1905, he covered theRusso-Japanese War, as a reporter embedded within theImperial Japanese Army.[5] He was mistakenly reported as killed in action byThe New York Times, which ran his obituary on 4 June 1904.[6]
Knight died in 1925 after a long retirement.
