# Mr. Buck — The Napoleon of Notting Hill character guide > Mr. Buck in The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G. K. Chesterton. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Buck, Provost Buck, General Buck **First appearance:** 0008-ii-the-council-of-the-provosts ## Snapshot The sour, military-minded Provost of South Kensington, who treats the Notting Hill rebellion as a campaign to be won by force of arms. ## Who they are Buck stands among the robed Provosts in the King's hall, visibly disgusted by the company and by Quin's levity. He channels that contempt into organising the neighbouring boroughs into a real army against Wayne. Where others argue, Buck drills and marches, giving the conflict its grim, soldierly momentum. ## Relationships ### [James Barker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/james_barker) _professional_ James Barker and Mr. Buck are colleagues and fellow businessmen, working together in the commercial and political spheres of the city. ### [Auberon Quin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/auberon_quin) _social_ Auberon Quin and Mr. Buck are acquaintances who move in the same political and social circles, with Buck often serving as a foil to Quin's whimsy. ### [Adam Wayne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/adam_wayne) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and Mr. Buck are adversaries in the war between Notting Hill and the other districts, with Buck representing the pragmatic opposition to Wayne's romantic militarism. ### [General Wilson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/general_wilson) _professional_ General Wilson and Mr. Buck are military and civilian collaborators in the campaign against Notting Hill. ### [Adam Wayne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/adam_wayne) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and Mr. Buck are adversaries in the war between Notting Hill and the other districts, with Buck representing the pragmatic opposition to Wayne's romantic militarism. ### [Auberon Quin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/auberon_quin) _social_ Auberon Quin and Mr. Buck are acquaintances who move in the same political and social circles, with Buck often serving as a foil to Quin's whimsy. ### [James Barker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/james_barker) _professional_ James Barker and Mr. Buck are colleagues and fellow businessmen, working together in the commercial and political spheres of the city. ### [James Barker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/james_barker) _professional_ James Barker and Mr. Buck are colleagues and fellow businessmen, working together in the commercial and political spheres of the city. ### [Auberon Quin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/auberon_quin) _social_ Auberon Quin and Mr. Buck are acquaintances who move in the same political and social circles, with Buck often serving as a foil to Quin's whimsy. ### [Adam Wayne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/adam_wayne) _rivalry_ Adam Wayne and Mr. Buck are adversaries in the war between Notting Hill and the other districts, with Buck representing the pragmatic opposition to Wayne's romantic militarism. ### [General Wilson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/general_wilson) _professional_ General Wilson and Mr. Buck are military and civilian collaborators in the campaign against Notting Hill. ## In the story ### [Book II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/book-ii) Provost Buck, who questions if the whole world is mad, representing cynical opposition. ### [The Council of the Provosts](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/ii-the-council-of-the-provosts) Provost of North Kensington, complains to the King about Adam Wayne blocking the road project through Pump Street, and is frustrated by the King's mockery. ### [III: Enter a Lunatic](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/iii-enter-a-lunatic) Also present, he makes a bitter face and later exclaims 'Is the whole world mad?' in response to Wayne's earnestness. ### [Book III: The Mental Condition of Adam Wayne and The Remarkable Mr. Turnbull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/book-iii) Mentioned as a shopkeeper (grocer) who Wayne tries to recruit, appealing to his cosmopolitanism. ### [The Experiment of Mr. Buck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/iii-the-experiment-of-mr-buck) Buck leads the council, offering increasingly generous sums for Pump Street. He is initially angry but softens after Wayne's apology, then proposes to have Wayne declared insane and the street demolished. ### [Book IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/book-iv) Leads the vast allied army of four thousand men; proposes sending a herald to demand surrender based on arithmetic. ### [The Battle of the Lamps](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/i-the-battle-of-the-lamps) Provost of North Kensington; organizes the military encirclement of Pump Street with strategic precision, displaying decisive leadership. ### [The Correspondent of the Court Journal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/ii-the-correspondent-of-the-court-journal) Defeated general with a bandaged head; refuses to give in and discusses the battle with Barker. ### [III: The Great Army of South Kensington](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/iii-the-great-army-of-south-kensington) Provost Buck demonstrates strategic acumen by suggesting lanterns for soldiers to avoid darkness-related disasters, and later accepts the necessity of surrender with composure. ### [Book V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/book-v) Engages Wayne in the center, is surrounded and cut off, signaling for help. ### [I: The Empire of Notting Hill](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/i-the-empire-of-notting-hill) Provost Buck appears in purple robes, confirms the news of war, and later joins the brawl, breaking a shop window to grab a scimitar. ### [II: The Last Battle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/chapters/ii-the-last-battle) Commands North Kensington, is surrounded and cut off, then killed by Wayne with a torn tree branch. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters/mr_buck - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_napoleon_of_notting_hill_se/characters