Charles George Gordon was a first cousin of Hake's father, his paternal grandmother Augusta Maria Hake (née Gordon) being Gordon's aunt. In 1884 Hake published "The Story of Chinese Gordon". It concentrated on Gordon's role opposing the Taiping Rebellion. It became topical with the Siege of Khartoum launched that year by Mahdist forces. A companion volume "Gordon in China and Soudan" was published in 1885, and sold well.