My Early Life, 1874-1904

by Winston S. Churchill, Frederick Davidson (Narrator)

One of the classic volumes of autobiography, My Early Life is a lively and colourful account of a young man's quest for action, adventure and danger. Churchill's schooldays are undistinguished, but he is admitted to Sandhurst and embarks on a career as a soldier and a war correspondent, seeing action in Cuba, in India, in the Sudan - where he took part in the battle of Omdurman, of which he gives us a stirring account - and finally in South Africa.

Taken prisoner by the Boers, Churchill makes a daring escape. Back home he embarks on the political career that is to make him one of Britain's most distinguished parliamentarians.

First published in 1930, when Churchill's most testing time still lay ahead of him, My Early Life is memorable both as an adventure-story and as an account of the events and influences that helped to shape the career of a great Englishman.

©1930 Charles Scribner’s Sons (P)2014 Audible Studios

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Politics, Biography Memoir

Audible Audio

First published October 1, 1930

About the author

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, politician and writer, as prime minister from 1940 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1955 led Great Britain, published several works, including The Second World War from 1948 to 1953, and then won the Nobel Prize for literature.

William Maxwell Aitken, first baron Beaverbrook, held many cabinet positions during the 1940s as a confidant of Churchill.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can), served the United Kingdom again. A noted statesman, orator and strategist, Churchill also served as an officer in the Army. This prolific author "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."

Out of respect for Winston_Churchill, the well-known American author, Winston S. Churchill offered to use his middle initial as an author.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston...

Reviews

[Michael Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

"WHEN does one first begin to remember? When do the waving lights and shadows of dawning consciousness cast their print upon the mind of a child?"

-------------

one of my favorite passages from the book....

When the last sound of my mother's departing wheels had
died away, the Headmaster invited me to hand over any
money I had in my possession. I produced my three half-
crowns which were duly entered in a book, and I was told
that from time to time there would be a 'shop' at the school
with all sorts of things which one would like to have, and
that I could choose what I liked up to the limit of the seven
and sixpence.

Then we quitted the Headmaster's parlour
and the comfortable private side of the house, and entered
the more bleak apartments reserved for the instruction and
accommodation of the pupils. I was taken into a Form Room
and told to sit at a desk. All the other boys were out of doors,
and I was alone with the Form Master. He produced a thin
greeny-brown-covered book filled with words in different
types of print.

'You have never done any Latin before, have you?' he
said.

No, sir.'

'This is a Latin grammar.' He opened it at a well-thumbed
page. 'You must learn this,' he said, pointing to a number of
words in a frame of lines. 'I will come back in half an hour
and see what you know.'

Behold me then on a gloomy evening, with an aching
heart, seated in front of the First Declension.

Mensa

Mensa

Mensam

Mensae

Mensae

Mensa


a table

O table

a table

of a table

to or for a table

by, with or from a table

What on earth did it mean? Where was the sense of it?
It seemed absolute rigmarole to me. However, there was one
thing I could always do: I could learn by heart. And I there
upon proceeded, as far as my private sorrows would allow,
to memorise the acrostic-looking task which had been set me

In due course the Master returned.

'Have you learnt it?' he asked.

'I think I can say it, sir,' I replied; and I gabbled it off.

He seemed so satisfied with this that I was emboldened
to ask a question.

'What does it mean, sir?'

'It means what it says. Mensa, a table. Mensa is a noun
of the First Declension. There are five declensions. You have
learnt the singular of the First Declension.'

'But,' I repeated, 'what does it mean?'

'Mensa means a table,' he answered.

'Then why does mensa also mean O table,' I enquired,
'and what does O table mean?'

'Mensa, O table, is the vocative case,' he replied.

'But why O table?' I persisted in genuine curiosity.

'O table, you would use that in addressing a table, in
invoking a table.' And then seeing he was not carrying me
with him, 'You would use it in speaking to a table.'

'But I never do,' I blurted out in honest amazement.

'If you are impertinent, you will be punished, and pun
ished, let me tell you, very severely,' was his conclusive
rejoinder.

Such was my first introduction to the classics from which, I have been told, many of our cleverest men have derived so much solace and profit.

=============

The greatest pleasure I had in those days was reading. When I was nine and a half my father gave me Treasure Island, and I remember the delight with which I devoured it. My teachers saw me at once backward and precocious, reading books beyond my years and yet at the bottom of the Form. They were offended. They had large resources of compulsion at their disposal, but I was stubborn.....

Where my my reason, imagination, or interest were not engaged, I would not, or could not learn.

He was able to transfer to another school where he could learn French, History, and lots of Poetry and enjoy horseback riding and swimming. At age twelve, however, he took the entrance exams at Harrow after which he was promptly consigned to the lowest form. Though a bit humiliating, Churchill soon discovered a wonderful advantage in this.

However, by being so long in the lowest form I gained an immense advantage over the cleverer boys. They all went on to learn Latin and Greek and splendid things like that. But I was taught English. We were considered such dunces that we could learn only English. Mr. Somervell—a most delightful man, to whom my debt is great—was charged with the duty of teaching the stupidest boys the most disregarded thing—namely, to write mere English. He knew how to do it. He taught it as no one else has ever taught it. Not only did we learn English parsing thoroughly, but we also practised continually English analysis. Mr. Somervell had a system of his own…. I learned it thoroughly. Thus I got into my bones the essential structure of the ordinary British sentence—which is a noble thing.

==========

It was thought incongruous that while I apparently stagnated in the lowest form, I should gain a prize open to the whole school for reciting to the Headmaster twelve hundred lines of Macaulay’s ‘Lays of Ancient Rome’ without making a single mistake. I also succeeded in passing the preliminary examination for the Army while still almost at the bottom of the school. Many boys far above me in the school failed in it.

==================

Having studied Latin and Greek, I found this interesting....

I will here make some general observations about Latin which probably have their application to Greek as well. In a sensible language like English important words are connected and related to one another by other little words. The Romans in that stern antiquity considered such a method weak and unworthy. Nothing would satisfy them but that the structure of every word should be reacted on by its neighbours in accordance with elaborate rules to meet the different conditions in which it might be used. There is no doubt that this method both sounds and looks more impressive than our own. The sentence fits together like a piece of polished machinery. Every phrase can be tensely charged with meaning. It must have been very laborious, even if you were brought up to it; but no doubt it gave the Romans, and the Greeks too, a fine and easy way of establishing their posthumous fame.

They were the first comers in the fields of thought and literature. When they arrived at fairly obvious reflections upon life and love, upon war, fate or manners, they coined them into the slogans or epigrams for which their language was so well adapted, and thus preserved the patent rights for all time. Hence their reputation.

==============

Later, when Churchill got accepted to Sandhurst (the British West Point) and opted for a certain direction in the service that his father disagreed he got this response.....

"He was extremely dissatisfied and in due course I received from him a long and very severe letter expressing the bleakest view of my educational career, showing a marked lack of appreciation at my success in the examination, which he suggested I had only scraped through, and warning me of the danger in which I plainly lay of becoming a ‘social wastrel!’ I was pained and startled by this communication."

=============

He reflects the horrid grind of school days that I can totally relate to....

"The intermediate period in my life before Sandhurst brought to a close nearly 12 years of school. Thirty-six terms each of many weeks (interspersed with all-too-short holidays) during the whole of which I had enjoyed few gleams of success, in which I had hardly ever been asked to learn anything which seemed of the slightest use or interest, or allowed to play any game which was amusing. In retrospect these years form not only the least agreeable, but the only barren and unhappy period of my life….This interlude of school makes a sombre grey patch upon the chart of my journey. It was an unending spell of worries that did not then seem petty, and of toil uncheered by fruition; a time of discomfort, restriction and purposeless monotony.

I was on the whole considerably discouraged by my school days….I had been surprised on taking leave of Dr. Welldon to hear him predict, with a confidence for which I could see no foundation, that I should be able to make my way all right. I have always been very grateful to him for this.

I am all for the Public Schools, but I do not want to go there again!"

====

More background on the book....

https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...

===============

FULL text of the book...

https://archive.org/stream/rovingcomm...

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Churchill wrote this memoir in 1930, when he was 56. It seems to me a reasonable time of life for someone to tell their story (assuming of course, they have something interesting to say). As we all know, in 1930 Churchill had no idea that his greatest trials and triumphs still lay before him.

The book begins with a canter through Churchill’s schooldays. There is no detailed discussion of his relationship with his parents, which I have elsewhere heard was quite difficult. The core of the book relates to his period as a cavalry officer/war correspondent (he frequently blended the two roles), from about 1895 to about 1900.

When Churchill was commissioned, Britain had not fought a war against a European power since the Crimea over 40 years previously, and had not faced an existential threat since the time of Napoleon. In Churchill’s account, this long period of relative peace had led many of his contemporaries to conclude wars between “polite nations” had come to an end. The situation he describes is similar to that which has prevailed in Western Europe since 1945, one that has led many (myself included) to take a similar outlook. These references in Churchill’s memoir are a quiet reminder that we shouldn’t take peace and stability for granted.

His time in the army was characterised by a determination to place himself wherever the action was. He pulled every string and used every tactic to ensure that happened, to the extent many viewed him as a glory hunter who neglected the routine duties of an army officer. It makes for a lively memoir though. Churchill first wangled himself an appointment as an observer with the Spanish Army in Cuba, then got a transfer to the North-West Frontier province of India (as was), where one of the periodic outbreaks of fighting with the local tribes was underway. After that he was in the Sudan campaign of 1898, where he participated in the charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman. Lastly came his experiences in the Boer War, his capture by the Boers and his daring escape from a POW camp, which made him a household name in Britain. The narrative ends with Churchill beginning his time in the House of Commons as a Conservative MP, although in most respects his views were more aligned with those of the Liberals. The book ends with a conversation with Joseph Chamberlain and the latter’s advocacy of tariff protection for the Empire. Students of British history will know of this as a significant event for both Churchill and the country.

Churchill was of course famous for his oratory, and his skill with language shines through in this entertaining memoir. Throughout the text he makes extensive use of irony, something that was a lot safer 90 years ago. Whenever I see anyone use irony in an internet article today, they are immediately assailed by scores if not hundreds of people who have taken the wording literally. I can imagine that in the future irony could die out altogether in written English. Churchill lived in a more discerning era!

There are a few outdated attitudes, almost inevitable in a work of this vintage, and it must be admitted there is a fair bit of the “Huzzah!” and “Tally-ho!” approach to life. Still an excellent read.

[W]

My first encounter with this book was when I was in fourth grade.Somebody had thought it fit that this die hard colonialist should be introduced to school children in Pakistan as early as possible.

That chapter was titled,First Year at Harrow.He revealed that the only subject he was any good at,was English.And that he struggled with Latin and Greek.

Thank goodness,in their eagerness to follow the British school system,Pakistani schools at least,were not teaching Latin and Greek.

Much later,I came across a torn copy of this book in a used bookstore.Half the pages were missing.What was left,was rather interesting.

After his education,he joined the army and came to India.But that account was not as disparaging and offensive as his later book,The Story of the Malakand Field Force.(I have reviewed that one as well).

Now I have found the whole book,and intend to read what else he has to say.Despite my distaste for his racism and colonialism,I find him rather interesting.

To be continued

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with the author's legendary wit and humor, My Early Life is Winston Churchill's fast-paced memoir of his life from earliest childhood to age 30.  While this account is replete with WLSC's many battlefield exploits, my favorite parts of the book take place far from the theaters of war.  I found the stories of his childhood, education, and early political exploits to be much more insightful in understanding the man Churchill would become.  It is also interesting to see what can be gleaned exclusively from an autobiography as opposed to a work by any other writer.  For instance, no one else could capture WLSC's seemingly still raw hatred of his school years or the matter-of-fact candor with which he discusses the advantages of his social connections.  My Early Life is an absolute must for any true Churchill devotee. 

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When does one first remember? When do the waving lights and shadows of dawning consciousness cast their print upon the mind of a child?"

What a delight. Published in 1930, it covers the first 30 years of Churchill's life (1874-1904), and packs in more adventure than most of us could ever expect in many times those years. Churchill tells war stories in which he was a participant ... in Egypt, in South Africa. Apparently he barely survived many times, before rushing off to India to play in an army polo tournament, where he scored the winning goal, despite an incapacitated shoulder. His imprisonment after surrender, and subsequent 300 mile escape from a Boer prison, climbing out of windows, walking alone through the night with Boer troops looking for him, hiding between bales of hay on a train passing over the border. It goes on and on.

Churchill is a hopeless egotist, as what politician isn't, but he is also to be commended for including in his book the rather intense criticism his exploits gained in British papers: he wasn't really in the army ... why was he there? ... he was risking our cause.

Is it all true? Who knows, but it's great reading. And it was surely a superb preparation for the time, 35 years later, when Churchill led Great Britain through the war against Hitler.

[Doreen Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful telling of Winston Churchill's early years. From reading this I understand how he turned into the man he was. I would recommend this one.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Churchill is an engaging writer, both insightful and entertaining. Written in 1930, Churchill covers his life from childhood until the beginning of his political career, with a significant portion of the book devoted to his military time in India and South Africa. There are many interesting tidbits, such as Churchill's meeting with Mark Twain during Churchill's tour of America (Twain gives Churchill a hard time about the Boer Wars) and Churchill's fear of extemporaneous speaking, which led him to write his speeches beforehand and commit them to memory. Another interesting point is the near-total absence of women in Churchill's portrayal of his childhood and young adult life, with the exception of his nanny and his mother.

It's interesting to see how Churchill wants to portray himself in this autobiography. He emphasizes that he was ambitious and got ahead through force of will (though Churchill does mention the numerous connections obtained through mom and dad along the way). And Churchill takes pains to emphasize the difference between him and the Oxbridge crowd (Churchill having gone to Sandhurst).

The dominant theme of this book is the break that Churchill sees between the waning Victorian age and a 20th century of technology and greater democratization. Churchill sets up contrasts between
- the honorable warfare of the 19th century managed by elites vs. the machine-driven slaughter of WWI driven by the masses
-an English ruling class of the 19th century composed of a civilized coterie whose members were often connected through various marriages vs. a more democratic, unruly ensemble

But I wondered whether Churchill's idealization of the Victorian age led him to exaggerate the gap between Churchill's 19th-century values created 20th-century horrors. Churchill's descriptions of the glories of the Boer Wars, of which he had many fond memories, seem callous to the bloodshed of warfare
(though Churchill briefly condemns the English concentration camps). As he writes, "How easy to kill a man!" Really? And Churchill's descriptions of English retaliation against Indians who defied the colonial power (e.g., English burning of farms and villages) seems a cold-hearted effort to move, as Churchill writes, "forward on the path of empire."

Although much of this book held my interest, my attention flagged during Churchill's lengthy descriptions of the military maneuvers during the Boer Wars.

On the whole, worth a read.

[Bakunin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit uneven but some parts were brilliant. Even though it reads much like an adventure story (by the time he was 25 he had been in 4 different wars on several continents), it also contains nuggets of wisdom. Churchill did not go to university (although he trained as an officer at Sandhurst); instead he decided to study by himself and try to reach conclusions which seems to accomodate his specific personality.

"The human brain cannot comprehend infinity, but the discovery of mathematics enables it to be handled quite easily. The idea that nothing is true except what we comprehend is silly, and that ideas which our minds cannot reconcile are mutually destructive, sillier still. Certainly nothing could be more repulsive to both our minds and feelings than the spectacle of thousands of millions of universes - for that is what they say it comes to now - all knocking about together for ever without any rational or good purpose behind them. I therefore adopted quite early in life a system of believing watever I wanted to believe, while at the same time leaving reason to pusure unfettered whatever paths she was capable of treading"

So much for the multiverse! I think about this when people discuss whether we are living in a simulation or not. How can we ever know? What use is it to ponder such things if they are ultimately unknowable? I was really inspired by his heroic worldview as shown in both of these quotes:

"It is that lure of youth - adventure, and adventure for adventure's sake. You might call it toomfoolery. To travel thousands of miles with money one could ill afford, and get up at four c'clock in the morning in the hope of getting into a scrape in the company of perfect strangers, is certainly hardly a rational proceeding."

And this one:

"When I look back upon them I cannot but return my sincere thanks to the high gods for the gift of existence. All the days were good and each day better than the other. Ups and downs risks and journeys, but always the sense of motion, and the illusion of hope. Come on now all you young men, all over the world. You are needed more than ever now to fill the gap of a generation shorn by the War. You have not an hour to lose. You must take your places in life's fighting line. Twenty to twenty-five! These are the years! Don't be content with things as they are. The earth is yours and the fulness thereof. Raise the glorious flags again, advance them upon the new enemies, who contanstanyl gather upon the front of the human army, and have only to be assaulted to be overthrown. Don't take No for an answer. Never submit to failure. Do not be fobbed off with mere personal success or acceptance. You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true, and also fierce, you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her. She was made to be wooed and won by youth. She has lived and thrived only by repeated subjugations"

I fully agree with you mr. Churchill. The sheer power of optimism and heroism in the proceeding paragraph is inspiring and perhaps much needed in today's cynical world.

[Gintautas Ivanickas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gal sero Winstono Churchill‘io nepristatinėsiu. Jei nežinot, kas jis toks, gal ir į šitą knygą nesidairykit.
Knyga apie, paties Churchill‘io žodžiais, „dingusį amžių“. Apie laikus, kai Britanija vis dar buvo imperija, nors to milžino kojos vis labiau linko po užsikrautu svoriu.
Pakankamai smagia ir gyva kalba Churchill‘is pasakoja apie savo vaikystę, mokslo metus, tarnybą Indijoje, karo korespondento nuotykius Pietų Afrikos karo lauke, galiausiai užbaigia savo pirmais žingsniais politikoje. O paskui, parašęs „...o tada aš vedžiau ir gyvenau ilgai ir laimingai“ (nors apie savo antrąją pusę iki tol knygoje nė puse žodžio nebuvo užsiminęs, deda tašką. Tai kaip literatūriniam kūriniui, klykčiau „autorius neištempė finalo!“, bet čia memuarai, tai atleisim.
Knyga – tarsi žvilgsnis į to metų britų aristokratijos gyvenimą. Vietomis požiūris į kai kuriuos dalykus stebina, bet supranti, kad būtent taip tuomet viskas ir atrodė. Ir nepaisant nedidelių ekskursų į ateitį (tokių kaip „tas ir tas vėliau krito didžiojo karo metu“), Churchill‘iui gana vykusiai pavyksta išvengti to „žvilgsnio iš ateities“ ir pasakoti viską iš XIX amžiaus pabaigos žmogaus pozicijos.
Tvirti keturi iš penkių. Tokio tipo literatūros gerbėjui – rekomenduočiau drąsiai.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1930 Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, then age 56 and destined to live another 34 years, looked back on his first 30 years. One would think this hubris, for what can be achieved in one’s first 30 years? But in fact, unlike some modern politicians who write their autobiography at a young age before any achievements, Churchill had a lot to report.

The result is “My Early Years: 1874-1904,” perhaps one of history’s most entertaining autobiographies. Churchill documents his childhood as the neglected son of the American Jenny Jerome and Lord Randolph Churchill—both of them monumentally self-centered and unnurturing: she was focused on society and on her numerous affairs with highly ranked men; he on a career in politics (as a Tory he was an MP and, briefly, Chancellor of the Exchequer) which he trashed by refusing to follow his Tory party’s line (once, when Winston was reported to have been badly hurt playing Follow the Leader, a Lord remarked “That will never be his father’s fate”).

Churchill was an abysmal student, and his years before the Mast of Education are reported with a remarkably pungent wit. Apparently he had a testing problem—tests never asked the questions he could answer. His deficiencies were most pronounced in Mathematics. He reported his great admiration for mathematicians who, like chess players who could play 16 simultaneous games, are destined to die young with epilepsy, “And serve them right.”

Churchill’s abysmal academic performance—-clearly the result of his view that things in which he was not interested were not worth learning—-combined with his interest in military matters (he had over 1,000 toy soldiers that he would parade and put into battle formations), led him to eschew the university (or it to eschew him). He went to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst where, after three attempts at admission and 1½ years as a cadet, he emerged as a cavalry officer. This was in the days when the military was the trashcan of the scions of British aristocracy, and the cavalry was the trashcan of the military.

This remarkably weak foundation never deterred Churchill from his belief that he was a great military strategist, a belief he maintained even in the face of his many poor strategic decisions in WWI (as First Lord of the Admiralty) and in WWII (as Prime Minister). During WWII, when he was driving his Generals mad with wild schemes, it was remarked—outside of Churchill’s hearing—that there are only two professions where amateurs think themselves to be professionals—military strategy and prostitution.

Churchill reports without shame, and with great humor, his enlistment of his mother in obtaining military postings to which he was neither invited nor welcomed. She drew on her vast connections (many of whom had been lovers) and had frequent dinner parties to cudgel well-placed military and political leaders; he reports that she fought “down to the last cutlet.” As a result he was posted to India and fought in the 1897 Siege of Malakand in northwest India, where a large body of locals had surrounded the British garrison; “The Malakand Field Force” (1898) soon rolled from Churchill’s pen.

He was later posted to Lord Kitchener’s African army over Kitchener’s voluble objections. There he fought in Britain’s last cavalry charge at the 1898 Battle of Omdurman near Khartoum in the Sudan: 20,000 Commonwealth soldiers and cavalry decimated a force of 60,000 “Dervishes.” His “The River War” (1899, 2 vols) soon followed “The Malakand Field Force” on British bookshelves.

On demobilizing and returning to England, Churchill, having gained a literary following, turned to speechifying and politics, suffering a disastrous early bid for M. P. of working class Oldham. During this time he wrote “Savrola,” his first and only novel (1900). In 1899 went to South Africa as a war correspondent to report on the Boer War. He was captured, escaped, and—yes—he wrote another book, actually two, in 1900: “London to Ladysmith via Praetoria,” and “Ian Hamilton’s March.” By his 26th birthday he had become a national hero—a prolific author, brave in combat, and resistant to incarceration.

Churchill spent his life adoring the father he never knew—the brief sections about the distant father who died young are heartbreaking, and Churchill’s desire to be worthy in his father’s eyes impelled him to achievements unmatched in his centuries. Churchill was impulsive, exhibited the best and worst of judgment, was the epitome of the British bulldog, was alcoholic, rude, demanding--and very funny; and he was the right man at the right time when Hitler came along. His father would have approved, perhaps placing his hand on his son’s head and quietly remarking, “Good job.” That’s what young Winston wanted most. As did, perhaps, old Winston.

Churchill’s prose is the prose of 19th century Victorians—florid and grammatically correct; one imagines him diagramming his sentences. I found it refreshingly archaic, a welcome revisitation to the English classes of my youth. Younger readers might find it plodding and navigationally-challenged. But, of course, Churchill was a Victorian and a modern voice would simply not serve: one can imagine how jarring it would be to have a humorous sentence followed by “LOL.” The problem is not that Churchill’s era was one of formal and correct English, it is that ours is an era of bad English.

If you want to read the history of a self-educated young man who turned childhood neglect and early personal failure into victory, who became arguably the 20th century’s greatest statesmen (and wordsmith), and who experienced monumental revolutions in society, warfare, technology and economic institutions and expectations, this is for you. And it is a hoot to boot!

[Denisa Bujor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cu toate că port o mare stimă și simpatie pentru dl. Churchill, nu am putut să dau mai mult de 3 stele acestei biografii. Cartea cuprinde doar o parte din autobiografia acestuia, începând din copilărie și continuând până în jurul vârstei de 28 de ani (1902), și aș putea spune că este mai mult un jurnal de călătorie sau însemnări din războaiele pe care acesta le-a purtat în tinerețe. Mi-ar fi plăcut să găsesc mai multă introspecție.

Interesant a fost să remarc simplitatea și chiar banalitatea acestui om în primii ani de viață. Nu s-a remarcat cu aproape nimic deosebit în copilăria sa, defapt, chiar opusul, era codaș în mai multe domenii, și mi-a fost greu să înțeleg cum a putut deveni omul care s-a remarcat atât de mult în a doua parte a vieții. Totuși, poate chiar acesta e secretul, banalitatea și normalitatea care au constituit o bază sănătoasă pe care a putut să construiască mai apoi echilibrat, exploatându-și potențialul, trăsături de caracter precum curajul, asumarea riscurilor și spiritul de lider, care se observă treptat spre finalul cărții.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my first book about Winston Churchill’s early years, but the first told in his own words.
From the anecdotes of his early childhood and school, there emerges a vivid picture of an energetic free spirit with strong interests that didn’t necessarily include spending long days in a classroom….
Strange to think how many minds that later went on to achieve great things the school system so magnificently failed to engage. For someone with lesser opportunities it perhaps could have ended badly, but for Winston Spencer Churchill it was only a question of time. When there was nobody and nothing to force him, and the nagging feeling that the university educated men had something he didn’t grew stronger, he set about catching up and self-educating.
The first thirty years of his life were full of adventure. Young Churchill used every chance and connection of his eminent family to get himself involved as a war correspondent or as a soldier in any possible ongoing action in whichever corner of the wast British Empire. War in the days before mass-slaughters of the Great War appeared to his generation as a glamorous, exciting affair, ruled by gentlemanly agreements in which nobody really expected to die….
So on he went to observe, write about, of fight in Cuba, Sudan, India and South Africa. His adventures in the far ends of the British Empire involved, out-of-window-climbing, lonely-busch-wanderings, lucky escapes and unexpected rescues - a lot of colour in other words - so much in fact, that I can’t help to wonder if it perhaps might be slightly exaggerated? But this wasn’t only the time of action and drama, it was also the time of his first attempts at writing. He tried his hand at journalism, non-fiction and even a novel, of which in retrospect he wasn’t exactly proud of. It was not yet the time of voluminous memoirs and flaming speeches but of experimenting and finding his voice.
The man was a giant, a talented, eloquent and an unmistakable product of the late Victorian era and of the British Empire. Privileged but not served everything on a silver platter, equipped with his very own unique qualities and with loads of personal charisma.
I always enjoy seeng the world through someone else’s eyes but Churchills perspective is not only that, it is told with verve and a considerable self-distance, captivating and entertaining voyage in time, culture and social class.

[Nigel Kotani · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing to say is that the quality of writing in this book is outstanding. Given that Winston Churchill won a Nobel literature prize, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. By way of example as to the quality of his writing, this passage is about having to learn maths as a child:

“We continued to toil every day, not only at letters but at words, and also at what was much worse, figures. Letters after all had only got to be known, and when they stood together in a certain way one recognised their formation and that it meant a certain sound or word which one uttered when pressed sufficiently. But the figures were tied into all sorts of tangles and did things to one another which it was extremely difficult to forecast with complete accuracy. You had to say what they did each time they were tied up together, and the Governess apparently attached enormous importance to the answer being exact. If it was not right, it was wrong. It was not any use being 'nearly right.' In some cases these figures got into debt with one another: you had to borrow one or carry one, and, afterwards you had to pay back the one you had borrowed.

“These complications cast a steadily gathering shadow over my daily life. They took one away from all the interesting things one wanted to do in the nursery or in the garden. They made increasing inroads upon one's leisure. One could hardly get time to do any of the things one wanted to do. They became a general worry and preoccupation. More especially was this true when we descended into a dismal bog called 'sums.' There appeared to be no limit to these. When one sum was done, there was always another. Just as soon as I managed to tackle a particular class of these afflictions, some other much more variegated type was thrust upon me.”

I found parts of this book quite outstanding, and other parts of it rather dull. Somewhat unexpectedly, the sections which fascinated me were those detailing ordinary life (using the term loosely, given that he was the son of a lord), and the sections I found dull were those detailing his military exploits. There are two reasons for this. First, I have rarely been able to read descriptions of military engagements and understand what was happening – Antony Beevor is a rare exception – though reading this book on a Kindle, where maps are too small to be of much use, didn’t help. Second, the self-aggrandisement of his military exploits and bravery are just plain irritating. Anyone who can write “..we passed a pleasant day skirmishing with the Boers…” comes across as something of a dickhead, and while it may now be close to sacrilegious to say something so disparaging of Churchill, until World War II a dickhead appears to have been how the general public largely viewed him.

On the other hand his writings about his childhood, his schooling, his military training, India, his journalistic career, high society, his political & philosophical opinions and his early political career gripped me. A genuine glimpse into a bygone era. The section on his time as a prisoner of war of the Boers and his subsequent escape were the highlight of the book for me. Amusingly, he wrote the book in 1930 and it contains an underlying tone of him looking back as he approached the end of his active life – the book ends with him saying that he married in 1908 and “lived happily ever after” - little knowing that his most significant achievements and struggles were still ahead of him.

Great in parts and unsatisfying in others, I’d nevertheless recommend it, and may well be reading more of his books in future.

[Meen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Might've been three stars but for all the detailed descriptions of the military maneuvers, which I find rather boring. I am, however, fascinated with him (especially his role in WWII) and the wildly changing times he straddled. I think I'll enjoy The Last Lion 1: Visions of Glory 1874-1932 more. I prefer the more neutral reportage of biography and history to the first person narrative of autobiography and memoir. Still, fascinating stuff, and I'm glad I got a sense of his voice before I embarked upon the very long Last Lion series.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars - English Ebook

Quote:My mother made the same brilliant impression upon my childhood's eye. She shone for me like the Evening Star. I loved her dearly -- but at a distance. My nurse was my confidante. Mrs. Everest it was who looked after me and tended all my wants. It was to her I poured out my many troubles, both now and in my schooldays. Before she came to us, she had brought up for twelve years a little girl called Ella, the daughter of a clergyman who lived in Cumberland. 'Little Ella,' though I never saw her, became a feature in my early life.

I knew all about her; what she liked to eat; how she used to say her prayers; in what ways she was naughty and in what ways good. I had a vivid picture in my mind of her home in the North country. I was also taught to be very fond of Kent. It was, Mrs. Everest said, 'the garden of England.' She had been born at Chatham, and was immensely proud of Kent.

No county could compare with Kent, any more than any other country could compare with England. Ireland, for instance, was nothing like so good. As for France, Mrs. Everest who had at one time wheeled me in my perambulator up and down what she called the 'Shams Elizzie' thought very little of it. Kent was the place. Its capital was Maidstone, and all round Maidstone there grew strawberries, cherries, raspberries and plums. Lovely! I always wanted to live in Kent.

I revisited 'The Little Lodge' when lecturing on the Boer War in Dublin in the winter of 1900. I remembered well that it was a long low white building with green shutters and verandahs, and that there was a lawn around it about as big as Trafalgar Square and entirely surrounded by forests I thought it must have been at least a mile from the Viceregal. When I saw it again, I was astonished to find that the lawn was only about sixty yards across, that the forests were little more than bushes, and that it only took a minute to ride to it from the Viceregal where I was staying.-


Here, in his own words, are the fascinating first thirty years in the life of one of the most provocative and compelling leaders of the twentieth century: Winston Churchill.

As a visionary, statesman, and historian, and the most eloquent spokesman against Nazi Germany, Winston Churchill was one of the greatest figures of the twentieth century. In this autobiography, Churchill recalls his childhood, his schooling, his years as a war correspondent in South Africa during the Boer War, and his first forays into politics as a member of Parliament. 

My Early Life not only gives readers insights into the shaping of a great leader but, as Churchill himself wrote, “a picture of a vanished age.” To fully understand Winston Churchill and his times, My Early Life is essential reading.

Although I have read many books on Winston Churchill, I believe that this is the first one I have read written by him. I literally could not put it down. He has a great sense of humour!

This should be a MUST read for anyone wanting to broaden their horizons on British history in these times.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read. I so often forget that Churchill was a real Victorian. If I could have done half of the exciting things that this man did in the five years after he turned 20, I should be satisfied for life.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It did take me a long time to read this book, since I read a lot of other ones in between chapters. I think it was a great book however, and wish I had known Mr. Churchill when he was young. I enjoyed his insights about hiself and his views of the Boer War.

[Krimiormen Seidler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Denne biografi er én af mine egne bøger, som jeg har haft liggende i et stykke tid. Jeg er helt overbevist om at man skal interessere sig for krigshistorier og selvfølgelig Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill for at falde ind under kategorien af læsere.

Så tænker du måske at Churchill ikke kan have skrevet en bog der udkom i 2016. Årsagen er at ”Mine unge år” er blevet genudgivet adskillige gange siden den udkom første gang D. 30. oktober 1930. Min udgave er 3. udgave og med forord af Uffe Ellemann-Jensen og med en opdateret oversættelse af Arne Stevns.

Den er skrevet i nutidigt sprog. Winston levede fra 1874-1965. Han blev altså 90 år gammel. Winston vandt nobelprisen i litteratur i 1953. Vi har altså ikke kun med en statsmand at gøre men også en yderst dreven forfatter med et omfattende forfatterskab bag sig inden han gik ind i politik for alvor.

I 1890`erne skrev han sin første bog. Winston sad i det britiske parlament i hele 64 år. I 1900 blev han valgt ind i parlamentet 1. gang i kredsen Oldham. ”Mine unge år” tager os igennem Winstons liv helt tilbage fra han blev født i 1874 og indtil 1930.

Hans far var sekretær for Winstons farfar Hertugen af Marlborough. Winstons barnepige fru Everest gjorde et stort indtryk på den senere premierminister og var mere den unge Winstons nøgleperson end moderen var. Indtil 1880 var bedstefaderen vicekonge i Irland.

Da Winston fyldte 7 år, skulle han starte i skole. Det betød at han skulle være væk hjemmefra i mange uger ad gangen. Det er absolut ikke en fremtid som Winston ser frem til med glæde. Winston blev sat ved et bord og fik besked på at lære en række latinske ord udenad.

2 år var Winston på den første skole St. James. Herefter gik han 3 år i Harrow. Winston havde en svær start i skolen. Winston var ikke særlig god til hverken Latin, Græsk eller eksamener. Til gengæld var han rigtig dygtig til Engelsk.

Den lille Winston havde ikke mindre end 1500 Tinsoldater. Vel en god forberedelse til hans tidlige voksenliv som officer. Winstons far foreslog ham at blive soldat. Egentlig fordi hans far ikke antog at Winston var specielt intelligent. I hvert fald ikke intelligent nok til at læse jura.

Winston begynder at forberede sig på at blive optaget på Sandhurst. I Winstons unge år deltager han som officer og journalist i flere mindre krige hvor England er involveret. Personligt synes jeg at de mere personlige beretninger om Winston Churchill i ”Mine unge år” er de mest interessante passager.

Men det har nok mere at gøre med at jeg ikke er så meget for krigsberetninger. ”Mine unge år” som helhed er vanvittig godt skrevet og smækfyldt med spændende passager. Både om Winston som person, hans liv som soldat og senere som spirende ung politiker.

”Mine unge år” er bestemt både velskrevet, klog og morsom. Bogen giver et rigtig godt billede af hvem statsmanden Winston Churchill var og hvorfor han udviklede sig som person, som han gjorde. ”Mine unge år” får bestemt mine anbefalinger med på vejen. En interessant og forrygende biografi.

Vurdering: 4/6 Roser

Krimiormen.dk

[Colin Flanigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Winston Churchill, with all his flaws and famous strengths. It is filled with both adventure and misadventure, as he becomes an officer in the army and starts his writing career. What many forget is that he wrote countless books and supported himself as an author. He was in South Africa during the Boer War, stationed in India, went to Cuba and ran for office, switching parties from conservative to liberal and back again!

His Victorian attitude to the countries under England's rule in the time of his youth, from India to Ireland, show a nostalgia that neglects the harsh implications of imperialism but his energetic writing style and self deprecating humor make for a great read!

Some quotes

"Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realise that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events."

His final line in the book says it all for me...

"Events were soon to arise in the fiscal sphere which were to plunge me into new struggles and absorb my thoughts and energies at least until September 1908, when I married and lived happily ever afterwards. "

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Early Life is an exceptional memoir and an exceptional book.


This book is structurally brilliant. Churchill neither spends too little or too long on any part of his first 30 years- years full of remarkable and engaging adventures. It’s these adventures, combined with the author’s ability to blend a self-deprecating humour and ironic wit as well as his ability to be reflexive and intimate, which make this a timeless and incredibly accessible autobiography.

Much of Churchill’s youth was taken up by his experience in conflict zones and therefore it might be easy to believe this memoir would be one filled with boasting and arrogance about the author’s own important. This is not the case.
Churchill often displays humility, either by suggesting his own importance has been exaggerated or by extolling the virtues of his peers.

It is to Churchill’s credit that he barely reaches his political career for not only might this have lessened the appeal to both his contemporary and modern readers. Furthermore, it allows the focus to be on Churchill’s charismatic personality rather than his politics. This is what allows this book to be both one for a student of Churchillian history and one for a casual reader.

Nevertheless, he masterfully hints towards his political career and the tragedy of WWI contrasting this with the supposed gentlemanly and elegant Victorian and Edwardian eras. Whilst I’m sure many of his military opponents during his three military campaigns might disagree with this assessment and Churchill’s evidently imperial outlook, it would be wrong to suggest Churchill is anything other than honourably and respectful to these adversaries who would be so relevant to moulding him as a person. His decision to highlight the bravery of his adversaries and his acknowledgement of crimes admitted against them was perceptive and demonstrates the complexity of his character. Furthermore, that he mentions the fate of many military peers is a nice touch which shows how much he valued personal relationships and also demonstrates that this book is not all ‘me me me’ despite its suggestive title.

There is little more I can say that is not said better by either Churchill himself or the many scholars who have studied him for decades. As such, I will merely end with recommending this book as essential reading and by making clear that I look forward to reading more of Churchill’s work in the future.

5/5.

[Edvinas Palujanskas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iš šios knygos daug ko tikėjausi, tačiau gavau visiškai ne tai, ko tikėjausi. Maniau, kad tai bus tikra autobiografija, kurioje Čerčilis iškils kaip asmenybė, kaip savitą požiūrį turintis žmogus, tačiau iš esmės tai tebuvo knyga apie Čerčilio karines kampanijas. Labai daug tikėjausi iš Čerčilio vaikystės aprašymų, tačiau skaitant knygą nuolatos neapleido jausmas, kad daug dalykų yra sąmoningai nutylima ir dar pačiose įdomiausiose vietose.
Čerčilis buvo labai konservatyvus žmogus ir tai labai skaudžiai justi. Nei viename puslapyje jis nei karto nesuabejojo bet kokio karo naudingumu ar reikalingumu ir nesivargino suprasti bet kurios šalies vietinių gyventojų interesų turėti savo nepriklausomų valstybių. Knygos pabaigoje Čerčilis net mini pokalbį su Marku Tvenu, kuris neigiamai pasisakė britų atžvilgiu, kurie kovojo su būrais Pietų Afrikoje, tačiau Čerčilis kažkodėl greitai nusuko kalbą kita linkme. Kodėl? Kodėl jam niekada nekyla klausimų, KODĖL būrai kovoja su britais? KOKIĄ TEISĘ britai turi aiškinti Pietų Afrikos piliečiais, ką jie turi ir ko neturi daryti? KODĖL Indija turi vergauti Britanijai, o ne būti laisva? KODĖL išleidžiami milžiniški pinigai niekam tikusiai kariuomenei, kurios vienintelis darbas yra nekaltų žmonių žudymas ir jų laisvės atėmimas? KODĖL jis niekada nekalba apie Jungtinės Karalystės gyventojus, kurie kenčia žiaurų išnaudojimą darbo vietose, kai tuo tarpu jis, dykaduonis pertekęs turtais imperialistas, žudo visiškai nekaltus gyventojus? JEIGU tau tikrai rūpi BRITAI, kodėl negini jų interesų SAVO gimtojoje šalyje?
Tūkstančiai klausimų man nuolatos kilo skaitant šią knygą, o pats Čerčilis su kiekvienu puslapiu darėsi jis šlykštesnis ir šlykštesnis. Žinoma, buvo ir tam tikrų gerų vietų, pavyzdžiui, apie jo mokymosi metus ar apie pabėgimą iš būrų nelaisvės, tačiau to tikrai neužteko, juolab, kad ši labiau primena karo dienoraštį, ne autobiografiją.
Nesigailiu skaitęs , nes sužinojau šį tą naujo apie šį siaubūną, tačiau autoriaus šališkumas ir nutylėjimai buvo daugiau nei neatleistini.

[Ethan Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

The origin story of one of modern histories more influential politicians and writers. Full of unique Britishisms, the end of an empire, a glimpse into the life of an exceptional aristocrat, and the beginning of a political career. This autobiography is full of fascinating and hilarious stories.

A lonely schoolboy goes through the deprived boarding school system for boys of his rank. Upon qualifying in age, becoming a calvary officer to potentially grasp the glory of of his ancestors, the Duke of Marlborough being one of them, of whom he was named after. The calvary officer travels the world fighting radical Sudanese Muslims, affectionally known as fuzzy-wuzzy, rebels in Spanish territory, Hindu warriors in the north of India, and Dutch farmers in the south of Africa in the Boer War. Upon arrival at home he involves himself in local politics. The rest is history...

“I can only record the fact that, no doubt through my own shortcomings, I was an exception. I would have far rather than apprenticed as a bricklayers mate. Or run errands as a messenger boy. Or to help my father adjust the front windows of a grocery shop. It would have been real. It would have been natural. It would have taught me more. I would have done it much better. Also, I would have gotten to know my father. Which would have been a joy to me.” -Winston Churchill, my early life.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an interesting look at Churchill's formative years, education, army experiences, and early political life. He came of age during the last of the Victorian Era, when Britain thought it still "ruled the world". Churchill did not come up through the university system but went into the army instead. He felt this was a disadvantage but he was highly ambitious and his family's political connections more than compensated for his lack of an Oxford or Cambridge pedigree. Much of the book chronicles his experiences in the 2nd Boer War, a time when he romantically viewed war as more of a sport with glamorous uniforms and beautiful flags flying. I'm sure war buffs appreciated the detail with which Churchill described these campaigns. He does write well. He comes through these battles unscathed due to his ingenuity and great good luck! He used these successes to catapult him into a seat in the House of Commons. Churchill wrote this book in 1930. By then the horrific effects of advanced weaponry caused him to take a different view of war and its effects. And, World War II was yet to come.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a surprise! I knew nothing of Churchill's life before the World War II years. My lasting image of him was the jowly, squat, late-middle-aged man in the famous photo of him, Roosevelt, and Stalin at Yalta. This autobiography of his first twenty-seven years blew that image away.

After a few chapters about his schooling and his distaste for educational institutions, he writes about his years as a young cavalry officer. He managed to attach himself to fighting expeditions in northwest India, Egypt, and the Boer War, in what is now South Africa, all before the turn of the twentieth century. He made a name for himself both as an officer and as a correspondent to British newspapers, fighting and writing about it to the world.

He writes vividly of the times, but still manages to acknowledge a detachment from his earlier, 19th century imperialist viewpoint, having seen the world changed forever by the first World War. We modern-day readers have yet more ironic detachment when we look back at his text, written in 1929. We know that his world would be changed again forever by the second World War and that he would be one of the leaders of that change.

[Andrew Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Churchill’s autobiography, published in 1930, describes his childhood and early adulthood, ending with his election to Parliament. In this memoir, he recounts his upbringing in the British aristocracy, his turbulent time at school (notably Harrow), his military service in Cuba, India, Sudan, and South Africa, and his early entry into politics. He writes with a mix of charm and self-deprecating humour.

At times, his confidence in his abilities borders on arrogance—so much so that I briefly considered giving the book three stars instead of four. In the end, however, his exceptional storytelling won me over.

I was surprised to learn that Churchill struggled academically. His formal education ended at a level roughly equivalent to today’s high school. He is candid about his difficulties with mathematics and Latin, and he admits them freely. His favourite subjects were history, poetry, and essay writing (p. 15).

It took him three attempts to be admitted to Sandhurst. The required subjects for the entrance exam were Mathematics, Latin, and English, and he chose English and Chemistry as his additional subjects (p. 25). After finally passing, he was offered a commission in the cavalry—partly because competition for the infantry was tougher, and partly because life in the cavalry was considerably more expensive (p. 35).

Before leaving for India, at the age of 26, a friend remarked to him that “Christ’s gospel was the last word in Ethics.” Churchill confessed he had no idea what ethics meant: “They had never been mentioned to me at Harrow or Sandhurst” (p. 109).

While stationed in India, he resolved to broaden his education. He began reading about philosophy and history, immersing himself in Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. He was “immediately dominated both by the story and the style” (p. 111). From Gibbon he turned to Macaulay, and even committed The Lays of Ancient Rome to memory (p. 112).

Churchill later used his connections to join the British forces in the Boer War as a commissioned officer, while also working as a war correspondent for The Morning Post, a conservative London newspaper. He travelled to South Africa in 1899 to cover the conflict, and his dispatches attracted significant public attention.

While accompanying a British armoured train, Churchill was captured by Boer forces. He later learned that his captor was Louis Botha, who would become the first Prime Minister of the Transvaal (p. 253). Not long after, he famously escaped from a prisoner-of-war camp in Pretoria—an event that dramatically raised his public profile and helped launch his political career.

Churchill escaped by climbing over a latrine wall at the State Model Schools prison, where he was held with other British prisoners. Though he had initially planned to escape with Captain Haldane and Lieutenant Brockie, he seized an unexpected opportunity and fled alone—later expressing regret for not coordinating better.

For several days, Churchill travelled on foot, hiding during the day and moving at night with little food or water. Eventually, he made contact with John Howard, a British-born manager of the South African Collieries in Witbank, about 300 km from Pretoria. Howard, a supporter of the British cause, hid Churchill in a coal mine for several days before smuggling him onto a goods train bound for Portuguese East Africa (modern-day Mozambique), which was neutral territory.

After resting in Portuguese East Africa, Churchill rejoined British forces near Ladysmith in the Natal Colony. He participated in several key engagements, including:
- The relief of Ladysmith (February 1900)
- The Battle of Spion Kop
- The advance on Pretoria, where he was present when British troops recaptured the prison from which he had escaped only months earlier.

Returning to Britain in July 1900, Churchill was met with widespread admiration. He stood for Parliament in Oldham—the same seat he had contested unsuccessfully in 1899—and this time won. At 25, he became one of the youngest Members of Parliament ever elected.

Timeline of Key Events
1874 - November 30: Winston Churchill is born at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, into the aristocratic Spencer-Churchill family. Son of Lord Randolph Churchill and Jennie Jerome, an American heiress.
1880s - Spends his early childhood mostly under the care of nannies and at boarding schools.
Describes feeling emotionally distant from his parents.
1888 - Enters Harrow School, where he struggles academically—especially in Latin and mathematics—but excels in English and writing. Begins to develop a lifelong love of the English language and history.
1893 - After much effort, Churchill is accepted into the Royal Military College at Sandhurst on his third attempt.
1895 - Graduates from Sandhurst and is commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars. Travels to Cuba as a military observer during the Cuban War of Independence—his first taste of combat and journalism. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, dies in January.
1896–1897 - Posted to India (Bangalore). Reads voraciously—Gibbon, Macaulay, Plato—and develops his political and historical worldview. Begins publishing articles and dispatches from abroad.
1898 - Joins the British campaign in the Sudan under General Kitchener. Fights in the Battle of Omdurman and later publishes his account in The River War (1899).
1899 - Resigns from the army to pursue a career in politics and journalism. Runs unsuccessfully for Parliament as a Conservative candidate in Oldham. Becomes a war correspondent for the Morning Post during the Second Boer War in South Africa. Is captured by the Boers but makes a dramatic escape from a prison camp in Pretoria—a feat that garners national fame.
1900 - Successfully elected as Member of Parliament for Oldham. Begins his parliamentary career as a Conservative, but his views soon begin shifting toward Liberal reform.

[Jc · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring! I read a good third of the book and all we have is the description of the life of a rich and idle pratt. The guy certainly became a great man but up till his twenties he was just a lazy rich bum. It took him three attempts to be admitted to Sandhust (which is not exactly a nursery for Nobel prizes) and he was not even accepted in the infantry. As a soldier all he did was party and play polo. It finally got on my nerves. The only saving grace is that there is a bit of humor in WC’s writing in spite of a very XIXth century style.

[Jeremiah Lorrig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Churchill is the Cicero of the English language. While he tells stories that range from waging war on his mathematics class as a child, playing in a championship polo match in India, or his daring escape as a POW in Africa, Churchill's distinctive turn of phrase shines through.

These stories told by a master storyteller fire the imagination, relate forgotten history, and teach lessons that carry insight into the nature of humanity.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Churchill was a highly entertaining writer and his story about his early life would seem to be bragging in many ways, except that it appears to be all true. A very gifted individual with a lot of grit, got to give him that! I found his recounting of his school days to be particularly enjoyable, as he makes snide remarks about Latin and grammar.

[Dragos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tatal meu avea o vorba favorita si o folosea de fiecare data cand dorea sa-si exprime admiratia fata de o persoana intr-un mod mai aparte: “nu prea se mai fabrica modelul asta de …………… in zilele noastre”. Fie ca ne aflam la un meci de rugby si asistam la un eseu spectaculos, fie ca povestea despre fostii lui camarazi de la Regimentul 30 Garda, era subinteles faptul ca nu prea sa mai fabrica modelul asta de rugbyst sau militar in zilele respective.

Mi-am reamintit de vorba asta in timp ce parcurgeam savuroasa poveste a primilor 30 de ani din viata lui Churchill. Dupa ce am ajuns la final, pot spune cu mana pe inima ca nu prea se mai fabrica modelul asta de barbat in zilele noastre!

Sunt cateva calitati care mi-au placut enorm la tanarul Winston si cred ca as putea sa le grupez in 3 mari categorii:

- atitudinea relaxata si dezinvolta fata de razboi si moarte:

“Pana in acel moment, nu-mi trecuse niciodata prin minte gandul ca eram in pericol. Soarele se juca in apa scanteietoare, privelistea muntilor si a vailor era incantatoare, hotelurile si vilele zambeau vesele spre noi. Dar atunci am vazut Moartea cu ochii, asa de aproape cum cred ca nu o vazusem niciodata. Inota alaturi de noi, soptind din cand in cand cate ceva atunci cand se intetea vantul care continua sa ne duca barca tot mai departe si aproape cu aceeasi viteza cu care inotam noi”

“Este posibil ca mintile actualei generatii, epuizata, brutalizata, mutilata si plictisita de razboi, sa nu inteleaga senzatia delicioasa si febrila cu care un tanar ofiter britanic crescut intr-o lunga perioada de pace se apropia pentru prima data de un teatru de operatiuni adevarat. In lumina spalacita a dimineatii, cand am vazut pentru prima data tarmurile Cubei profilandu-se pe fundalul orizontului vinetiu, ma simteam de parca as fi navigat cu corabia lui Long John Silver si as fi zarit pentru prima oara lucruri reale. Era un loc unde in mod sigur urma sa se intample ceva. Se putea sa-mi las oasele pe acolo”

“Acest gen de razboi era plin de senzatii tari, fascinante. Nu s-a asemanat deloc cu Marele Razboi. Nimeni nu se astepta sa fie ucis. Ici si colo, in fiecare regiment si batalion, o jumatate de duzina – in cel mai rau caz, 30 sau 40 – de oameni plateau obolul. Dar pentru majoritatea celor care luau parte la micile razboaie ale Angliei in vremurile acelea vesele si disparate, totul era doar un element sportiv intr-un joc splendid”

“Ranit de mai multe ori, venea clatinandu-se spre mine, radicand lancea. L-am impuscat de la mai putin de un iard. A cazut pe nisip si a ramas acolo, mort. Ce usor este sa ucizi un om. Dar nu mi-am facut griji din cauza asta. Am constatat ca golisem tot incarcatorul pistolului Mauser, asa ca am introdus o alta rezerva de 10 cartuse, fara sa ma gandesc la nimic altceva”

“In ansamblu, acest razboi avea un aer de eleganta si de buna-dispoztiei care a lipsit foarte mult 15 ani mai tarziu, pe frontul de Vest”


- dorinta arzatoare de a lua parte la aventuri si a se afla in mijlocul actiunii:

“Este tentatia aventurii care ii ademeneste pe tineri, aventura de dragul aventurii. O puteti numi neghiobie. Sa calatoresti cateva mii de mile, cu bani daca abia ti-I poti permite, sa te trezesti la patru dimineata cu speranta ca vei da de belea in compania unor straini – cu siguranta, nu este deloc un comportament rezonabil”

“Calaream pe intuneric direct spre mii de salbatici feroce? Fiecare pas putea fi mortal, dar nu aveam timp pentru prea multa precautie. Regimentul venea in urma noastra si se crapa de ziua. Cand am inceput sa urcam panta, ziua se ingana deja cu noaptea. Ce aveam sa gasim in varf? Daca doriti sa simtiti emotii puternice si intense, va recomand astfel de momente”

“Cand privesc in urma la acele zile, simt intotdeauna cea mai sincera mila pentru prizonieri si captivi. Ce trebuie sa insemne pentru om, mai ales pentru unul cu educatie, sa fie inchis intr-o inchisoare moderna - asta nu imi pot imagina. Fiecare zi exact la fel cu cea de dinainte, cu cenusa goala a resturilor de viata in urma si cu ani lungi de captivitate care se intind inainte”

- umorul sec si intelligent:

“La Micul conac” am fost amenintat pentru prima oara cu Educatia. Mi s-a anuntat sosirea unui personaj sinistru, numit “Guvernanta”

“Am descris deja aparitia infricosatoare a Guvernantei in viata mea. Dar de data asta ma ameninta un pericol mult mai mare. Urma sa merg la scoala.”

“Si iata ce doresc sa le spun parintilor, mai ales celor instariti: nu-I dati fiului vostru bani; in masura in care va puteti permite, dati-I cai. Nimeni nu a dat niciodata de necaz calarind cai – cu exceptia necazurilor onorabile. Nicio ora in sa nu este irosita. Tinerii s-au ruinat adesea pentru ca aveau cai, pentru ca au pariat pe cai, dar niciodata pentru ca i-au calarit; fireste, cu exceptia cazurilor in care si-au rupt gatul – ceea ce, daca se intampla in timpul galopului, este o modalitate cat se poate de buna de a muri”.


Nu cred ca actuala societate mai e capabila sa produca barbati care sa se simta atat de confortabil in fata mortii. Nu stiu daca e de bine sau de rau si doar timpul ne va spune acest lucru. Inclin totusi sa cred ca nu e deloc benefic. In zilele noastre, bataliile crancene se duc cu lenea sau depresia iar stersul prafului prin casa e considerat drept o fapta de marie vitejie.


Cartea cuprinde 2 evenimente semnificative. Ambele au adus autorul in atentia unor personaje cheie si au dus la cresterea considerabila a popularitatii sale.

Primul este publicarea cartii “The Malakand Field Force”, o carte despre aventurile sale in razboiul de frontiera din India. “Cartea s-a bucurat de un succes imediat si amplu. Recenziile, desi sarcastice in privinta greselilor de tipar, se intreceau in laude.”

Cartea i-a adus o intrevedere cu prim-ministrul Angliei din acea vreme, Lordul Salisbury:

“Cartea dumitale mi-a trezit un interes deosebit. Am citit-o cu mare placere si chiar cu admiratie nu numai fata de subiect, dar si fata de stil. Dezbaterile din cele doua Camere in legatura cu politica frontierei indiene au fost caustice si au devenit confuse din cauza nenumaratelor neintelegeri. Citind cartea dumitale, am putut sa-mi fac o imagine despre luptele care au avut loc in aceste vai de frontier mai corecta decat din orice alte documente pe care aveam datoria sa le citesc”. Intalnirea dintre cei doi s-a incheiat cu Lordul Salisbury punandu-se la dispozitia lui Churchill: “Daca vreodata iti voi putea fi de folos, te rog sa nu eziti sa-mi dai de stire”.

Al doilea eveniment este incidentul petrecut in Africa de Sud, unde a fost luat prizonier de catre buri dupa ce trenul blindat in care se afla a fost atacat. Dupa doar o luna petrecuta in captivitate, a reusit sa evadeze. Povestea evadarii este probabil cel mai captivant pasaj din carte

“Am constatat ca in saptamanile cat fusesem prizonier de razboi numele meu facuse senzatie acasa. Rolul pe care il jucasem in trenul blindat fusese exagerat de catre oamenii de la caile ferate si de catre ranitii care ajunsesera cu bine acasa, pe locomotive. Corespondentii de presa de la Estcourt transmisesera povestea in Anglia, cu multe adaugiri picante si pitoresti. Ziarele erau pline de laude exagerate la adresa comportarii mele. Vestea evadarii mele le pusese capac si, dupa noua zile de suspans si de zvonuri conform carora fusesem capturat din nou, provocase un nou val de elogii publice. Tineretea cauta aventura, jurnalismul are nevoie de publicitate. Eu le-am gasit, cu siguranta, pe amandoua. Devenisem foarte vestit. Poporul englez suferea in urma unei serii de infrangeri militare, care sunt adesea necesare pentru a provoca exercitarea puterii sale, iar vestea ca ii pacalisem pe buri a fost primita cu o satisfactie enorma si, fara indoiala, disproportionata”.

Ultimul lucru care trebuie mentionat este exprimarea plastica si atenta la detalii a autorului (aici cred ca merita felicitat si traducatorul).

Sunt pasaje intregi unde Churchill lasa deoparte stiloul, pune mana pe pensula, paleta si culori si picteaza cu mare atentie tablouri de o eleganta rara. Au fost momente, ca cel de mai jos, in care am avut pur si simplu impresia ca tin in mana o pictura, nu o carte.

“Mi-au placut intotdeauna fluturii. In Uganda am vazut fluturi splendizi, care isi schimbau culoarea aripilor de la cel mai profund cafeniu roscat la cel mai stralucitor azuriu, in functie de unghiul din care ii priveai. In Brazilia, asa cum stie toata lumea, exista fluturi de acest fel, mai mari si mai viu colorati. Contrastul este extrem. Nu se pot concepe efecte de culoare mai opuse; dar este acelasi fluture. Fluturele este realitatea: sclipitoare, falfaind din aripi, stand o clipa cu aripile intinse in soare, disparand apoi in umbrele padurii. Daca crezi sau nu in liber-arbitru sau in predestinare, asta depinde de unghiul sub care ai surprins licarirea aripilor lui - caci exista intotdeauna cel putin doua culori in acelasi timp”

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1930, approximately thirty years after the last detailed chronology in his memoirs, Winston S. Churchill has provided a remarkably lucid and entertaining account of his early years. In 'My Early Life: A Roving Commission', Churchill presents us with insights of a truly Victorian man born to aristocracy in the waning years of that era. He dedicates the book to a new generation, to which he returns now and again with words of advice for the new generation as well as to lament how many of the changes have negatively impacted the quality of polite society – nevertheless a privileged view that would have hardly been espoused by a factory worker or coal miner in the day.

Beginning with his recollections of his first memories, Churchill pens a highly engaging narrative which cleverly interpolates the curious and playful adventures of a child of superior privilege in the latter half of the 19th Century against the most significant geopolitical events of the day. It is through these young eyes we view expansionary colonialist policies of the conservate establishment with romanticism and adventure. Whilst thoroughly entertaining, many of Churchills’ views on war, empire, and the non-white races are repugnant if viewed purely though a 21st Century liberal lens. One must constantly remember that he was a product of his time, intimately shaped by his class and society. As far as possible I wanted to remain unjudgmental and view this as a study of the Victorian mind, but admittedly found certain passages difficult.

"It was at the Little Lodge where I was first menaced with Education.” With this brilliant opening we enter what for Churchill was a miserable and dark period of early life. Despite being introduced to his first book ‘Reading Without Tears’ to which he claims didn’t deserve the title, the young Winston was to be found hiding in the woods more than in the classroom. Nevertheless, we are entertained with humorous anecdotes of his scholarly mishaps and genuine dislike to classical education through which Latin and Greek served as a basis of night terrors. The young Winston was nearly always at the bottom of his class, and was determined only capable enough to manage English. The irony of this is wonderful and he most certainly made fine use of this later in his life of writing, parliamentary debate and deliverance of speeches of extraordinary importance in troubled times.

Prior to attending boarding school, he was raised by his nanny, Mrs. Everest from whom he received most care in his young life. Churchill oftentimes ruminated on his estranged relationship with his father whom he terribly wished he could please as well as his clear love and admiration for his mother, described as a star, beautiful, bright but very distant.

Having survived the terrors of public school, Winston set his heart to a life of fun and adventure fighting wars in remote lands. With this he set about getting accepted into Sandhurst, which in his case still took three attempts. It was whilst at Sandhurst he developed a great love for riding and polo. Upon rolling out, we are delivered to parts of the empire as diverse as India, Egypt, Sudan and South Africa where he served jointly as an officer and reporter. One memorable episode was his involvement in a cavalry charge in the Sudan which was compelling reading.

However, it is obvious even early in life that Winston was destined for a life that blended conservative politics with the military. ‘My Early Life’ ends with Winston being elected to the House of Commons immediately upon his return from the Boar War in South Africa in 1902.

I found this to be a very well written memoir, filled with whit and humour which made it highly readable and engaging. Written almost a century ago, this account provides a very good insight to the Victorian mind, admittedly viewed through a lens tainted with the prevailing views on class, colonialism and racial superiority.