“Gordon of Khartoum” A Review

 This book was loaned to me by a friend. He had been a Green Beret in Vietnam and recently passed away. As I read about General “Chinese” Gordon, I saw a lot of my friend. Charlie Gordon won the loyalty of those who served with and underneath him. He strove hard to maintain his integrity in some of the most dangerous of situations, and succeeded. And when he failed at times, his integrity showed by his seeking forgiveness and making amends. Charlton Heston played General Gordon in the 1966 movie “Khartoum”.

Charlie Gordon comes through in this biography with clarity. A Christian (though slightly off here and there) he masterfully served in the Crimean War, in putting down the Taiping Uprising in China, and facing off against the Mahdi revolt (where he was overthrown and died). He also, momentarily, ended the slave-trade of Sudan a few years earlier. These episodes, and others, are carefully chronicled in this volume.

He was also a man of compassion. He spent years helping young street kids get an education, health care, and a future. Because of this work with kids, especially boys, and because he never married, he was accused of being homosexual, and some of the implied derision was that he might have been pedophilic. The author (along with many others) show that there was never an untoward relation between Gordon and any of the boys he helped. Also, though he was awkward around most women, yet he simply remained celibate for various reasons.

The British-ness of the biography made it sluggish reading for this American. Many of the military units mentioned, and much of the lingo didn’t quite communicate with me. But, persistence pays off, and the read was valuable. It is a worthy endeavor, and I recommend it.