Title: Captain Ronald Campbell of Bombala Station, Cambalong: His Military Life And Times
Author: Ivor George Williams
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
ISBN: 978-1-5462-8079-8
Pages: 76
Genre: Non-Fiction/History/Biography
Reviewed by: Matt Hurd
Pacific Book Review
Captain Ronald Campbell of Bombala Station, Cambalong: His Military Life And Times is an admirable endeavor, and one that’s sure to enthrall historians and readers seeking “boots on the ground” accounts of the 17th century British military and Australia alike. Williams has taken his own interest in the time period and used it to discover, and compile in this volume, scans and copies of original historical documents, diary entries, and the like, laid out chronologically for perusal.
The genesis of this biographical folio will be as interesting to readers as the actual contents: having purchased a complete collection of Napier’s Peninsular War volumes at an estate sale, the author found himself drawn to the life and times of the owner of those volumes – Captain Ronald Campbell.
There’s a great amount of interesting information regarding military life and times present in these pages. The author shares and extrapolates from firsthand accounts, as well as sharing copies of relevant original documents. Entering into the military history of the 1800s through the travels, battles, and experiences of one man is quite an engaging approach, and one that will thrill military historians and biographers alike. The book will certainly appeal most to a niche audience – but that audience will find themselves enmeshed in a wealth of firsthand accounts and information that far exceeds the expected contents of the 76 pages present.
While the book is logically organized along chronological lines, there are sometimes contextual gaps between entries that may make it difficult for some readers to understand how the chronicled events relate to one another if they are not already familiar with the time period and the historical context. If anything, however, these “gaps” may encourage new readers to seek out further information on their own – and further resources are noted in multiple places. In fact, the author himself discusses texts and resources that he found useful in his pursuits, and said resources are easily accessible to his readers.
Williams’ fascination with the time period chronicled and the lives of those who were a part of it is contagious. He also does well to allow the text to speak for itself in most cases – reprinting in full letters from Campbell and sparing no details of his day-to-day accounts. As such, His Military Life And Times is an admirable effort that doubles as a fascinating resource for a historical period overlooked by many.
