
Hero of the Empire
The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill
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Narrated by:
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Simon Vance
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By:
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Candice Millard
From New York Times best-selling 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 24 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 had to 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.
©2016 Candice Millard (P)2016 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















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Outstanding work
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historically amazing
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the Humbling that shaped a leader
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What made the experience of listening to Hero of the Empire the most enjoyable?
Great narrator, great story. How Winston became Winston.What did you like best about this story?
It was like reading an action novel, but it was realWhich scene was your favorite?
The armored train.Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
noAny additional comments?
All three of Millard's novels are must-read.Another great Candice Millard Book
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Gold was the driver of it all for the Europeans with the natives being spectators and victims.
What an adventure
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Candice Millard tells the story of Churchill in a style that could be fiction. It kept my interest throughout. I was also pleased to learn about the Boers, South Africa and the conflicts and courage of people on all sides.
Simon Vance is wonderful with his command of language(s) and pronunciations as well as his interpretation of the drama in the story itself.
The Drama of History
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It also merged Sir Churchill's accounting with another historical book that less expansive bias of his exploits.
I loved the story.
A great period education of Sir Winston Churchill
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Any additional comments?
I knew this snippet of Churchill's life, but I had no idea it was worthy of a movie. Millard is an excellent storyteller.Fascinating!
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Wonderful!
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Well done, and well enjoyed.
Great book. I highly recommend.
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