Eminent Victorians · Character

General Gordon

A restless soldier-mystic whose genius for war and appetite for martyrdom made him the most romantic and least governable hero of the British Empire.

major

Also known as Captain Gordon, Chinese Gordon, Charles George Gordon, Charlie Gordon, Gordon Pasha, Leur Gordon, C. G. Gordon

First appearance: Eminent Victorians

As a major figure in Eminent Victorians, General Gordon is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

One of the four subjects, representing imperial adventure and military leadership.

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Gordon is the soldier-saint the Victorian public adored and the War Office could never quite manage — a man who fought in China, served as Governor of the Sudan, and read his Bible in the intervals between battles. His fatalism and his habit of obeying a higher command than any ministry made him both indispensable and impossible, a figure whose personal magnetism outran every official instruction. Strachey follows him into the desert to show how a legend is manufactured, and how a hero can be undone by the very qualities that made him one.

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Character Web

33 connections

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Relationship types

Professional
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Protagonist
Catholic Church Hierarchy
Nightingale's Inner Circle

+28 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where Miss Nightinga…

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Relationships

Li Hung Chang
professional · ambivalent
Gordon and Li Hung Chang had a complex professional relationship during the Taiping… How this plays out →
Lord Hartington
professional · ambivalent
Sir Evelyn Baring
rivalry · negative
The Mahdi
rivalry · negative
Lord Hartington
professional · ambivalent
Lord Hartington
professional · ambivalent
Li Hung Chang
professional · ambivalent
Gordon and Li Hung Chang had a complex professional relationship during the Taiping… How this plays out →
The Mahdi
rivalry · negative
Sir Evelyn Baring
rivalry · negative
Li Hung Chang
professional · ambivalent
Gordon and Li Hung Chang had a complex professional relationship during the Taiping… How this plays out →
Sir Evelyn Baring
rivalry · negative

Li Hung Chang
Gordon and Li Hung Chang had a complex professional relationship during the Taiping Rebellion and later diplomatic dealings, marked by mutual respect but also tension.
Lord Hartington
Gordon and Lord Hartington corresponded frequently as Gordon sought political support and Hartington, as War Secretary, managed Gordon's military appointments.
Sir Evelyn Baring
Gordon and Sir Evelyn Baring were in constant conflict over the evacuation of Sudan, with Baring representing cautious imperial policy and Gordon defying orders.
The Mahdi
General Gordon and the Mahdi were mortal enemies, with the Mahdi leading the Sudanese revolt that besieged and ultimately killed Gordon in Khartoum.
Lord Hartington
Gordon and Lord Hartington corresponded frequently as Gordon sought political support and Hartington, as War Secretary, managed Gordon's military appointments.
Lord Hartington
Gordon and Lord Hartington corresponded frequently as Gordon sought political support and Hartington, as War Secretary, managed Gordon's military appointments.
Li Hung Chang
Gordon and Li Hung Chang had a complex professional relationship during the Taiping Rebellion and later diplomatic dealings, marked by mutual respect but also tension.
The Mahdi
General Gordon and the Mahdi were mortal enemies, with the Mahdi leading the Sudanese revolt that besieged and ultimately killed Gordon in Khartoum.
Sir Evelyn Baring
Gordon and Sir Evelyn Baring were in constant conflict over the evacuation of Sudan, with Baring representing cautious imperial policy and Gordon defying orders.
Li Hung Chang
Gordon and Li Hung Chang had a complex professional relationship during the Taiping Rebellion and later diplomatic dealings, marked by mutual respect but also tension.
Sir Evelyn Baring
Gordon and Sir Evelyn Baring were in constant conflict over the evacuation of Sudan, with Baring representing cautious imperial policy and Gordon defying orders.

Relationship notes

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In the story

General Gordon appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Eminent Victorians
One of the four subjects, representing imperial adventure and military leadership.
The End of General Gordon
The central figure of the chapter, whose appointment to evacuate the Sudan is questioned. His final journal entries and letters show his defiance, his belief that the expedition was for the garrisons not his relief, and his acceptance of his fate.
Bibliography
Primary subject of the bibliography; multiple works by and about him are listed.

Chapter companion notes

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