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duparker's review against another edition
4.0
Millard writes smart, clear and incredibly researched historical reviews. This book is on par with her take downs of Teddy Roosevelt. Churchill is a character with myths and stories. His impact on his country was driven by his desire to demonstrate his proper place in society. His intelligence and ability to learn from others was developed early in his career. The caper of the book, though, is his resiliency.
apochemu's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I knew nothing of Winston Churchill's early life and very little of England's history at that time so I just have to take the author's word for it on accuracy. It was an interesting story and easily held my attention. I've always really liked biographies and true tales though so it was def my jam.
marysasala's review against another edition
5.0
This is a 300 easy to read specialized biography on Winston Churchill in the Boer Wars. It is amazing. So readable, reads like a fiction action story.
stevenyenzer's review against another edition
3.0
Fun, light history from Candice Millard, whose account of the assassination of James A. Garfield I liked a bit better. Hero of the Republic is nonetheless a well-told, exciting story with lots of nice historical candy tossed in. I wish it had been a bit longer and deeper.
kelseyfactorial's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation and War
Minor: Racism
hank's review against another edition
4.0
Millard truly is brilliant in making history entertaining. I knew nothing about the Boer war before this book and now I know a bit more. Was I interested in learning about Winston Churchill? Not really but this part of his life was fascinating (due to Millard). He was a completely British, pompous ass, born into a life of privilege and with a sense of importance only found from that privilege. His claim to fame was escaping a fairly lax prison camp during a time the British were getting their asses kicked which made his escape some of the only good news going, completely inflating its importance.
Possibly Churchill would have ended up right where he did end up without this miraculous coincidence, because of his inability to imagine himself as anything but great, but maybe not. Fortune and being in the right place at the right time have much more to do with success than I am usually willing to admit.
The war and the Boers were more interesting to me as the book got going, than Churchill, but both were good. A fairly easy, quick read. 3 books by Millard, three great stories. Like a few other authors, I will read just about anything she writes at this point.
Possibly Churchill would have ended up right where he did end up without this miraculous coincidence, because of his inability to imagine himself as anything but great, but maybe not. Fortune and being in the right place at the right time have much more to do with success than I am usually willing to admit.
The war and the Boers were more interesting to me as the book got going, than Churchill, but both were good. A fairly easy, quick read. 3 books by Millard, three great stories. Like a few other authors, I will read just about anything she writes at this point.
stratfam's review against another edition
5.0
It was so interesting. I learned a lot about the personality of young Winston Churchill.
hopecaldwell's review against another edition
3.0
This book starts really slow, and I felt like I really had to push very hard to get through the first half. But the middle and end redeem it with the story of Churchill's daring escape from being held prisoner in the Boer war, prior to WWI. Fascinating insight into an intriguing character.
This best selling author is a meticulous researcher, but I found her writing to be almost too full of detail, which made it hard to get through sometimes.
This best selling author is a meticulous researcher, but I found her writing to be almost too full of detail, which made it hard to get through sometimes.