Charles Edward Montague (1 January 1867 – 28 May 1928) was an English

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

, known also as a writer of

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

s and

essay An essay ( ) is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a Letter (message), letter, a term paper, paper, an article (publishing), article, a pamphlet, and a s ...

Biography

Montague was born and brought up in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, the son of an Irish

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

who had left his vocation to marry.Barbara Korte and Ann-Marie Einhaus (eds.) ''The Penguin book of First World War Stories''. London; New York : Penguin Books, 2007. (pp. 396-7)Kemp, Sandra, Mitchell, Charlotte, Trotter, David, ''The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction'',

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1997, (pg. 282). He was educated at the

City of London School The City of London School, also known as CLS and City, is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school for Single-sex education, boys in the City of London, England, on the banks of the River Thames next to the Millennium Bridge, ...

and

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

. At Oxford he gained a First in Classical Moderations (1887) and a Second in Literae Humaniores (1889). Montague also played

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

at Oxford and was a member of the Oxford

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

team.''Twentieth century authors, a biographical dictionary of modern literature'', edited by Stanley J. Kunitz and Howard Haycraft. New York, The H.W. Wilson Company, 1942, (pp. 973-4). Montague also received a Bronze Medal from the

Royal Humane Society The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in 1774 as the ''Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned'', for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning. Hi ...

for saving a man from drowning. In 1890 he was recruited by C. P. Scott to ''

The Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', where he became a leader writer and critic; while Scott was an M.P. between 1895 and 1906 he was ''de facto'' editor of the paper. He married Scott's daughter Madeline in 1898. While working at the paper, Montague became a supporter of

Irish Home Rule The Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1870 to the end of ...

. Montague's journalism caused some controversy due to his opposition to the

Anglo-Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...

. During this time, Montague wrote ''

William Thomas Arnold William Thomas Arnold (18 September 1852 – 29 May 1904) was an Van Diemen's Land-born, English writer and journalist. He was a writer for ''The Manchester Guardian'' for seventeen years. Biography Arnold was born at Hobart, Van Diemen's Land ...

'' (1907), a biography of the titular journalist, with

Mary Augusta Ward Mary Augusta Ward (''née'' Arnold; 11 June 1851 – 24 March 1920) was a British literature, British novelist who wrote under her married name as Mrs Humphry Ward. She worked to improve education for the poor, setting up a Mary Ward Centre, ...

. Montague also produced his first novel, ''A Hind Let Loose'' (1910), a humorous novel set in the provincial newspaper business. Montague was against

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

prior to its commencement, but once it started he believed that it was right to support it in the hope of a swift resolution. In 1914, Montague was 47, which was well over the age for enlistment. But in order to enlist, he dyed his white hair black to enable him to fool the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

into accepting him. H. W. Nevinson would later write that "Montague is the only man I know whose white hair in a single night turned dark through courage." He began as a grenadier-sergeant, and rose to lieutenant and then captain of intelligence in 1915. Later in the war, he became an armed escort for VIPs visiting the battlefield. He escorted such personalities as

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...

and

Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

. After the end of

he wrote in a strong

anti-war An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conf ...

vein. He wrote that "War hath no fury like a non-combatant." ''Disenchantment'' (1922), a collection of newspaper articles about the war, was one of the first prose works to strongly criticise the way the war was fought, and is regarded by some as a pivotal text in the development of literature about

. John Lucas, ''The Radical Twenties''. Rutgers University Press 1999. (pp. 59-60). ''Disenchantment'' criticised the British Press' coverage of the war and the conduct of the British generals. Montague accused the latter of being influenced by the " public school ethos" which he condemned as being

anti-intellectual Anti-intellectualism is hostility to and mistrust of intellect, intellectuals, and intellectualism, commonly expressed as deprecation of education and philosophy and the dismissal of art, literature, history, and science as impractical, politica ...

; Montague described the "public school spirit" as a "gallant, robust contempt for "swats" and "smugs" and all who invented new means to new ends and who trained and used their brains with a will". Montague published a collection of essays, ''The Right Place: A Book of Pleasures'' (1924). This book celebrated Montague's interests, including

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

mountaineering Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...

, and

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

. He returned to ''The Manchester Guardian'', but felt that his role was diminishing as the years passed. He finally retired in 1925, and settled down to become a full-time writer in the last years of his life. On a visit to London in 1928 he caught

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

, and he died of the illness in May 1928 at the age of 61. Montague was survived by his wife, five sons and two daughters. Montague was the father of Evelyn Montague, the Olympic athlete and journalist depicted in the 1981 film ''

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 historical drama, historical Sports film, sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Summer ...

.''

Critical Reception

Montague's novel ''A Hind Let Loose'' was praised by

H. L. Mencken Henry Louis Mencken (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956) was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, ...

. Mencken stated about the novel that "Montague manages the difficult business superbly...it is a charming and uproarious piece of buffoonery, carried on with the utmost dexterity from start to finish." ''Disenchantment'' was praised by

John Masefield John Edward Masefield (; 1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer. He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate from 1930 until his death in 1967, during which time he lived at Burcot, Oxfordshire, near Abingdon ...

in the ''

Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''; Masefield described the book as "one of the very best of the books which have been written about the war". ''Disenchantment'' was also lauded by H. G. Wells, George Bernard Shaw, H. M. Tomlinson,

Christopher Morley Christopher Darlington Morley (May 5, 1890 – March 28, 1957) was an American journalist, novelist, essayist and poet. He also produced stage productions for a few years and gave college lectures.

Heywood Broun Heywood Campbell Broun Jr. (; December 7, 1888 – December 18, 1939) was an American journalist. He worked as a sportswriter, newspaper columnist, and editor in New York City. He founded the American Newspaper Guild, later known as The Newspape ...

and

Dorothy Canfield Dorothy Canfield Fisher (February 17, 1879 – November 9, 1958) was an educational reformer, social activist, and best-selling American author in the early 20th century. She strongly supported women's rights, racial equality, and lifelong educat ...

. Literary critic Harry Hansen lauded ''The Right Place'' as "the sort of book that one can open at dawn and at dusk, and find solace therein" and called Montague "a brilliant English journalist."

Media portrayal

Charles Edward Montague is one of the 14 main characters of the series ''

14 - Diaries of the Great War Fourteen or 14 may refer to: * 14 (number), the natural number following 13 and preceding 15 * one of the years 14 BC, AD 14, 1914, 2014 Music * 14th (band), a British electronic music duo * ''14'' (David Garrett album), 2013 *''14'', an unrel ...

''. He is played by actor David Acton.

Film Adaptions

Montague's short story "Judith" was adapted as the 1929 Hollywood film ''

True Heaven ''True Heaven'' is a 1929 American Synchronized sound drama film directed by James Tinling, written by Malcolm Stuart Boylan and Dwight Cummins, and starring George O'Brien, Lois Moran, Phillips Smalley, Oscar Apfel, Duke Martin, and André Ch ...

'', directed by

James Tinling James Tinling (May 8, 1889 in Seattle – May 14, 1967 in Los Angeles) was an American film director. He worked during the silent period as a prop boy and stuntman, and directed primarily for 20th Century Fox in the 1930s and 1940s. He has bee ...

.Alicoate, James. ''The 1930 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures''. New York, Film Daily, 1930 (pg. 153).

Works

*''The Manchester Stage, 1880-1900'' (with William T. Arnold, O. Elton, and A.N. Monkhouse) (1900) reviews *''Studies of Roman imperialism'' (with William T. Arnold, Edward Fiddes, Humphry Ward) (1906) * ''William Thomas Arnold'' (with Mrs. Humphry Ward, AKA Mary Augusta Ward) (1907) biography *''A Hind Let Loose'' (1910), a novel *''Dramatic Values'' (1911), reviews *''The Morning's War'' (1913), a novel *''The Front Line'' (illustrated by

Muirhead Bone Sir Muirhead Bone (23 March 1876 – 21 October 1953) was a Scottish etcher and watercolourist who became known for his depiction of industrial and architectural subjects and his work as a war artist in both the First and Second World Wars. ...

) (1916) non-fiction *''The Western Front'' (illustrated by Muirhead Bone, introduction by Gen. Sir Douglas Haig) (1917) non-fiction *''Disenchantment'' (1922), essays houghts on the First World War*''Fiery Particles'' (1923), short stories *''The Right Place'' (1924), travel writing *''Rough Justice'' (1926), a novel *''Right off the Map'' (1927), a science fiction novel *''Action'' (1928), short stories *''A Writer's Notes on His Trade'' (1930) *"Two or Three Witnesses", a short story

Notes

References

*''C. E. Montague: A Memoir'' (1929) by

Oliver Elton Oliver Elton, Fellow of the British Academy, FBA (3 June 1861 – 4 June 1945) was an English literary scholar whose works include ''A Survey of English Literature (1730–1880)'' in six volumes, criticism, biography, and translations from severa ...

External links

* *
C. E. Montague Papers
at

John Rylands Library The John Rylands Research Institute and Library is a Victorian era, late-Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, neo-Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester, England. It is part of the University of Manchester. The library, which opened to t ...

, Manchester. {{DEFAULTSORT:Montague, CE 1867 births 1928 deaths Writers from London English essayists 20th-century English novelists English male journalists People educated at the City of London School English people of Irish descent English male essayists English male novelists 20th-century English essayists 20th-century English male writers