Callwell's Early CareerCallwell's early career is important for two main reasons. First, many of the themes which he developed in his most important books such as Small Wars originally appeared in earlier work. In particular, his focus on the particular requirements of Britain and British strategy is apparent from the very start: he made his first forays into writing with three essays on the subject of Britain's small wars and the lessons to be learned from them. Second, a study of his early career offers an insight into the workings of the late Victorian army: in particular, the development of military intelligence. As we will see, Stray Recollections offers historians a valuable perspective on military education (especially the Staff College), regimental life and the role of the Intelligence Division (ID).
Early LifeCharles Edward Callwell was born on 2 April 1859, the only son of Henry Callwell and his wife, Maud. He was raised in Ireland and educated by 'a succession of governesses' from Germany, before leaving for Haileybury in 1871. He soon lost his Irish accent (apparently due to peer pressure), 1 but not his concern for the state of the country where he spent his childhood. Stray Recollections, written in the early 1920s at the height of unrest in Ireland, contains an angry reference to the failure of British politicians who, 'in the interests of faction', allowed Ireland to sink 'to a condition of anarchy such as would have disgraced the Middle Ages'. 2 His sister Josephine (1858-1935) also became a writer, penning children's books such as Timothy Tatters: A Story for the Young (1890) and a collection of stories entitled Old Irish Life (1912). The former work has been described as 'presenting the superiority of civilized English culture over that of the unruly Irish'. 3