The Rise of Winston Churchill: How He Became the Hero of the British Empire

Ken: Uncovers a rarely discussed period of Churchill’s life. Also gives a brief introduction to the 2nd Boer War

Canada on Nov 15, 2021

T. Graczewski: Nobody does it quite like Candice Millard. She finds relatively obscure historical events – the assassination of President Garfield, the Amazon adventure of former President Teddy Roosevelt, and here the young exploits of Winston Churchill in South Africa – and turns them into absolutely top-notch popular history. Her narratives are compulsively readable. My only complaint is that she hasn’t written more.

Young Winston Churchill was, to put it mildly, a man on the make. “There is no ambition I cherish so keenly,” he told his younger brother, Jack, “as to gain a reputation for personal courage.” He was as good as his word. Before he was 24-years-old he had experienced close order combat in Cuba as a journalist observer, seen comrades hacked to pieces by Pashtun warriors in Malakand on the Afghan border, and became separated from his regiment in the desert sands of Sudan in the war against the Mahdi.

But it wasn’t enough. “[Churchill] wanted not simply to fight,” writes Millard, “but to be noticed while fighting.” He was, in short, a “medal hunter.” And none of his previous adventures had resulted in the public acclaim that he so hungered...

United States on Mar 04, 2021

Kim MacNeil: I thought it might be a slog but i could hardly put it down. I learned a lot and enjoyed it.

Canada on Jan 19, 2020

Frances Harvey: What is not to love about this book. Any age can read it as it is a part of history not just Winston but England and South Africa and bravery. Here is a man that knew he would survive whatever he engaged in. A very very brave man and there is no one to follow in his footsteps. He love England to the very end.

United Kingdom on Apr 02, 2018

Kindle Customer: Following Manchester's classic Goodbye Darkness I tried to read The Last Lion. I failed but largely because I was too young. This book reads like a classic boys own adventure. This book was over too soon a few things occurred. First I got a way better understanding of the Boers particularly Both and their brilliance on the battlefield. Second it made me want to pick up the Last Lion 30 years later. This was an excellent book

Canada on Jan 23, 2017

Don Graeter: Churchill's Boer War experiences have been the subject of multiple Churchill memoirs, a book, a feature length film & a PBS documentary. Many Churchill biographies devote lengthy sections to the topic, most recently Simon Read's 2015 Winston Churchill Reporting (96 pp.)

What does Candice Millard have to add to the oft told tale? Well, a little bit. A positive of this work is that it includes additional detail not usually found in the story, though strictly with regard to peripheral matters: Boer leaders, those who aided Churchill's escape, etc. The best addition is an explanation of the mental state of prisoners of war.

Millard also shows an excellent narrative writing capability. She tells the story of the armored train incident and Churchill's capture and escape very well.

Despite these positives, the book deserves only 2 stars (at best). Its inaccuracies and contradictions are numerous, central to the "Hero" (Churchill) and undermine the primary tenets of the author's thesis.

Churchill was a complex man continually involved in complex affairs. He also operated within a complex political system which varied considerably from the American system....

United States on Jan 13, 2017

S Atkinson: Follows Churchill's character shaping Military career. Interesting, factual but certainly not boring. Well worth reading I think as Candice Millard's style of writing is easy to follow, engaging and insightful.

Canada on Nov 08, 2016