A pretty good read with a lot of additional detail about Churchill's capture and subsequent escape from the Boers. There are some obvious bias against Colonialism (boo! bad) which tends to drag on a little - not that I am saying Colonialism was good but contemporary efforts, such as Iraq & Afghanistan, have proved to be more costly in lives and money to much less positive affect on the local population. This was my holiday read. I had a choice to read this or Churchill's own book about his early life - I now have to read Churchill's version as it will likely encompass more of his earlier life (home, family, school, military, North West Frontier...) which was lacking from this book.

Just as in River of Doubt, Millard breaths life into a little known event in the life of a well-known person. Churchill's Boer War adventures illuminate his drive, character and ambition, mostly, but not always, favorably. The adventure story is well told in nail-biting detail, without neglecting the surrounding background. Jennie Churchill, the family and social surroundings, the Boers, the ill-prepared British military are all painted in colorful detail. The result is both educational and entertaining.

There are no maps in the ebook version. Very disappointing.

An immensely immersive story of a young, desperate Winston Churchill that illuminates not only the details (English for “horrors") of a forgotten war but his needs, desires and compunctions of this man in the making.