Charles George Gordon (also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha and Gordon of Khartoum) was a hero prised from the true Victorian heroic mould. In this talk, Max Keen examines the life of this British Army officer and administrator who rose to prominence due to his military exploits. But why was it that a crude, insubordinate and untrustworthy junior general became a national hero who brought down a government? Max seeks to uncover the truth about Gordon of Khartoum and what lay behind his appeal to both the British people and Queen Victoria.

Photo: General Charles George Gordon in uniform and cape on a rooftop in Khartoum. Source: Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection