4.0
Hero of the Empire
ByPublisher Description
From the bestselling author of Destiny of the Republic, this thrilling biographical account of the life and legacy of Wintson Churchill is a "nail-biter and top-notch character study rolled into one" (The New York Times).
At the age of twenty-four, Winston Churchill was utterly convinced it was his destiny to become prime minister of England. He arrived in South Africa in 1899, valet and crates of vintage wine in tow, to cover the brutal colonial war the British were fighting with Boer rebels and jumpstart his political career. But just two weeks later, Churchill was taken prisoner. Remarkably, he pulled off a daring escape—traversing hundreds of miles of enemy territory, alone, with nothing but a crumpled wad of cash, four slabs of chocolate, and his wits to guide him.
Bestselling author Candice Millard spins an epic story of bravery, savagery, and chance encounters with a cast of historical characters—including Rudyard Kipling, Lord Kitchener, and Mohandas Gandhi—with whom Churchill would later share the world stage. But Hero of the Empire is more than an extraordinary adventure story, for the lessons Churchill took from the Boer War would profoundly affect twentieth century history.
Look for Candice Millard’s latest book, River of the Gods.
At the age of twenty-four, Winston Churchill was utterly convinced it was his destiny to become prime minister of England. He arrived in South Africa in 1899, valet and crates of vintage wine in tow, to cover the brutal colonial war the British were fighting with Boer rebels and jumpstart his political career. But just two weeks later, Churchill was taken prisoner. Remarkably, he pulled off a daring escape—traversing hundreds of miles of enemy territory, alone, with nothing but a crumpled wad of cash, four slabs of chocolate, and his wits to guide him.
Bestselling author Candice Millard spins an epic story of bravery, savagery, and chance encounters with a cast of historical characters—including Rudyard Kipling, Lord Kitchener, and Mohandas Gandhi—with whom Churchill would later share the world stage. But Hero of the Empire is more than an extraordinary adventure story, for the lessons Churchill took from the Boer War would profoundly affect twentieth century history.
Look for Candice Millard’s latest book, River of the Gods.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesHero of the Empire Reviews
4.0
““The first time you meet Winston you see all his faults and the rest of your life you spend discovering his virtues.” -Pamela plowden
Unfortunately, I can’t agree with Pamela. all I saw were faults with Winston Churchill. He’s an aristocratic self centered ass and I’ll need much more information to convince me otherwise.
Not surprisingly, Millard did a wonderful job with this book. It is well paced, well researched and I found the history of the Boer war and South Africa to be interesting (although wars I must admit aren’t a favorite part of history for me). HOWEVER, Winston Churchill being the focus of this book really brings it down a whole star and a half.”
“An early history of young Winston Churchill and his escapades in South Africa in the late 1890s as a journalist following the British Army during the Boer War. Candice Millard is an excellent writer and makes non-fiction very readable and approachable. While this book wasn't my favorite of hers, it was entertaining and I definitely learned a lot about an area of history I don't have a ton of knowledge on. The ordeal that Churchill went through - from being captured in a wild train shootout to his long walk to a prison, a season of depression, and his escape and eventual return to England - is pretty incredible. That he would go on to lead Great Britain through World War Two as their Prime Minister is even more incredible. Though it did drag a bit at times, it's a solid nonfiction pick.”
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