Hero of the Empire, Candice Millard
Hero of the Empire, Candice Millard
35 Rating(s)
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Hero of the Empire
The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill

Bestseller

Author: Candice Millard

Narrator: Simon Vance

Unabridged: 10 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/20/2016


Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author of Destiny of the Republic and The River of Doubt, a thrilling narrative of Winston Churchill's extraordinary and little-known exploits during the Boer War
 
At age twenty-four, Winston Churchill was utterly convinced it was his destiny to become prime minister of England one day, despite the fact he had just lost his first election campaign for Parliament.  He believed that to achieve his goal he must do something spectacular on the battlefield.  Despite deliberately putting himself in extreme danger as a British Army officer in colonial wars in India and Sudan, and as a journalist covering a Cuban uprising against the Spanish, glory and fame had eluded him.
 
Churchill arrived in South Africa in 1899, valet and crates of vintage wine in tow, there to cover the brutal colonial war the British were fighting with Boer rebels. But just two weeks after his arrival, the soldiers he was accompanying on an armored train were ambushed, and Churchill was taken prisoner.  Remarkably, he pulled off a daring escape--but then had to traverse 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.
           
The story of his escape is incredible enough, but then Churchill enlisted, returned to South Africa, fought in several battles, and ultimately liberated the men with whom he had been imprisoned.
           
Churchill would later remark that this period, "could I have seen my future, was to lay the foundations of my later life." 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 he would later share the world stage. But Hero of the Empire is more than an adventure story, for the lessons Churchill took from the Boer War would profoundly affect 20th century history.

About The Author

CANDICE MILLARD is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The River of Doubt and Destiny of the Republic. She lives in Kansas City with her husband and three children.   


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jay on November 30, 2022

At first glance at this book's cover, I saw that it was about one of the notable figures of the 20th century, Winston S. Churchill. At second glance that it was written by a favorite historical author of mine, Candice Millard. So, I was destined to purchase and read this book. We know of Churchill mo......more

Goodreads review by Jean on October 12, 2016

I am turning into a big fan of Candice Millard. For me, she brings history alive. I thoroughly enjoyed Millard’s other two books: “The River of Doubt” about Theodore Roosevelt’s Amazon trip in 1912 and “Destiny of the Republic” about the assassination of James A. Garfield. I read everything I can ge......more


Quotes

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Chosen as a Washington Post and New York Times Book Review Notable Book of 2016

"A thrilling account...This book is an awesome nail-biter and top-notch character study rolled into one...Could someone be persuaded to make a movie about this episode of his life? I’d watch."
New York Times Critic Jennifer Senior's Top Ten Books of 2016

“Gripping…tremendously readable and enjoyable…”
Alex von Tunzelmann, The New York Times Book Review

"[A] truly fascinating book."
Financial Times

"A gripping story...It's a thrilling journey and Millard tells it with gusto."
The Guardian

“Millard’s tome is a slam-bang study of Churchill’s wit and wile as he navigates the Boer War like [a] proto-James Bond.” 
USA Today