Real Soldiers of Fortune

Real Soldiers of Fortune is a diverse collection of stories of real-life mercenaries who participated in various combats (the Spanish-American War, the First World War, and the Second Boer War) worldwide. The book was written by Richard Harding Davis, an American journalist and a writer of fiction and drama.

The book spells out profiles of men such as; Fredrick Burnham, an American who battled in the Second Boer War in South Africa and then became a British army scout; Fredrick Russel Burnham, an American who battled in the Apache Wars in the United States and then joined Soldiers of Fortune in Africa and William Walker, an American who, without success, tried to conquer Nicaragua in the 19th century.

Davis incorporates his journalism and writing skills to depict vivid accounts of the lives of these mercenaries' adventures together with their backgrounds, experiences, and motivations. All through this book, Davies delves into the complex motivations that drove these soldiers to put their lives on the line in pursuing wealth, power, and adventure.

Real Soldiers of Fortune is an essential book for teachers, mythology students, and war history enthusiasts. Besides, through this writing, Davis played an enormous role in the political career of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States.