Hero of the Empire by; Candice Millard

This is the third book written by this author. The others are; Destiny of the Republic and River of Doubt. Now I have read them all. She is an excellent writer using great research to provide interesting facts and intimate details that add to the authenticity. Rather than attempt to write my own review I will only write the following found on the jacket. “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 that goal he must do something spectacular on the battlefield. Despite putting himself in extreme danger as a British officer in the colonial wars in India and Sudan, and as a young 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.” For those of you interested in history as I am I strongly recommend this book to you. Mine is available on loan. Jack B. Walters April 5, 2017