Badge of Courage: The Life of Stephen Crane

by Linda Davis

World famous at twenty-four, brilliant and reckless, hard-living and scandalous, Stephen Crane wrote The Red Badge of Courage before he ever experienced war first-hand. So true was his portrait of a young man who runs from his first confrontation with battle that Civil War veterans argued about whose regiment Crane had been in. Considered by H. G. Wells as "beyond dispute, the best writer of our generation," Crane was also famous in his time as an unforgettable personality, an Adonis with tawny hair and gray-blue eyes, that Willa Cather described as "full of luster and changing lights." A lover of women and truth at any cost, Crane, in his short life, paid dearly for both. He alienated the New York police when he testified against a policeman on behalf of a prostitute falsely accused of soliciting, forcing him to live the rest of his short life as an expatriate in England. Reporting on the Spanish American War, Crane described the Rough Riders blundering into a trap after arriving in Cuba, infuriating Roosevelt. He died tragically young, leaving behind a handful of fine short stories, including "The Open Boat" and "The Blue Hotel", along with war reporting, novels, and poetry.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, American History

Audio CD

First published August 28, 1998

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

p.XI He (Stephen Crane) was an explosion of color in a gray age.
p.65 Borrowing his sister-in-law's maiden name, Fleming, for the youth, he wrote a working title on a piece of paper: Private Fleming: His Various Battles.
p.142 'For the first time I saw the majestic forces which are arrayed against a man's success.
p.191 He knew, of course, that truth in fiction had nothing to do with a slavish adherence to the facts.
p.266 News of Stephen's exploits got around. Depending upon the observer, Stephen Crane was either the bravest man one had ever seen under fire or the most reckless.

An excellent collection of information about an impressive writer. The text is approachable, written more in a popular tone as opposed to strict scholarly presentation. Excerpts from Stephen Crane's personal letters are a high point of the text. The eloquent language and flow of the letters show the writing development of the author. Another attractive part of the text is Crane's relationship with Joseph Conrad. While in England, the two men lived near each other and shared each other's company. Crane also meets Willa Cather while passed through Omaha on trip out west. Later, Cather writes savage reviews of Crane's later, weaker work, but the two famous authors shared a short conversation.

The entire catalog of Stephen Crane stories are introduced throughout the text. Many interesting facts surrounding the stories of Crane highlight the text. Every story is given at least a cursory presentation, no matter how small. Red Badge leaves its mark in the text. Chapter 12 is cut entirely during the editing process. Also, specific examples of edits are included, both words that were included and omitted are relayed to the reader. Another captivating saga is the real story behind "The Open Boat," Crane's most famous short story. Mrs. Davis expands upon the information set forth within the story

[Lavena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually much of a biography reader, but Stephen Crane has been one of my favourite writers since I was about 12 and information on his life is scant at best (probably in part due to the shortness of it). I tracked this book down a few years ago, it was already out of print, but a used copy was easy enough to find online. It is worth the effort to get your hands on this extraordinary book. It reads far more like an exciting novel than a dusty biography of a man who died over a century ago. Linda Davis' writing brings Crane's exceptionally fascinating story to life in a remarkable way. It helps that she had such amazing material to work with. Crane's life was unbelievably adventurous, daring, difficult and tragically too short. Read this book and you'll appreciate his work even more.

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting never liked the Red Badge of Courage, but loved the book about Steven Crane! Who knew that he was a war correspondent in Cuba!