(born Oct. 31, 1895, Paris, France—died Jan. 29, 1970, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Eng.) British military historian and strategist. He left Cambridge University to join the British army at the outbreak of World War I and retired as a captain in 1927. He was an early advocate of air power and mechanized tank warfare. He wrote for London newspapers from 1925 to 1945. His writings on strategy, which emphasized the elements of mobility and surprise, were more influential in Germany than in France or England; his “expanding torrent” theory of attack became the basis for German blitzkrieg warfare in 1939–41. The author of more than 30 books, he was knighted in 1966.

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Henry George Liddell (February 6, 1811 – January 18, 1898) was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, Dean (1855-91) of Christ Church, Oxford, headmaster (1846–55) of Westminster School, author of A History of Rome (1857), and co-author (with Robert Scott) of the monumental work A Greek-English Lexicon, which is still used by students of Greek. His daughter Alice Liddell was the Alice for whom Lewis Carroll wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Education

Liddell received his education at Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford. He gained a double first degree in 1833, then became a college tutor, and was ordained in 1838.

While he was Dean of Christ Church, he arranged for the building of a new choir school and classrooms for the staff and pupils of Christ Church Cathedral School on its present site. Before then the school was housed within Christ Church College itself.

Parents and grandparents

His father was Henry Liddell, Rector of Easington (1787 - 1872), the younger son of Sir Henry Liddell, 5th Baronet (1749–1791) and the former Elizabeth Steele. His father's elder brother, Sir Thomas Liddell, 6th Baronet (1775–1855), was raised to the Peerage as Baron Ravensworth in 1821.

His mother was the former Charlotte Lyon (1785 - 1871), a daughter of Thomas Lyon (1741 - 1796) (who was the youngest son of the 8th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne) and the former Mary Wren (died 1811).

Marriage and children

On July 2, 1846, Henry married Lorina Reeve (March 3, 1826-June 25, 1910). They were parents of ten children:

• Edward Henry Liddell (6 September 1847 – June 14, 1911).
• Lorina Charlotte Liddell (11 May 1849 – October 29, 1930).
• James Arthur Charles Liddell (28 December 1850 – 27 November 1853).
• Alice Pleasance Liddell (May 4, 1852 – November 16, 1934), for whom the children's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was originally told.
• Edith Mary Liddell (Spring, 1854 – June 26,1876).
• Rhoda Caroline Anne Liddell (1859 – May 19, 1949).
• Albert Edward Arthur Liddell (1863 – 28 May 1863).
• Violet Constance Liddell (10 March 1864 – December 9, 1927).
• Sir Frederick Francis Liddell (June 7, 1865 – March 19, 1950).
• Lionel Charles Liddell (May 22, 1868 – March 21, 1942).

See also

• Alice Liddell
• Lewis Carroll

External links

• A genealogical profile of him
• Two portraits of him

Notes