audreylee's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
logantea's review against another edition
5.0
A spectacular work of non-fiction. It ostensibly tells the story of Winston Churchill during the Boer War, but it goes into rich depth about the surrounding history and personalities. Yet, despite these constant tangents into related history it manages to never derail the main narrative or feel cluttered. Every one of these related details adds depth and interest to the main story and give you respect for all the human beings in the many factions in the region's history. The structure also splits the story into bite sized chapters, which are great for when you don't have time for a marathon reading session.
internationalkris's review against another edition
4.0
Over the weekend I finished listening to the audio version of Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill. It was fascinating. I have been a fan of Candice Millard since reading her account of Theodore Roosevelt's expedition in South America, River of Doubt. This book about Churchill is equally detailed and also examines a giant of history from a lesser known chapter of his life. What struck me most was Churchill's abiding belief that he would have a prominent place in history. Also of great interest to me was Millard's in-depth look at his family and both the challenges and strengths that they brought to their son's future. The reader's heavy accent sometimes distracted me but when he quoted Churchill and adopted Sir Winston's style of speech that was a bonus.
kellyroberson's review against another edition
4.0
Tightly focused and quickly paced. I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to a formative time in this famous man's life.
danchrist's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic telling of how Winston Churchill cemented the celebrity that he’d ride into a career in politics. The backstory here is rich and resonant, and the writer does well to take side trips into explaining the African people, the Boers, and much else that plays a role in the story. Much more than a run of the mill adventure yarn, it sets the stage for Churchill’s rise to Prime Minister at the beginning of World War II, for South Africa’s eventual transformation from a segregated country, and for Gandhi’s rise to prominence in India; a rich tapestry indeed.
mjsteimle's review against another edition
3.0
Winston Churchill was born with a sense of destiny. As a young man he sought out war - India, Cuba, Sudan, and finally South Africa - looking for an opportunity to become recognized for valor. With that goal he found a position as a war correspondent in South Africa during the Boer War. While there he was captured and taken to a POW camp (although it sounds like a relatively cushy one), but Winston couldn't stand to be out of the action so he made a risky escape. If he weren't so interesting Churchill would be insufferable (maybe he was both!)
eldiente's review against another edition
5.0
Winston Churchill, Paul Kruger, Mahatma Ghandi..... all were introduced in this excellent telling of the experiences of Winston Churchill serving as a war correspondent and some-time soldier during the Boer War at the turn of the 20th century. I knew very little about the history of the nation of South Africa and felt the author did a splendid job of incorporating the history of one individual (Churchill) into a broader international context. Narration with Simon Vance was fantastic! Highy recommended.
mamaorgana80's review against another edition
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.75
I knew nothing about this part of Churchill’s life. I appreciated how it fit into a larger historical context.