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Baden Powell: The Two Lives of a Hero
Book by William Hillcourt
Hardcover
First published December 1, 1964
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 29, 2017
Lewis Carroll and Baden Powell in the same room must have been quite,the adventure! "The main cause of the downfall of Rome was the decline of good citizenship among its subjects, due to want of energetic patriotism, to the growth of luxury and idleness, and to the exaggerated importance of local party politics, etc." Baden-Powell. So many lessons learned from this telling, I have to wonder if Baden Powell would be proud of the Boy Scouts of today and what changes he would want in the program.
October 23, 2021
Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts was an extraordinary man. His mother Henrietta Grace was 21 years old when she married Baden-Powell's father, an Oxford professor, age 49. When Robert (the subject of this book) was three his father died, leaving his mother, age 35, with seven of her ten children (three died) and two step children. His father had been married twice before with both of his wives having died. His mother, his older brothers, his school Charterhouse, all contributed to his accomplishments in later life. He loved sports, the outdoors, drawing, the theatre, singing, and sailing. However, these interests all contributed to his lack of good grades. He graduated from Charterhouse but did not score high enough on entrance exams for Oxford or Christ Church. In a family of scholars, this was deeply embarrassing. He decided to take exams for the military and was very successful. Out of 718 people he tested fifth in infantry and second in Calvary. Because of his high scores he and five others went directly into the British Army and didn't have to attend the mandatory two years college at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He received a Commission to the prestigious Cavalry and ordered to report to India, immediately. His regiment, the 13 Hussars, had performed well for the past 200 years in the wars of Europe. It fought against Napoleon, and as the 13th Hussars it fought in the unsuccessful Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava during the Crimean War. He settled well into military life, playing polo, making friends, drilling, sword exercises, inspections, and participating in theatre as a means to deal with the boredom that was also prevalent in military life as an officer in India. He served in Afghanistan and in Africa, fighting the Boers and Zulu warriors.
Baden-Powell became the hero of the Siege of Mafeking when after 217 days of being under fire of the Boers, the town was relieved by the British. In danger of running out of food, with morale running low, and being outgunned by the enemy, B-P bluffed, making the enemy believe the town had more supplies and military support than was true. He had staff organize the town's boys to do tasks such as delivering mail, take turns at look-out, carry military messages, and other jobs to free up the adults for the firing line. B-P encouraged and planned social activities, games, and sports in order to keeping people from giving up. As he knew it would be a long siege, he took over management of the hospitals, police, water supplies and food, and other needs of a town its size. When the world heard that Mafeking was relieved, B-P was proclaimed a hero. He became an Inspector-General for the Cavalry and then retired after 30 years in the Army.
The next stage of his life was to begin. There existed a boys only organization of young men, the Boy's Brigade, started by William Alexander Smith in 1883. The idea was to turn boys, many who had problems, into youthful soldiers. B-P was concerned with the military drills and the "playing soldier" of these 54,000 boys. He thought he had a better plan that would help the boys turn into leaders, more physically fit, intelligent, initiative oriented, outdoor living, and fun. He spent the rest of his life dedicated to building, writing books, changing training, and inspecting what became the world wide Boy Scouts.
On an ocean voyage on January 3, 1912 he met his future wife, Miss Olive Soames. He and Miss Soames found they had much in common and much to talk about. B-P was 55 years old, almost the age of Miss Soames' father. She was much younger than B-P but B-P's mother was considerably younger than his father. They were quietly married on 9/30/1912. They spent the rest of their lives working and traveling to enhance the organization of the Boy Scouts. (And the Girl Scouts.) B-P died on January 8, 1941 in Kenya where he is buried near Nairobi, Kenya.
This is a very interesting book about a very talented man.
Baden-Powell became the hero of the Siege of Mafeking when after 217 days of being under fire of the Boers, the town was relieved by the British. In danger of running out of food, with morale running low, and being outgunned by the enemy, B-P bluffed, making the enemy believe the town had more supplies and military support than was true. He had staff organize the town's boys to do tasks such as delivering mail, take turns at look-out, carry military messages, and other jobs to free up the adults for the firing line. B-P encouraged and planned social activities, games, and sports in order to keeping people from giving up. As he knew it would be a long siege, he took over management of the hospitals, police, water supplies and food, and other needs of a town its size. When the world heard that Mafeking was relieved, B-P was proclaimed a hero. He became an Inspector-General for the Cavalry and then retired after 30 years in the Army.
The next stage of his life was to begin. There existed a boys only organization of young men, the Boy's Brigade, started by William Alexander Smith in 1883. The idea was to turn boys, many who had problems, into youthful soldiers. B-P was concerned with the military drills and the "playing soldier" of these 54,000 boys. He thought he had a better plan that would help the boys turn into leaders, more physically fit, intelligent, initiative oriented, outdoor living, and fun. He spent the rest of his life dedicated to building, writing books, changing training, and inspecting what became the world wide Boy Scouts.
On an ocean voyage on January 3, 1912 he met his future wife, Miss Olive Soames. He and Miss Soames found they had much in common and much to talk about. B-P was 55 years old, almost the age of Miss Soames' father. She was much younger than B-P but B-P's mother was considerably younger than his father. They were quietly married on 9/30/1912. They spent the rest of their lives working and traveling to enhance the organization of the Boy Scouts. (And the Girl Scouts.) B-P died on January 8, 1941 in Kenya where he is buried near Nairobi, Kenya.
This is a very interesting book about a very talented man.
April 10, 2025
Portions of the book are interesting, but it's not exactly a riveting experience. I read this in small chunks, probably never more than 15 pages in a sitting, and it still took me nearly 7 months to finish it. I'm glad to have read it, but equally glad to be finished with it. Robert Baden-Powell lived quite an extraordinary life, but Hillcourt's biography too often gets bogged-down in minutiae - resulting in a less-than-optimal reading experience. I mostly enjoyed reading about B-P's military exploits in central & South Africa (particularly the siege of Mafeking during the Second Boer War, for which he became famous), and I especially enjoyed reading about the formulation of the Boy Scouts organization & movement. On the other hand, reading things like detailed descriptions of synchronized maneuvers & such of scouts at large assemblies known as Jamborees made me want to put the book down and read something more interesting.
I think that were it not for a strong sense of determination plus a desire to understand the Scouting movement better by way of learning about its founder, I would not have finished it.
I think that were it not for a strong sense of determination plus a desire to understand the Scouting movement better by way of learning about its founder, I would not have finished it.
January 28, 2020
Great book about an even better man. In depth, but not hard to read.
December 15, 2021
Great book to learn about the life of Baden Powell.. First part on his military career. Second part on his life as the founder of the Boy Scouts worldwide movement. Lots of great details
October 9, 2022
Amazing read for a spectacular life.
March 23, 2017
An interesting biography a man that was a military hero and founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. It reminded me of lessons that I learned as a Boy Scout and friends that I made. Until I read the book, I had not considered the significant impact that those experiences had on my adult life.
August 12, 2013
Born in England in 1857 Robert Stephenson Smyth Powell would in his lifetime be known simply as Baden-Powell. He sought formal education along with military training to enter a military career, which carried him to locations such as Afghanistan and India. His career pinnacled at the turn of the 20th Century and during the Boer War in Africa he became a famous hero for the first time. His rise to lieutenant general of the British Army in 1907 caught the attention of British citizens including the Royal family.
Baden-Powell set forth on a second career and in doing so became a hero once again. Using his military scouting background as a training tool for young boys his name became legendary as the founder of the Boy Scouts. He took his scouting mission world-wide and following establishment in England, Chile soon became the second nation to adopt the Boy Scout tradition in 1909 and the domino effect quickly led to the United States, Denmark and countries in each corner of the globe. As the father figure and ambassador of the Boy Scouts he maintained a fast paced lifestyle meeting with kings, queens and presidents of each country. During WWI the English Boy Scouts played a major role. Overall Baden-Powell saw scouting a method to promote peaceful activities, education and competition to youth across around the world. In 1939 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but due to the onset of WWII no prize would be awarded during the year. In his final year of life he sought seclusion with his wife and he passed away in Kenya.
Baden-Powell set forth on a second career and in doing so became a hero once again. Using his military scouting background as a training tool for young boys his name became legendary as the founder of the Boy Scouts. He took his scouting mission world-wide and following establishment in England, Chile soon became the second nation to adopt the Boy Scout tradition in 1909 and the domino effect quickly led to the United States, Denmark and countries in each corner of the globe. As the father figure and ambassador of the Boy Scouts he maintained a fast paced lifestyle meeting with kings, queens and presidents of each country. During WWI the English Boy Scouts played a major role. Overall Baden-Powell saw scouting a method to promote peaceful activities, education and competition to youth across around the world. In 1939 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but due to the onset of WWII no prize would be awarded during the year. In his final year of life he sought seclusion with his wife and he passed away in Kenya.
December 20, 2009
This is a fascinating read for us Scouters. The first 150 pages are a bit difficult to get through but after that I couldn't put it down. After 22 years of being a Scout, I now see how all the dots connect. I found myself saying, "oh so thats why that is" or "wow, thats really how that started?"
I read this book as part of my Wood Badge Ticket and now realize that of all the items I selected to work on this was by far the most educational. I had no idea the role B-P played beyond just scouting. He was the Davey Crockett of his day. He did not just start the Boy Scouts but also the Girl Scouts/Guides).
His methods were so inspiring that they became used for good and ill, the world over. Good in that many nations adopted his "scheme" and applied it to the fullest in helping millions of boys and girls more readily grow into healthy productive adults. Ill in that men like Mussolini and Hitler took B-P's methods and warped them into their own deranged versions that forced manipulation and indoctrination.
Overall, I was left bewildered that B-P accomplished so much in such a short time frame with so little. After reading this book I now have no doubt that the hand of God was in Scouting's inception. I have always believed it to an inspired program from the fruits in my own life but seeing how exactly it came about and exploded across the world can only have been divine providence.
I read this book as part of my Wood Badge Ticket and now realize that of all the items I selected to work on this was by far the most educational. I had no idea the role B-P played beyond just scouting. He was the Davey Crockett of his day. He did not just start the Boy Scouts but also the Girl Scouts/Guides).
His methods were so inspiring that they became used for good and ill, the world over. Good in that many nations adopted his "scheme" and applied it to the fullest in helping millions of boys and girls more readily grow into healthy productive adults. Ill in that men like Mussolini and Hitler took B-P's methods and warped them into their own deranged versions that forced manipulation and indoctrination.
Overall, I was left bewildered that B-P accomplished so much in such a short time frame with so little. After reading this book I now have no doubt that the hand of God was in Scouting's inception. I have always believed it to an inspired program from the fruits in my own life but seeing how exactly it came about and exploded across the world can only have been divine providence.
August 1, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a Scout leader for 5+ years who is getting ready for Wood Badge I decided that it was about time I familiarized myself with the man responsible for the organization my family loves. Sure, I learned a lot about Lord Robert Baden-Powell, but I learned so much more. I learned about how his Scout movement came into being. I learned about his vision for the youth of the world and his great desire for peace and world unity.
A wonderful read for anyone interested in Scouting and an absolute must for any and every Scout leader. Far too many people don't understand the true intent of Scouting.
A wonderful read for anyone interested in Scouting and an absolute must for any and every Scout leader. Far too many people don't understand the true intent of Scouting.
August 4, 2012
I read this book about 15 years ago and I had to go back and read it because it serves as an inspiration of some values that today are lost.Lord Baden Powell, the heroe of Mafekin, wrote several manuals on scouting which he used to train some of the officers under his command. Later he used these books to train some of local boys in the art of tracking and camping and other outdoor skills. He started the Boy Scout program in England and it was imported to United States.
Today the program is still there but it has changed from its original inception.
Today the program is still there but it has changed from its original inception.
November 19, 2008
For the scouting enthusiast I would say it's a must read. Great to understand the life of the first scout and some of the thoughts behind the organization of scouting. My interest in the scouting program increased significantly after reading this book. Truly a hero if ever there was one. The world is a better place for him having lived in it.
March 8, 2011
Not as detailed or researched as Tim Jeal's biography of Baden-Powell, but an easier read. This is the authorized bio, so it doesn't ask any hard questions and takes a few embellishments as gospel truth.
If you have time and the desire, read the Tim Jeal bio instead. But you won't go too far wrong with this one.
If you have time and the desire, read the Tim Jeal bio instead. But you won't go too far wrong with this one.
May 7, 2013
This is a very dense book; the writing doesn't flow as mine does here; but my attention was held fast by the information and the adventure of his life. The man was in many ways amazing--an incredible worker, nearly unstoppable--and seemed to genuinely live up to the ideals of the movement he founded.
November 9, 2014
Baden-Powell was an absolutely incredible man. I knew he started the boy scouts, but I had no idea how much else he did in his life. This biography does a great job telling the story of a great man.
July 25, 2008
This is a book about the war hero and Scouting founder Lord Baden-Powell. It's more enjoyable to those of us with Scouting interests, but any history buff would enjoy.
November 25, 2008
An excellent, must read. Too bad it is out of print.
September 25, 2010
I translated this book into Finnish in 1990.
June 17, 2011
A good look at a fascinating man. The biggest problem with this book was that there was just so much information to pack in. Made it so dense it was hard to read a lot in a sitting.
July 30, 2011
Great Biography of the founder of the Scouting Movement. Pretty Amazing Guy! It is difficult to get the book as it is out of print, but it is well worth it!
May 29, 2015
By far the best biography done on Baden-Powell. Green bar bill is the author and he himself exemplified exactly what Baden-Powell was trying to accomplish with scouting
May 29, 2008
You really realize how much the world has changed from the days of the British empire to now.
July 21, 2011
A great biography of an extremely inspiring person.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews