Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Hero of the Empire:
He always had to be the center of attention somehow.
Quick synopsis:
The story of Winston Churchill’s escape from being a prisoner of war during the Second Boer War.
Fact for Non-History People:
Yes, there were two Boer Wars.
Fact for History Nerds:
Churchill was acting as a journalist when he was captured.
My Take on Hero of the Empire:
I had to revisit this review because I wrote it so long ago. This is one of the first books I read when I started to really get back into reading again. Initially, I was hesitant. It seemed to me that Winston Churchill was a favorite for history writers who didn’t feel like doing something new. Lo and behold, Candice Millard comes along with this. A story I had no idea about with Churchill at the center.
A lot of people gushed about it. “Candice is amazing,” they said. “You’ll love this,” they said. They were right, and they still are. Millard is one of the few writers who I don’t even care what the subject is. If she is writing it, I am reading it. The narrative flows, never gets bogged down, but you get all the detail you need. She is the consummate storyteller, and this book is fantastic even for non-history nerds. Just trust me, go read it.
Verdict:
One of the best, period. Buy it here!
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