BRITISH HISTORY SELECTION: HERO OF THE EMPIRE - GLOSSARY THREAD - SPOILER THREAD

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Vickie- please refer to my post message 48 - but thank you for your recommendation and each member's opinion and rating are their own - also at a future time - that looks like a wonderful choice. Thank you for your recommendation - we appreciate all posts.

[Vincent]

So we are on vacation and I am not carrying the book but will finish it when I get home but It bought that I would chime in at this point. So I find the book interesting so far and an easy read - flows nicely for me and I get the impression that new research was done by the author or compiled - and for me the book is good.

[Jeffrey]

The book did tend strongly to deflate Churchill's reputation and gave good and sufficient reasons for criticism. I found it's main fault to be the exclusion of native people am presenting this period as a a war of empires being fought out on an imperialist chess board. That did make it an incomplete presentation, lacking in context which might leave the reader with a feeling of an old style, sterile text that hasn't been written for the ages. The style may have already exceeded it's shelf life.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Vincent - I am glad that you like it and it is never too late to post here.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

That could be Jeffrey - but we like to see what each book has to offer and this seemed like a balanced choice.

We like to hear from everyone and everybody's input is valuable and appreciated.

And you make some valid points. Of course, Churchill isn't around either to stand up for himself. I am sure that he would have had a lot to say too (smile).

[Vickie]

Bentley wrote: "Vickie- please refer to my post message 48 - but thank you for your recommendation and each member's opinion and rating are their own - also at a future time - that looks like a wonderful choice. T..."
I think it's a great idea to follow this discussion with Bonham Carter's book. It would afford a comparison with Millard's book on the topic of the Boer war, and then take us into the next phase of Churchill's life. I'm finding it a quick read, and it's only slightly longer in length.

[Vickie]

Jeffrey wrote: "The book did tend strongly to deflate Churchill's reputation and gave good and sufficient reasons for criticism. I found it's main fault to be the exclusion of native people am presenting this peri..."

I too was frustrated by the lack of explanation of the reasons that this war was fought. Did I blink and miss it? My take away was that diamonds and gold were discovered and now Britain wanted the country for itself. Again, nothing is that simplistic. I get that Britain was driven by imperialistic fervor, but the leaders spent some time thinking out and justifying their actions to undertake the war. We could have benefited from a little more explanation of that reasoning.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Vicki thank you for your input - we will proceed as we have been on this book.

I would prefer to just go along with the discussion on the other thread and I respect your viewpoints on the book but we are still in the process of reading the book itself.

No book is perfect and every book is a unique experience for each reader.

[Vincent]

Vickie wrote: "Jeffrey wrote: "The book did tend strongly to deflate Churchill's reputation and gave good and sufficient reasons for criticism. I found it's main fault to be the exclusion of native people am pres..."

Hi Vicki

So I am only 1/3 thru the book and on a vacation break from it but would note that the book is about Churchill not “why the war” so from what I think after my reading thus far is that the reason for the war is not a factor in this story

But I will get back to it - we have limited weight to carry on this trip so I choose to leave it behind

[Vincent]

So finally finished the books and here are some comments
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This was an interesting and good book about that period in Churchill's life, about how he got to win his first election to Parliament etc.
It is well written and holds interest. The research seems to be based to a large extent around I guess memoirs of his various colleagues or letters they may have written etc.
It gave enough of the background of the Boer War to permit understanding of the conflict and the motivations of many of the players. Churchill was it seems living a brave life. I would say that he seems to have been incredibly lucky that he escaped major injury or death and that he succeeded in his escape.
If one looks at how he got involved in the escape and how he succeeded one might see that he was really lucky and did not even plan the event himself.
A worthy read for those interested in Churchill and his early life.

[Jeffrey]

Thank you for you post Vincent.

I don't think the image of Churchill presented in the book was very laudatory. He was presented, as you correctly observe, as rash or lucky. Apparently his fellow prisoners didn't trust him, perhaps with good reason. It seems that word of the escape leaked to Churchill and he asked to be included. He was only reluctantly included, more to shut him up than anything else. It seemed that the small group of soldiers thought he was not a team player. In the end, it was only Churchill who made it out. Since he wasn't included in the planning all he had with him if I remember correctly was a chocolate bar and no map. After his escape, security of the prison was increased and privileges that were given to the officers were revoked. I think it was said that no one else broke out after Churchill escaped. But he did indeed live a charmed life. He survived his own rashness more often that a person could expect and during his escape he by chance alone stumbled upon a sympathetic person who enabled him to get out of Boer territory.

The book doesn't tell us much about South African history or it's colonial experience but should be read by anyone interested in Churchill himself. I agree it is readable and seems well researched.
It does look back ever so briefly upon Churchill's life before the war and tells us why he went.

[Andrea]

Since Churchill was born in 1874, I suspect he read several, if not numerous, of the juvenile adventure stories popular in late Victorian Britain, written by the likes of G. A. Henty , who published 122 of such works beginning in 1870, and H. Rider Haggard , whose immensely successful King Solomon’s Mines came out in 1885. Accustomed to such swashbuckling tales, Churchill was acting out his boyish fancies, and responding to the Zeitgeist, writing up his adventure in their own purple prose ...

[Lorna, Assisting Moderator (T) - SCOTUS - Civil Rights]

Andrea, you are doing great with your citations. However, just as a housekeeping item, we tend to put the citations at the end of our post. With author G.A. Henty where there is not a photo, it is our practice to do like so:

G. A. Henty (no photo)

Your other book would be cited as follows:

by H. Rider Haggard

And I must say that I find your take on the influence of such swashbuckling tales on Winston Churchill very interesting. Thank you for your comment.

Lorna, Assisting Moderator (T) - Civil Rights and Supreme Court

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Just a correction on the book noted: (book cover missing)

by H. Rider Haggard

Thank you Lorna, Vincent, Andrea and Jeffrey for all of your fine comments.

[Andrea]

Thank you, too, Bentley — you’re a wizard with details!
Regards,
Andrea

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

I do not know about that. I just notice a lot of the details to keep things going smoothly and to help newcomers along. You are most welcome.