What do you think?
Rate this book
The Boy-Man: The Life of Lord Baden-Powell
Revealing the true Lord Baden-Powell--hero of the Boer War and founder of the Boy Scouts--Jeal chronicles the life of an Edwardian eccentric who walked a tightrope between his macho upbringing and aspirations of eternal boyhood
- GenresBiography
670 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1990
1 person is currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Tim Jeal
20 books20 followersTim Jeal is the author of acclaimed biographies of Livingstone and Baden-Powell. His memoir, Swimming with My Father, was published by Faber in 2004 and was shortlisted for the PEN Ackerley Prize for Autobiography. He is also a novelist and a former winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 28, 2019
A very well researched, thorough analysis of the life of Baden-Powell. His approach is balanced: he defends Baden-Powell against earlier charges of racism and military incompetence, while pulling no punches in describing his social climbing, his insecurities, and his in competence as an administrator of the Boy Scouts he founded. (Indeed, after reading this book I am amazed that Scouting survived his early ineptitude in creating the governing structure for the organization.)
Tim Jeal is no apologist and this is no hagiography. The man that emerges is complex and fascinating. The Boy Scouts don't make their appearance until 2/3 of the way through the book. My only complaint with the book is that the chapter in which he argues that Baden-Powell was probably a repressed homosexual (eg. not practicing, let alone admitting to himself) appears so early in the book that much of his evidence muddles the chronology of this otherwise very readable biography.
One of the few books I can remember being sorry to finish.
Tim Jeal is no apologist and this is no hagiography. The man that emerges is complex and fascinating. The Boy Scouts don't make their appearance until 2/3 of the way through the book. My only complaint with the book is that the chapter in which he argues that Baden-Powell was probably a repressed homosexual (eg. not practicing, let alone admitting to himself) appears so early in the book that much of his evidence muddles the chronology of this otherwise very readable biography.
One of the few books I can remember being sorry to finish.
December 6, 2011
Over 700 pages, it is a very slow read. While the detail and research that the author has put into this work is commendable, it was difficult to read. Still, I was fascinated by Powell's family history, how his mother came to change their family name, his military history in Africa, his comedic antics in school, the founding of the Boy Scouting, and his relationship with his children. Sometimes you learn more about your heroes than you want to. The author does a good job of examining all aspects of Powell's life objectively, even with some of the sensitive topics. It is a thorough biography, but it was not an easy read. The only reason I completed it was because of a scouting goal I had committed to. Recommended to only purist biography buffs, not for casual reading.
April 21, 2015
More detailed research tan any of the other books I have read on Baden-Powell. And this author does not just take a snippet form a sentence to try to prove an agenda as Rosenthal's book did. Well worth the read for anyone serious about Boy Scouting.
November 17, 2016
You would think that the decades passing since B-P died would preclude the production of a better biography of Scouting's founder, but in fact it seems the opposite is true. First off, the cult of personality surrounding B-P, and the degree to which this was maintained by his widow and others, kept many topics from being critically examined, and others from even being mentioned.
With this in mind, Tim Jeal's book is quite valuable. The passing of so many who knew and had dealings with B-P means that many collections of letters and journals can now be examined which were not available or forthcoming in previous times.
Robert Baden-Powell, founder of what i am told is the largest movement in human history outside of religion, is clearly worthy of a comprehensive biography. Some things I really enjoyed:
1. Learning how the Baden-Powell family dynamic set the stage for so much that happened in B-Ps life/career, and the prominent role his mother played.
2. Understanding how B-P got into the practice of embellishing stories for effect, and realizing that some of the ones most famous in scouting lore, have very different origins.
3. Taking at unflinching look at the ways in which B-P did not live up to his own scout law in everything from personal relations to perjury.
4. The arc of B-P from a pretty unabashed English nationalist to a champion for international cooperation and peace is compelling
5. I also think Tim did a very good job of remaining grounded in the context of the time in which B-P lived, and not losing sight of the peculiar genius that cannot be denied a man responsible for so much that is arguably still good and valuable.
As someone who is committed to preserving and promoting traditional scouting, I left this book with lucidity: I still have great respect for the man, but he does not live on a pedestal in my mind nor my conversations with fellow scouters. As I grapple with my very small versions of things he confronted, I find myself thinking back to how he handled things. Sometimes that is something I want to emulate, sometimes not.
With this in mind, Tim Jeal's book is quite valuable. The passing of so many who knew and had dealings with B-P means that many collections of letters and journals can now be examined which were not available or forthcoming in previous times.
Robert Baden-Powell, founder of what i am told is the largest movement in human history outside of religion, is clearly worthy of a comprehensive biography. Some things I really enjoyed:
1. Learning how the Baden-Powell family dynamic set the stage for so much that happened in B-Ps life/career, and the prominent role his mother played.
2. Understanding how B-P got into the practice of embellishing stories for effect, and realizing that some of the ones most famous in scouting lore, have very different origins.
3. Taking at unflinching look at the ways in which B-P did not live up to his own scout law in everything from personal relations to perjury.
4. The arc of B-P from a pretty unabashed English nationalist to a champion for international cooperation and peace is compelling
5. I also think Tim did a very good job of remaining grounded in the context of the time in which B-P lived, and not losing sight of the peculiar genius that cannot be denied a man responsible for so much that is arguably still good and valuable.
As someone who is committed to preserving and promoting traditional scouting, I left this book with lucidity: I still have great respect for the man, but he does not live on a pedestal in my mind nor my conversations with fellow scouters. As I grapple with my very small versions of things he confronted, I find myself thinking back to how he handled things. Sometimes that is something I want to emulate, sometimes not.
September 3, 2014
Not many people can boast such an adventurous life as R.S.S. Baden-Powell. Tim Jeal’s The Boy-Man chronicles the life of the founder of Scouting, as well his impact on the world. Through accurate and precise details, Jeal brings Baden-Powell ‘back to life’ for readers.
Robert Stephenson Smyth Powell was born on February 22, 1857 (it was not until 1869 that his mother gave him his iconic, double surname). In 1876, upon graduating from school, Baden-Powell joined the British Army. In 1899, Colonel Baden-Powell led in the defense of the town of Mafeking, during the Second Boer War. The siege lasted seven months, and upon returning to England, B-P was a national hero. Shortly after his retirement from the Army in 1910, B-P founded the Boy Scouts, which has spread worldwide. He also founded the Girl Guides, also known as Girl Scouts, which was led by his wife, Olave Baden-Powell, for forty years. In 1939, B-P and Olave moved to Nyeri, Kenya. Less than two years later, on January 8, 1941, B-P died and was buried in Nyeri.
In order to ‘bring back to life’ B-P, Jeal described not only what was happening, but also what B-P was thinking. He did this by quoting B-P from letters and his diary. Such as this quote here: “‘I try not only to win the game,’ Stephe told his mother, ‘but every trick.’“ That passage is B-P, referred to as Stephe, writing his mother during the Siege of Mafeking. Jeal also included smaller details, such as describing the games played during the first Scout Camp on Brownsea Island. Those two aspects of Jeal’s writing, cause the reader to feel as if they are really part of the story.
Tim Jeal’s resourcefulness and detail, combined with Baden-Powell’s already interesting life, form a magnificent work of biography. A Boy-Man stands as the most complete and accurate biography of Baden-Powell to date, and will continue to entice readers for years to come.
Robert Stephenson Smyth Powell was born on February 22, 1857 (it was not until 1869 that his mother gave him his iconic, double surname). In 1876, upon graduating from school, Baden-Powell joined the British Army. In 1899, Colonel Baden-Powell led in the defense of the town of Mafeking, during the Second Boer War. The siege lasted seven months, and upon returning to England, B-P was a national hero. Shortly after his retirement from the Army in 1910, B-P founded the Boy Scouts, which has spread worldwide. He also founded the Girl Guides, also known as Girl Scouts, which was led by his wife, Olave Baden-Powell, for forty years. In 1939, B-P and Olave moved to Nyeri, Kenya. Less than two years later, on January 8, 1941, B-P died and was buried in Nyeri.
In order to ‘bring back to life’ B-P, Jeal described not only what was happening, but also what B-P was thinking. He did this by quoting B-P from letters and his diary. Such as this quote here: “‘I try not only to win the game,’ Stephe told his mother, ‘but every trick.’“ That passage is B-P, referred to as Stephe, writing his mother during the Siege of Mafeking. Jeal also included smaller details, such as describing the games played during the first Scout Camp on Brownsea Island. Those two aspects of Jeal’s writing, cause the reader to feel as if they are really part of the story.
Tim Jeal’s resourcefulness and detail, combined with Baden-Powell’s already interesting life, form a magnificent work of biography. A Boy-Man stands as the most complete and accurate biography of Baden-Powell to date, and will continue to entice readers for years to come.
Read
August 13, 2007Biografi Bapak Pandu sedunia, Lord Baden Powell.
December 18, 2007
Biografi Lord Baden Powell, Bapak pandu sedunia.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews