Charles Neville Buck was an American novelist, journalist, and illustrator whose work frequently captured the culture and traditions of the Kentucky mountain regions. Born in Woodford County, Kentucky, in 1879, Buck spent his formative years in his home state, save for a four-year period spent in South America where his father, Charles William Buck, served as a diplomat under President Grover Cleveland. After graduating from the University of Louisville in 1898, Buck began his professional career in journalism, working briefly as a cartoonist and then spending a decade as a reporter in Kentucky.\n\nBuck transitioned to fiction writing, finding significant success with stories that were serialized in popular periodicals of the era, such as Munsey's Magazine. His narratives often focused on the Cumberland Mountains of Kentucky, depicting the lives, feuds, and traditions of the local mountain men. His literary success allowed him to relocate to New York City and acquire a summer home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.\n\nThroughout the silent film era, Buck's novels enjoyed widespread popularity, with several adapted into theatrical productions and motion pictures. Among his notable serialized works was Battle Cry, which exemplified his regional focus. In addition to publishing under his own name, Buck also wrote under the pseudonym Hugh Lundsford. He died in 1957, leaving behind a body of work that documented the regional folklore of early twentieth-century Kentucky.
