The Boer War

By: Winston Churchill

Narrated by: Ric Jerrom

As a young, ambitious soldier, Winston Churchill managed to get himself posted to the 21st Lancers in 1899 as a war correspondent for the Morning Post - and joined them in fighting the rebel Boer settlers in South Africa.

In this conflict, rebel forces in the Transvaal and Orange Free State had proclaimed their own statehood, calling it the Boer Republic. Perhaps the most riveting personal account is found in London to Ladysmith via Pretoria, where Churchill is captured in Pretoria not long after he arrives to join the British forces - and is frustrated not by the conditions in the prison but by the fact that he was missing the action.

Churchill tells the story of how he escaped and made a daring overland crossing, travelling only at night to avoid detection.

Over a 64-year span, Churchill published over 40 books, many multivolume definitive accounts of historical events to which he was a witness and participant. All are beautifully written and as accessible and relevant today as when first published.

During his 50-year political career, Churchill served twice as Prime Minister in addition to other prominent positions - including President of the Board of Trade, First Lord of the Admiralty, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Home Secretary.

In the 1930s, Churchill was one of the first to recognise the danger of the rising Nazi power in Germany and to campaign for rearmament in Britain. His leadership and inspired broadcasts and speeches during World War II helped strengthen British resistance to Adolf Hitler - and played an important part in the Allies’ eventual triumph.

One of the most inspiring wartime leaders of modern history, Churchill was also an orator, a historian, a journalist, and an artist. All of these aspects of Churchill are fully represented in this collection of his works.

©2013 Winston Churchill (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

fascinating

I now know why Churchill was so persuasive as a world leader. He writes like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes famd.

Best taken in small doses

I love history, especially military history. The Boar War, Crimean, Indian sub-continent and African campaigns of the British Army are all fascinating. Churchill is a great writer, but this book is a collection of newspaper posts written for the selling of papers and the political buildup of the author. One has to dig out the history from the storytelling.

Interesting first person account even if biased

The British generals of the 2nd Anglo-Dutch Boer war were a particularly useless bunch first of which was Sir Redvers Buller. Churchill describes the events but presents minimal unbiased critique of the generals as doing so would have not done his young career any good. That is even assuming he could offer a professional critique as he was a total disaster as a military planner his whole life.He was no Marlborough. The reading is excellent.

BECAME BORING

One reviewer said best in small doses and I agree. This is not a Churchill book per se but his articles written as a journalist during the Boer War collected under one cover. As such the hyper-patriotic boys' own view of the conflict wears a bit thin after the seventh celebration of death by battle and the not so hidden agenda that self-sacrifice in the name of whatever misguided and mismanaged political expedient is in vogue is the highest form of personal integrity. However interesting to know that the saber-rattling hero of these essays became the defender of the realm against tyranny when his own country was attacked.

Lots of fun for war enthusiats.

Beautiful example of anecdotal correspondence. Churchill used his name and connections well, and gives us a cool perspective from inside the British camp. Considerate of Boer performance, personalities and perspectives, his writing gives a multi-faceted look at and feel of the conflict. Ric Jerrom may like to laugh more than Churchill intended, but this is a good stylistic difference. Free from romantic or sexual content and conspucuously exhibiting clean language, yet fully pithy and meaningful for adults; this work exemplifies pre-Progressive era literature, and is therefore a must for young readers to see how it is done.

A fun listen to learn about the Boer War

The performance of the reader was excellent, perhaps the best I have heard for an audiobook. The book comprises two different pieces by Churchill. The first one was definitely better, but the second part was good too especially when it converged with the story in the first part at points. Overall, I would recommend it to anyone interested in military history.