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 Warrens famous brother, C. S. Lewis, and also demonstrates how Warrens 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. Lewiss 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 Lewiss 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Drawing from Warren Lewiss unpublished diaries, his letters, the memoir he wrote about his family, and other primary materials, this biography is an engaging story of a fascinating life, period of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.
Don W. King is Faculty Fellow and professor of English at Montreat College. On multiple occasions he has led Lewis seminars at the Kilns-Lewiss 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 Lewiss 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 Scholars Review.
"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 Scholars Review
