Lew Wallace the author of Ben Hur.

On this Easter Sunday one thinks(which usually leads to headaches)of great books written since time in-memorial about Christianities beginnings and that time of Christ crucifixion and his resurrection and how spurred from old religion of Judaism to new faith of Christianity and how the world would never be the same forevermore.
Of course,one these great books was Ben Hur written by Lew Wallace.And of course,two great movie were made from book one starting Charlton Heston.In a way,Wallace was man for all season:Soldier,Politician and diplomatic.Strangely Wallace got idea for Ben Hur from the great Agnostic of that time Robert Green Ingersoll.He was like Christopher Hitchens of our times,but maybe more dynamic certainly he had more political punch,for Ingersoll was power in Republican Party and give one most famous nominating speech for James Blame called "plumed knight."But like Hitchens Ingersoll was full charm,eloquence and irreverent wit and people including many Christians love him for draw large audience,although it must be said,he never ran for office because of his region(or lack of) beliefs.Henry Ward Beecher said of Ingersoll he is  the most brilliant speaker of English tongue of all the men on the globe.
So you to man like Wallace Ingersoll would guilty of high treason of sorts,but they both Republicans and served in the Union Army.One day Wallace was sitting next to Ingersoll on a train and Ingersoll started challenging Wallace Christian beliefs and Wallace realize how little he knew about Christianity,hence,it inspired him to do research and spurred the idea of writing Ben Hur.
Wallace was very much of America stock,his grandfather was frontiers man from Western Pennsylvania,a tavern owner of Scots-Irish decent.Wallace father moved to Indiana were he become ally of William Henry Harrison,who become President of U.S Wallace's father himself would become Governor of Indiana.Wallace would a general in Union Army during the Civil War.He would be involve in controversial in battle of Shiloh.Later he would become Territory Governor of New Mexico during the period of Lincoln County Wars.Were much Western lore comes from Billy the Kid and all of that much legend and in a way the making of America West.Latter he severed as our minister to turkey,were his wife try improve the situation for woman.Also Wallace wrote many other books beside Ben Hur.