Charles Ralph Boxer (1904–2000), whose life is carefully reconstructed in Dauril Alden’s handsome book, was one of the last of his kind: a privileged English gentleman, soldier, and scholar who loved to travel, read, write, and collect rare books. This biography, dedicated by Alden “[t]o those who have known and revered Charles Ralph Boxer,” is a tribute to this man’s life and work by one of his greatest admirers.
Alden is clearly fascinated by Boxer’s early life. Born into that stratum of the British upper middle class that raised their sons to be gentlemen, Boxer was supervised by a nanny until he left home at 10 for a preparatory boarding school. At 14 he matriculated at Wellington, a “public school” favored by army officers, and at 18 entered the Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst. After 18 months at Sandhurst, he was commissioned to the British army as a second lieutenant....
