Alexander William Kinglake

Alexander William Kinglake (1809–1891) was an English orientalist, travel writer, and historian, best known for his travelogue 'Eothen' (1844), recounting his journeys through southeastern Europe and the Ottoman Empire, and his multi-volume magnum opus 'The Invasion of Crimea' (1863–1887), a detailed history of the Crimean War up to the death of Lord Raglan. Born near Taunton, Somerset, as the eldest son of a banker and solicitor, he was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, called to the Bar in 1837, and later abandoned law for literature after witnessing the Crimean War firsthand, including the Battle of the Alma.