Synopses & Reviews
Long before his finest hour as Britain's wartime leader, Winston Churchill emerged on the world stage as a brazen foreign correspondent, covering wars of empire in Cuba, India's Northwest Frontier, the Sudan, and South Africa. Just as likely to take part in active combat as he was to report on it, Churchill thought little of his own personal safety when he joined the fray. Reportingand#151;and fightingand#151;between 1895 and 1900, Churchill mastered his command of language, forged his character, and established his reputation for courage and tenacity under fire.
Based on his private letters and war reportage, Winston Churchill Reporting details young Winston's daringand#151;and often horrificand#151;exploits in combat, his rise as a major literary talent, and his destiny to become a world leader shaped by these experiences.
Review
Kirkus Reviews, 7/15/15
and#147;Read draws on Churchill's newspaper pieces, books, and letters for this fast-paced biographical and historical narrativeand#133;A richly detailed look at Churchill's early ambitions and triumphs.and#8221;
Review
"Simon Read has captured the indomitable spirit of young Winston Churchill, his breathtaking courage in combat, his raw political ambition, and the power of his writing as a war correspondent on three continents. All before the age of twenty-seven. Winston Churchill Reporting takes its rightful place on my shelves next to Churchill's own account of his youth, My Early Life."and#8212Paul Reid, national bestselling coauthor of
The Last Lion"With pen, rifle, and polo mallet, the youthful and headstrong Winston Churchill takes no prisoners as an army officer and war correspondent, racing fearlessly to the front lines of war zones in Cuba, Asia, and Africa, not to mention London, where he steeps himself in the arts of war, wit, and politics. Simon Read's thrilling Winston Churchill Reporting charges ahead at breakneck speed with the indomitable young Churchill, capturing the making of this great and eloquent leader in vivid prose and hair-raising scenes. You won't put it down until Churchill is safe at home once again."and#8212Dean King, national bestselling author of Skeletons on the Zahara
"In 1965 a nine-year-old girl in Colombia posted a birthday card addressed simply to 'the greatest man in the world.' Without a stamp it arrived in London at the home of Winston Churchill on the eve of his ninetieth birthday. He was indeed the greatest man of our era, the savior of civilization. Any book on Churchill is a joy, but this one is especially moving for it reveals the great man as a youth, eyes full of wonder, soul already certain of a great destiny, ambition glaring in all directions just ready to pounce."and#8212Wade Davis, national bestselling author of The Serpent and the Rainbow
"Highly researched and fast-paced, Read does a marvelous job of bringing young Churchill to life."and#8212Martin Dugard, national bestselling author of Into Africa, and coauthor of the Killing series with Bill Oand#8217;Reilly
Kirkus Reviews, 7/15/15
and#147;Read draws on Churchill's newspaper pieces, books, and letters for this fast-paced biographical and historical narrativeand#133;A richly detailed look at Churchill's early ambitions and triumphs.and#8221;
Synopsis
Long before his finest hour as Britain's wartime leader, Winston Churchill emerged on the world stage as a brazen foreign correspondent, covering wars of empire in Cuba, India, the Sudan, and South Africa.
In those far-flung corners of the world, reporting from the front lines between 1895 and 1900, Churchill mastered his celebrated command of language and formed strong opinions about war. He thought little of his own personal safety, so convinced was he of his destiny, jumping at any chance to be where bullets flew and canons roared. "I have faith in my star that I am intended to do something in the world," he wrote to his mother at the age of twenty-three before heading into battle.
Based on his private letters and war reportage, Winston Churchill Reporting intertwines young Winston's daring exploits in combat, adventures in distant corners of the globe, and rise as a major literary talent experiences that shaped the world leader he was to become.
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Synopsis
Combat, cigars, and whiskeyand#151;from the jungles of Cuba and the mountains of the Northwest Frontier, to the banks of the Nile and the plains of South Africa, comes this action-packed tale of Winston Churchilland#8217;s adventures as a war correspondent in the Age of Empire.
About the Author
Simon Read is a former award-winning newspaper reporter and the author of eight previous works of narrative non-fiction published in the UK, including On the House, The Killing Skies, and The Case That Foiled Fabian. His U.S. books include the WWII thriller Human Game. Read has written articles for the San Francisco Chronicle Review of Books and Publishers Weekly and has been featured on Court TVand#8217;s The Investigators. He lives in Northern California.