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Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill Audiobook
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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.
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"This was a thought provoking and compelling read. I learned a lot not just about Churchill but also some history of South Africa. Well worth it. "
— mark (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Simon Vance’s full-throttle narration is one of the many delights in this rousing biography of Winston Churchill’s youthful escapades in the Boer War. Yes, the future statesman was a colossal egoist blessed with complete self-confidence, but, trust me, he was also funny, smart, talented, brave, goodhearted, and an all-together boon companion. He’s also lucky in Vance, who reads the future statesman’s boastful letters home with a straight face, which allows the audience to laugh, and with just the right hint of the Churchillian timbre. His interpretations of others, including Boer soldiers, Brits of all classes, and the odd American are equally well shaded. And when the adventure breaks out, as it often does, he breathlessly dodges bullets with the best of them. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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Chosen as a Washington Post and New York Times Book Review Notable Book of 2016
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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 -
“A slam-bang study of Churchill’s wit and wile as he navigates the Boer War like [a] proto-James Bond.”
— USA Today -
“A study in ambition, bravery, luck, recklessness, self-confidence, and swagger.”
— Barnes&Noble.com -
“Captures Churchill’s exploits as a prisoner of war, daring escapee, and heroic fighter in this stirring narrative.”
— BookPage
Awards
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An Amazon Editor’s Top Pick for September 2016
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A BookPage Top Pick for October 2016
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A Publishers Weekly Bestseller
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A New York Times Bestseller
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A New York Times Editor’s Choice
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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A Washington Post Notable Book of 2016 in Nonfiction
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About Candice Millard
Candice Millard is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The River of Doubt, Destiny of the Republic, and Hero of the Empire. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, Time, the Washington Post, and the New York Times Book Review.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.