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My African Journey
Acknowledging all Churchill's other accolades, we tend to overlook his claims as a writer of travel. A fine example is at hand in MY AFRICAN JOURNEY, the story of his 1908 excursion in Kenya and Uganda.
Churchill's description of the East Africa of nearly a century ago makes an interesting comparison with today. The feeling of innocence and charm in the tribes he meets is now lost; the animals he hunts, decimated; the countryside through which he travels, pastoral no more.
But Churchill could never be just a traveler, so he notes dozens of opportunities for improvement--many subsequently adopted. Fascinating to sojourn with the young Winston, then in his early 30's, and feel the developing insight and judgment that one day would literally save the world.
134 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1908
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402 people want to read
About the author
Winston S. Churchill
1,395 books2,487 followersSir 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...
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...
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May 24, 2021If it’s possible to be a compassionate imperialist, Winston was one – pained by the multifold labors of his African servants, each carrying 65 pounds of his crap on their heads as they trudge for days through the undergrowth. (This is 1907.) He sees the British Empire in East Africa in the role of warmhearted kindergarten teacher. (He was Under Secretary of State for the Colonies.)
Everything I’m interested in, Churchill glosses over: the life of the tribespeople, the music, the exotic botany. He concentrates on shooting big defenseless animals & dreaming of hydroelectric plants every time he sees a waterfall. (Though it’s sweet that he improvises a net to chase butterflies.)
The biggest surprise: on the paths through Uganda’s jungle, it’s quite it’s easy to ride a bicycle.
He struggles with the question: why did Kenya never become a “settler colony” (like Canada)? Unexpectedly, he suggests Uganda as the perfect candidate for “state socialism.”
Even when he’s writing swiftly – and he’s still pretty young (31) – Winston’s a fine prose stylist. (This was his ninth book!) Opening at random:
“A diseased cow may take thirty days to die. In the meantime wherever it goes the swarming tics are infected. They hold their poison for a year.”
(The big mystery is how “My African Journey” found itself pressed onto four CDs sitting in the Woodstock Library.)
Everything I’m interested in, Churchill glosses over: the life of the tribespeople, the music, the exotic botany. He concentrates on shooting big defenseless animals & dreaming of hydroelectric plants every time he sees a waterfall. (Though it’s sweet that he improvises a net to chase butterflies.)
The biggest surprise: on the paths through Uganda’s jungle, it’s quite it’s easy to ride a bicycle.
He struggles with the question: why did Kenya never become a “settler colony” (like Canada)? Unexpectedly, he suggests Uganda as the perfect candidate for “state socialism.”
Even when he’s writing swiftly – and he’s still pretty young (31) – Winston’s a fine prose stylist. (This was his ninth book!) Opening at random:
“A diseased cow may take thirty days to die. In the meantime wherever it goes the swarming tics are infected. They hold their poison for a year.”
(The big mystery is how “My African Journey” found itself pressed onto four CDs sitting in the Woodstock Library.)
January 23, 2016
I was most interested in reading Churchill’s fabulous descriptions of the countryside and the insects, birds and animals he encountered. He gave beautiful descriptions of both the Uganda Railway and the Victoria and Albert Railway. His mastery of the English language along with the interesting 19th Century writing style makes reading the book just like stepping into history.
Churchill was the Under-secretary of State for the Colonies when he undertook the journey of East Africa in 1907.
I know that Churchill was one of the last men of the British Empire and he never quite accepted the fall of the Empire after the war. Therefore, I found it most interesting to see the African colonies from his colonist viewpoint. The so-called modern viewpoint is so different from how the British saw the world in the 1890’s early 1900’s.
Churchill’s descriptions of the beauty of the area around Mount Kenya, Murchison Falls, Kampala, the Riff Valley and the White Nile were beautiful; it is sad to think how it has all changed. The book is short and a most interesting read. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Stephen Thorne did an excellent job narrating the book.
Churchill was the Under-secretary of State for the Colonies when he undertook the journey of East Africa in 1907.
I know that Churchill was one of the last men of the British Empire and he never quite accepted the fall of the Empire after the war. Therefore, I found it most interesting to see the African colonies from his colonist viewpoint. The so-called modern viewpoint is so different from how the British saw the world in the 1890’s early 1900’s.
Churchill’s descriptions of the beauty of the area around Mount Kenya, Murchison Falls, Kampala, the Riff Valley and the White Nile were beautiful; it is sad to think how it has all changed. The book is short and a most interesting read. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Stephen Thorne did an excellent job narrating the book.
May 28, 2018
Es interesante como revela la manera de ver Africa como un recurso al servicio del Imperio, y me deja pensando cómo es que actualmente ese pensamiento esta vigente cuando usamos los recursos para el capital
November 17, 2019
Reflection on Winston Churchill's "My African Journey"
An apology from the author: Being my first attempt at a book review, I ask that you forgive the lack of structure and potentially in some parts monotonous tone of my writing. I aim here to provide a brief illustration of the book to any interested potential reader and highlight what I see as the most interesting aspects. Opinions stated herein are of my own and not of the company.
Before starting out to criticise some of the quite controversial content of this book, it must first be noted that this journal of Churchill’s was published in 1908 - 111 years ago to this year, and as such, his words and actions must be put into context. Churchill is often, I think for many, thought of as a figure of modern times, for he passed away in 1965 and due to his great accomplishment of defeating the enemy in WWII and contributing to the survival of a diverse Western civilisation, he is still very much alive in the nationalism and patriotism of the British people, and for the older generation – still very much alive in their memory. He was however born in the year 1875 and was very much a 19th century man. In his prime during the peak of the British Empire, he lived to see it’s golden age decline and, following the second world war, crumble to pieces. During the time of writing, the mindset of almost all children of the empire was that Britain was doing the wold a tremendous favour in her crusade of colonising and civilising every inch of her territories.
“In brief one slender thread of scientific civilisation, of order, authority, and arrangement, drawn across the primeval chaos of the world.”
In this excerpt from the start of the book, Churchill here describes the Uganda railway which was built by the work of Indian labour under British instruction. This way of speaking, this world view rather, is almost like an appetiser for the modern reader pre-empting the platter of now seemingly alien ideology that is to come. Before I get onto that however, it must be said that despite his flaws, Churchill does to a certain extent show reasoning and sympathy for the natives of the lands which he is visiting. The book gives away no clues (as at the time of writing, why would it need to), but after some research, I found out that during this period, Churchill was the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies’ (1905 – 1908) and the purpose of his visit to the protectorate of West Africa was a political one.
I can give praise to Churchill throughout this book for his constant (sometimes almost to the point of irritation due to repetition) advocation and deep desire for hydroelectric power generation throughout the many rapids and waterfalls which run through West Africa. He sees this as the key to economic growth and the enhancement of the settlements there. Churchill proposes that a turbine at Victoria falls could generate power for the whole of Uganda! Credit can also be given for his advocation of investment in railways throughout the region and he even dedicates the title of a chapter to, and pre-names one of the railways he is proposing to be built – “The Victoria and Albert Railway”.
Churchill’s descriptions of the natural environment, the people, the places he visits are detailed elegantly and fully. Some of the conditions he describes in terms of the terrain he travels through, the constant risk of disease and attach from predators, the blazing equatorial heat, also warrants praise for his endurance of character and physical endurance, even if undoubtedly the bulk of his belongings and supplies were hauled around by native servants. It would be almost inconceivable in our times to see a British politician trekking through African forests and jungle 20 miles each day on foot, pony and bicycle, then sleeping with the risk of numerous infectious diseases from the many flies and other pests, and with the risk of attach from predators. Yet Churchill was at an advantage. Again, obvious to the average reader at the time but not to the modern reader (and with no clues given in the book), Churchill was a soldier and had an active military career from 1895 – 1899 in Cuba, India and Sudan, even taking part in a cavalry charge in Omdurman. This again just illustrates the fact that Churchill was very much a man of another era and he cannot be treated the same as a modern age man, nor can he be judged as one – judgement must be in context.
I have now praised Churchill for what there is to praise in this book and have set the context. I will now proceed to describe the less agreeable parts of the book.
“The manner of killing a rhinoceros in the open is crudely simple. It is thought well usually to select the neighbourhood of a good tree, where one can be found, as centre of the encounter. If no tree is available, you walk up as near as possible to him from any side except the windward, and then shoot him in the head or the heart.”
This excerpt from the opening chapter of the book is part of a detailed description in which Churchill describes his hunt of a rhino. This is the first of many he kills on this ‘African Journey’ and as far as I recall, between himself and his entourage they total around 3 standard rhinoceros, 4 white rhinoceros, a couple of elephants, a hippo, a crocodile, countless deer and gazelle and surely countless other wild animals now protected and endangered. But take a look at this paragraph which follows shortly after:
“There is time to reflect with some detachment that, after all, we were the aggressors: we it is who have forced the conflict by unprovoked assault with murderous intent upon a peaceful herbivore; that if there is such a thing as right and wrong between man and beast – and who shall say there is not? – right is plainly on his side…”
What I take from this is that Churchill does have some sense of, not remorse, but some sense of consideration that what he is doing to this magnificent creature may be unjustified. Perhaps it is his admiration for seeing such a prehistoric spectacle of nature in the wilderness, or perhaps it is actually momentary fragment of guilt, but the fact remains that he ignores whatever lapse in judgement or emotions he has and proceeds to empty lead into this beast and many others. In contrast to this paragraph, in a later chapter he talks about not being able to resist pulling the trigger on a crocodile basking on a rock in the river as he passes by in a steam boat, out of his sheer hatred of the creature.
Perhaps it is a perverted instinct that humans have to get pleasure from the killing other animals, but in his time ethical arguments against hunting and animal rights were considered an absurdity and would surely have been laughed at. Also, if Churchill had backed down on killing the rhino when he had these thoughts, he would be emasculating himself in front of his contemporaries, and being a politician, it would surely reflect negatively on his character as someone who has a weak stomach. Nevertheless, I don’t think he actually gave it any further thought, I think he saw it as sport, ‘fair game’ and nothing abnormal - a bit of enjoyment.
More disturbing than the killing of all these now endangered species is perhaps the fact that nowhere in the book does Churchill mention going to retrieve the carcasses or at least taking their tusks and hides. As though they have shot them just for the shooting’s sake. At one point he mentions some of the natives going to retrieve the tusks of an elephant and at another he mentions gifting some hides to some natives, but there is nothing conclusive to suggest that they did anything than shoot the animals dead, take a photo, then walk away. But again, as it was nothing abnormal at the time of writing, why would he feel the need to mention it even if he did retrieve the carcasses? He had nothing to justify and nobody wants to hear about skinning, butchering and trophy making.
Beyond the descriptions of hunting, the title page photograph of “Mr Churchill and Burchell’s White Rhinocerous” and the great sadness reflected on by Churchill of not having found a lion to shoot, perhaps more troubling is the manner in which he describes the natives and his apparent view of white man as a superior race.
Again I will stress, if at least out of an attempt of judgemental restraint against the man who led Britain through one of the most horrific wars the world has ever seen, I will stress that he is a man from another era and cannot be judged like men of today. I am solely reflecting on the content of this book specifically, but if one wanted to make a fair judgement of Churchill, one would have to compare him against his contemporaries, because one’s opinions are never entirely of their own but rather a collective of the thinking of the time – all the bad and all the good, with a final opinion formed out of the selection of those influences with critical thinking, personal reflection and one’s own sense of moral judgement.
“At the Thika camp, then, several gentlemen, accomplished in this important sport, have come together with ponies, rifles, Somalis, and all other accessories.”
Here in a seemingly hideous display of propriety, Churchill describes the camp at which they are preparing to go lion hunting. “…Somalis, and all other accessories.” Need I say more? Before jumping to immediate conclusions though, let me quote and excerpt from the chapter “Around Mount Kenya”:
“It was pleasant to hear with what comprehension and sympathy the officers of the East Africa Protectorate speak about their work; and how they regard themselves as the guardians of the native interests and native rights against those who only care about exploiting the country and it’s people.”
“It will be an ill day for these native races when their futures are removed from the impartial and august administration of the crown and abandoned to the fierce self-interest of a small white population.”
Here, he somewhat shows sympathy for the native people and feels he has a sense (or at least the government has) of responsibility for their well being or else they will surely suffer. In a sense and with little knowledge of African history, I can say he was probably correct to a certain extent. There were the natives of Africa, blissful in their ignorance, living a simple life in paradise, and then came the Europeans with disease, technology, temptation and changing their lives forever. So in a sense yes, Britain did have a responsibility, it’s just his tone that makes it sound so arrogant and self-righteous.
In contrast, going back to the “Somalis and all other accessories”, this to the modern ear makes one think Churchill sees them as a tool, as a possession rather than equals. Well we know he supports the protection of their rights but does he think their rights should be equal or does he merely think that they ought to be treated humanely and not exploited like slaves? Does he consider the natives as equal, and if not, does he believe with education they can become equal?
“Armed with a superior religion and strengthened with Arab blood, they maintain themselves without difficulty at a higher level than the pagan aboriginals among whom they live.”
“The European has neither the wish nor the power to constitute a white proletariat in countries like East Africa. In his view the blacks should be the private soldiers of the army, but the non-commissioned officers and the commanders must be white. This should not be dismissed as a mere assertion of racial arrogance. It is an obstinate fact. It is already a grave defect for a community to found itself upon the manual labour of an inferior race, and there are many complications and perils that spring therefrom.”
“How is it that they have never become the home of some superior race, prosperous, healthy and free? Why is it that, now a railway has opened the door and so much has been published about them, there has not been one furious river of immigration from the cramped and insanitary jungle-slums of Europe?”
“And, meanwhile, let us be sure that order and science will conquer, and that in the end John Bull will be really master in his curious garden of sunshine and deadly nightshade.”
Churchill talks of a place in the world for white man and a place in the world for black. Where he supposes white man cannot survive, he proposes that those places be centres of economic output feeding European interests. He talks of inferior races and a superior races. Whether he is using these terms to define superiority in terms of the level at which each race is technologically advanced and civilised, or whether he sees it as a genetic distinction of superiority is unclear. Regardless, one thing is for sure – the rise of fascism and the Nazi superiority complex will have surely sparked a different outlook not just in himself but in the people of the British Empire and Western Civilisation as a whole. Looking back at this book post WWII, would he have judged his past self differently? Would he have seen the naivety and ignorance of his former self? On this one would need to research and consider in order to fairly judge the man as he was born in a different era and lived through the wars which prompted the biggest economic, social and ideological changes in modern history. One thing certain is that he is surely a complex figure and there is much more to learn.
A. O'Hare
An apology from the author: Being my first attempt at a book review, I ask that you forgive the lack of structure and potentially in some parts monotonous tone of my writing. I aim here to provide a brief illustration of the book to any interested potential reader and highlight what I see as the most interesting aspects. Opinions stated herein are of my own and not of the company.
Before starting out to criticise some of the quite controversial content of this book, it must first be noted that this journal of Churchill’s was published in 1908 - 111 years ago to this year, and as such, his words and actions must be put into context. Churchill is often, I think for many, thought of as a figure of modern times, for he passed away in 1965 and due to his great accomplishment of defeating the enemy in WWII and contributing to the survival of a diverse Western civilisation, he is still very much alive in the nationalism and patriotism of the British people, and for the older generation – still very much alive in their memory. He was however born in the year 1875 and was very much a 19th century man. In his prime during the peak of the British Empire, he lived to see it’s golden age decline and, following the second world war, crumble to pieces. During the time of writing, the mindset of almost all children of the empire was that Britain was doing the wold a tremendous favour in her crusade of colonising and civilising every inch of her territories.
“In brief one slender thread of scientific civilisation, of order, authority, and arrangement, drawn across the primeval chaos of the world.”
In this excerpt from the start of the book, Churchill here describes the Uganda railway which was built by the work of Indian labour under British instruction. This way of speaking, this world view rather, is almost like an appetiser for the modern reader pre-empting the platter of now seemingly alien ideology that is to come. Before I get onto that however, it must be said that despite his flaws, Churchill does to a certain extent show reasoning and sympathy for the natives of the lands which he is visiting. The book gives away no clues (as at the time of writing, why would it need to), but after some research, I found out that during this period, Churchill was the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies’ (1905 – 1908) and the purpose of his visit to the protectorate of West Africa was a political one.
I can give praise to Churchill throughout this book for his constant (sometimes almost to the point of irritation due to repetition) advocation and deep desire for hydroelectric power generation throughout the many rapids and waterfalls which run through West Africa. He sees this as the key to economic growth and the enhancement of the settlements there. Churchill proposes that a turbine at Victoria falls could generate power for the whole of Uganda! Credit can also be given for his advocation of investment in railways throughout the region and he even dedicates the title of a chapter to, and pre-names one of the railways he is proposing to be built – “The Victoria and Albert Railway”.
Churchill’s descriptions of the natural environment, the people, the places he visits are detailed elegantly and fully. Some of the conditions he describes in terms of the terrain he travels through, the constant risk of disease and attach from predators, the blazing equatorial heat, also warrants praise for his endurance of character and physical endurance, even if undoubtedly the bulk of his belongings and supplies were hauled around by native servants. It would be almost inconceivable in our times to see a British politician trekking through African forests and jungle 20 miles each day on foot, pony and bicycle, then sleeping with the risk of numerous infectious diseases from the many flies and other pests, and with the risk of attach from predators. Yet Churchill was at an advantage. Again, obvious to the average reader at the time but not to the modern reader (and with no clues given in the book), Churchill was a soldier and had an active military career from 1895 – 1899 in Cuba, India and Sudan, even taking part in a cavalry charge in Omdurman. This again just illustrates the fact that Churchill was very much a man of another era and he cannot be treated the same as a modern age man, nor can he be judged as one – judgement must be in context.
I have now praised Churchill for what there is to praise in this book and have set the context. I will now proceed to describe the less agreeable parts of the book.
“The manner of killing a rhinoceros in the open is crudely simple. It is thought well usually to select the neighbourhood of a good tree, where one can be found, as centre of the encounter. If no tree is available, you walk up as near as possible to him from any side except the windward, and then shoot him in the head or the heart.”
This excerpt from the opening chapter of the book is part of a detailed description in which Churchill describes his hunt of a rhino. This is the first of many he kills on this ‘African Journey’ and as far as I recall, between himself and his entourage they total around 3 standard rhinoceros, 4 white rhinoceros, a couple of elephants, a hippo, a crocodile, countless deer and gazelle and surely countless other wild animals now protected and endangered. But take a look at this paragraph which follows shortly after:
“There is time to reflect with some detachment that, after all, we were the aggressors: we it is who have forced the conflict by unprovoked assault with murderous intent upon a peaceful herbivore; that if there is such a thing as right and wrong between man and beast – and who shall say there is not? – right is plainly on his side…”
What I take from this is that Churchill does have some sense of, not remorse, but some sense of consideration that what he is doing to this magnificent creature may be unjustified. Perhaps it is his admiration for seeing such a prehistoric spectacle of nature in the wilderness, or perhaps it is actually momentary fragment of guilt, but the fact remains that he ignores whatever lapse in judgement or emotions he has and proceeds to empty lead into this beast and many others. In contrast to this paragraph, in a later chapter he talks about not being able to resist pulling the trigger on a crocodile basking on a rock in the river as he passes by in a steam boat, out of his sheer hatred of the creature.
Perhaps it is a perverted instinct that humans have to get pleasure from the killing other animals, but in his time ethical arguments against hunting and animal rights were considered an absurdity and would surely have been laughed at. Also, if Churchill had backed down on killing the rhino when he had these thoughts, he would be emasculating himself in front of his contemporaries, and being a politician, it would surely reflect negatively on his character as someone who has a weak stomach. Nevertheless, I don’t think he actually gave it any further thought, I think he saw it as sport, ‘fair game’ and nothing abnormal - a bit of enjoyment.
More disturbing than the killing of all these now endangered species is perhaps the fact that nowhere in the book does Churchill mention going to retrieve the carcasses or at least taking their tusks and hides. As though they have shot them just for the shooting’s sake. At one point he mentions some of the natives going to retrieve the tusks of an elephant and at another he mentions gifting some hides to some natives, but there is nothing conclusive to suggest that they did anything than shoot the animals dead, take a photo, then walk away. But again, as it was nothing abnormal at the time of writing, why would he feel the need to mention it even if he did retrieve the carcasses? He had nothing to justify and nobody wants to hear about skinning, butchering and trophy making.
Beyond the descriptions of hunting, the title page photograph of “Mr Churchill and Burchell’s White Rhinocerous” and the great sadness reflected on by Churchill of not having found a lion to shoot, perhaps more troubling is the manner in which he describes the natives and his apparent view of white man as a superior race.
Again I will stress, if at least out of an attempt of judgemental restraint against the man who led Britain through one of the most horrific wars the world has ever seen, I will stress that he is a man from another era and cannot be judged like men of today. I am solely reflecting on the content of this book specifically, but if one wanted to make a fair judgement of Churchill, one would have to compare him against his contemporaries, because one’s opinions are never entirely of their own but rather a collective of the thinking of the time – all the bad and all the good, with a final opinion formed out of the selection of those influences with critical thinking, personal reflection and one’s own sense of moral judgement.
“At the Thika camp, then, several gentlemen, accomplished in this important sport, have come together with ponies, rifles, Somalis, and all other accessories.”
Here in a seemingly hideous display of propriety, Churchill describes the camp at which they are preparing to go lion hunting. “…Somalis, and all other accessories.” Need I say more? Before jumping to immediate conclusions though, let me quote and excerpt from the chapter “Around Mount Kenya”:
“It was pleasant to hear with what comprehension and sympathy the officers of the East Africa Protectorate speak about their work; and how they regard themselves as the guardians of the native interests and native rights against those who only care about exploiting the country and it’s people.”
“It will be an ill day for these native races when their futures are removed from the impartial and august administration of the crown and abandoned to the fierce self-interest of a small white population.”
Here, he somewhat shows sympathy for the native people and feels he has a sense (or at least the government has) of responsibility for their well being or else they will surely suffer. In a sense and with little knowledge of African history, I can say he was probably correct to a certain extent. There were the natives of Africa, blissful in their ignorance, living a simple life in paradise, and then came the Europeans with disease, technology, temptation and changing their lives forever. So in a sense yes, Britain did have a responsibility, it’s just his tone that makes it sound so arrogant and self-righteous.
In contrast, going back to the “Somalis and all other accessories”, this to the modern ear makes one think Churchill sees them as a tool, as a possession rather than equals. Well we know he supports the protection of their rights but does he think their rights should be equal or does he merely think that they ought to be treated humanely and not exploited like slaves? Does he consider the natives as equal, and if not, does he believe with education they can become equal?
“Armed with a superior religion and strengthened with Arab blood, they maintain themselves without difficulty at a higher level than the pagan aboriginals among whom they live.”
“The European has neither the wish nor the power to constitute a white proletariat in countries like East Africa. In his view the blacks should be the private soldiers of the army, but the non-commissioned officers and the commanders must be white. This should not be dismissed as a mere assertion of racial arrogance. It is an obstinate fact. It is already a grave defect for a community to found itself upon the manual labour of an inferior race, and there are many complications and perils that spring therefrom.”
“How is it that they have never become the home of some superior race, prosperous, healthy and free? Why is it that, now a railway has opened the door and so much has been published about them, there has not been one furious river of immigration from the cramped and insanitary jungle-slums of Europe?”
“And, meanwhile, let us be sure that order and science will conquer, and that in the end John Bull will be really master in his curious garden of sunshine and deadly nightshade.”
Churchill talks of a place in the world for white man and a place in the world for black. Where he supposes white man cannot survive, he proposes that those places be centres of economic output feeding European interests. He talks of inferior races and a superior races. Whether he is using these terms to define superiority in terms of the level at which each race is technologically advanced and civilised, or whether he sees it as a genetic distinction of superiority is unclear. Regardless, one thing is for sure – the rise of fascism and the Nazi superiority complex will have surely sparked a different outlook not just in himself but in the people of the British Empire and Western Civilisation as a whole. Looking back at this book post WWII, would he have judged his past self differently? Would he have seen the naivety and ignorance of his former self? On this one would need to research and consider in order to fairly judge the man as he was born in a different era and lived through the wars which prompted the biggest economic, social and ideological changes in modern history. One thing certain is that he is surely a complex figure and there is much more to learn.
A. O'Hare
February 5, 2015
Winston S. Churchill came to the notice of the public as a journalist and author. Here is one of his earlier works, a 1907 travel book about his journey up the Uganda Railroad-- a railroad "to but not of Uganda," since it allowed access to that territory but stopped short of it; then across Lake Victoria and down the Nile by boat where possible and on foot where not.
This book is a window into an earlier world. I found many of the things Churchill said or described to be offensive, and so they are from the viewpoint of modern politics. But this book gave me more of an insight into the British Empire at its height than anything else I've ever read. It gives you not the material power which sustained that empire, but rather the mindset that created it.
It is also an entertaining look at modes of travel now long past.
The actual edition I read was the free Project Gutenberg text. I had an e-reader text in epub format. It was poorly formatted, with blurry photographs and maps posted in any which way, and had a few typographical errors. I also read the Gutenburg html version, meant for reading on a web browser. The html version had fewer typos and was well formatted.
This book is a window into an earlier world. I found many of the things Churchill said or described to be offensive, and so they are from the viewpoint of modern politics. But this book gave me more of an insight into the British Empire at its height than anything else I've ever read. It gives you not the material power which sustained that empire, but rather the mindset that created it.
It is also an entertaining look at modes of travel now long past.
The actual edition I read was the free Project Gutenberg text. I had an e-reader text in epub format. It was poorly formatted, with blurry photographs and maps posted in any which way, and had a few typographical errors. I also read the Gutenburg html version, meant for reading on a web browser. The html version had fewer typos and was well formatted.
November 13, 2021
Found this one a really tough read. Sure, place the man and his actions and this resultant travelogue in the context of the times and judge accordingly but the complete disregard of wildlife and nature is hard to stomach. Then overlay that with a generalised racial/paternalistic/colonial attitude towards the human inhabitants of East Africa. Remember this is not a young man we're talking about. 33 years old and an Undersecretary of State when he embarked on this tour in 1907.
Winston can definitely write about the glories of the African Bush, it's just a shame that he seems oblivious to the contradictions as he traverses paradise and shoots animals left, right and centre, muses over solving sleeping sickness and the scourge of the Tsetse Fly by clearing vast tracts of land, chomps at the bit to harness magnificent waterfalls by establishing dams all so the country can be tamed to provide goods for the British Empire, all under the control of a "disinterested" local British administration.
The snake in paradise springs to mind.
Winston can definitely write about the glories of the African Bush, it's just a shame that he seems oblivious to the contradictions as he traverses paradise and shoots animals left, right and centre, muses over solving sleeping sickness and the scourge of the Tsetse Fly by clearing vast tracts of land, chomps at the bit to harness magnificent waterfalls by establishing dams all so the country can be tamed to provide goods for the British Empire, all under the control of a "disinterested" local British administration.
The snake in paradise springs to mind.
October 14, 2019
Slow but interesting. It provides an authentic look into late colonial attitudes. It helps if you are familiar with the geography. Some of Churchill's statements eerily echo the attitudes of Westerners working in "development" today. Enjoyable but only if you have an interest in the region.
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March 12, 2024Preface.
I had never delved into Winston Churchill beyond his involvement in WWII. As an American, I wasn't particularly drawn to his other works, and most people around me don’t really talk about the man. Curiosity got the better of me to give "My African Journey" a shot. I anticipated encountering racist perspectives given the era, but I was intrigued by the insight it offered into the British Empire's history in Africa. Prior to this, my knowledge of Africa's history was limited to scattered facts and the transatlantic slave trade, but reading translated African literature this year has opened my eyes to Europe's extensive involvement in Africa, which was much worse than I had realized.
I won't proclaim this book as good, but it was educational. I appreciated Churchill's straightforward writing style, which made the content accessible despite its age. This simplicity also provided glimpses into Churchill's character. Additionally, learning about the Uganda Railroad was particularly fascinating.
Summary:
In "My African Journey," Winston Churchill's narrative reflects the prevailing attitudes and policies of the British Empire during the early 20th century, especially regarding Africa. It portrays British colonialism as a civilizing mission that brought progress, governance, and economic development to the continent. Churchill discusses British administrative strategies in East Africa, endorsing the colonial project through a lens of paternalism that overlooks its exploitative aspects.
Churchill's account highlights the economic motivations behind colonialism, emphasizing the agricultural and resource potential of British East Africa for the empire. His observations on land suitability for European settlement underscore the desire to exploit Africa's resources, often at the expense of indigenous populations. The book also touches on the strategic importance of the region to British imperial interests.
While "My African Journey" provides historical insights into British colonial practices, it also embodies problematic aspects of colonialism, including the justification of exploitation and the imposition of foreign rule under the guise of progress. The narrative tends to adhere to stereotypical and dehumanizing tropes regarding Africa and its peoples, failing to fully acknowledge their autonomy, cultures, and rights.
I had never delved into Winston Churchill beyond his involvement in WWII. As an American, I wasn't particularly drawn to his other works, and most people around me don’t really talk about the man. Curiosity got the better of me to give "My African Journey" a shot. I anticipated encountering racist perspectives given the era, but I was intrigued by the insight it offered into the British Empire's history in Africa. Prior to this, my knowledge of Africa's history was limited to scattered facts and the transatlantic slave trade, but reading translated African literature this year has opened my eyes to Europe's extensive involvement in Africa, which was much worse than I had realized.
I won't proclaim this book as good, but it was educational. I appreciated Churchill's straightforward writing style, which made the content accessible despite its age. This simplicity also provided glimpses into Churchill's character. Additionally, learning about the Uganda Railroad was particularly fascinating.
Summary:
In "My African Journey," Winston Churchill's narrative reflects the prevailing attitudes and policies of the British Empire during the early 20th century, especially regarding Africa. It portrays British colonialism as a civilizing mission that brought progress, governance, and economic development to the continent. Churchill discusses British administrative strategies in East Africa, endorsing the colonial project through a lens of paternalism that overlooks its exploitative aspects.
Churchill's account highlights the economic motivations behind colonialism, emphasizing the agricultural and resource potential of British East Africa for the empire. His observations on land suitability for European settlement underscore the desire to exploit Africa's resources, often at the expense of indigenous populations. The book also touches on the strategic importance of the region to British imperial interests.
While "My African Journey" provides historical insights into British colonial practices, it also embodies problematic aspects of colonialism, including the justification of exploitation and the imposition of foreign rule under the guise of progress. The narrative tends to adhere to stereotypical and dehumanizing tropes regarding Africa and its peoples, failing to fully acknowledge their autonomy, cultures, and rights.
September 2, 2025
Es una buena forma de meterse en la mente del político británico que eventualmente llegará a ser leyenda en un viaje de trabajo que en su libro retrata dos cosas:
1. La visión yuxtapuesta de desarrollo a la colonia Africana desde la perspectiva inglesa, y el desarrollo social de los pueblos africanos, con las contradicciones mismas que implica. Buena manera de entender cómo se veía a la sociedad africana en una perspectiva que no es ni blanca ni negra moralmente, sino gris, mostrando incluso las fallas y limitantes del modelo de desarrollo aún vigente y que en algún momento al mismo Churchill le apenan. Algo que sigue relevante cuando en las sociedades más desarrolladas del planeta, aún sigue habiendo qué trabajar.
2. Una crónica de su viaje que retrata a la salvaje pero emocionante (y peligrosa) África, pero que personalmente pierde mi atención a las 150 páginas leyendo esto hoy día.
Si lo hubiera leído hace 100 años claramente hubiera sido un buen punto de partida pero hoy día lógicamente hay mejores maneras de conocer al África tanto del pasado como del hoy.
Justo el punto débil (a mi criterio), está aquí, y que honestamente fue la parte más densa no por lo pesado de la escritura sino por sentirse repetitivo lo que llega a narrar. Esto sesgado totalmente al ser leída 120 años después, pero dándole crédito, creo que su valor reside en una buena forma de ver los pensamientos, aspiraciones y valores de aquella época, lo cual sí creo que es muy interesante a día de hoy.
1. La visión yuxtapuesta de desarrollo a la colonia Africana desde la perspectiva inglesa, y el desarrollo social de los pueblos africanos, con las contradicciones mismas que implica. Buena manera de entender cómo se veía a la sociedad africana en una perspectiva que no es ni blanca ni negra moralmente, sino gris, mostrando incluso las fallas y limitantes del modelo de desarrollo aún vigente y que en algún momento al mismo Churchill le apenan. Algo que sigue relevante cuando en las sociedades más desarrolladas del planeta, aún sigue habiendo qué trabajar.
2. Una crónica de su viaje que retrata a la salvaje pero emocionante (y peligrosa) África, pero que personalmente pierde mi atención a las 150 páginas leyendo esto hoy día.
Si lo hubiera leído hace 100 años claramente hubiera sido un buen punto de partida pero hoy día lógicamente hay mejores maneras de conocer al África tanto del pasado como del hoy.
Justo el punto débil (a mi criterio), está aquí, y que honestamente fue la parte más densa no por lo pesado de la escritura sino por sentirse repetitivo lo que llega a narrar. Esto sesgado totalmente al ser leída 120 años después, pero dándole crédito, creo que su valor reside en una buena forma de ver los pensamientos, aspiraciones y valores de aquella época, lo cual sí creo que es muy interesante a día de hoy.
January 17, 2025
Mi viaje por África de Sir Winston Churchill,
Tal vez el inglés más importante del siglo XX y ganador del Premio Nobel de Literatura, escribe estas postales de su viaje por los territorios del imperio británico en África del Este en una misión de reconocimiento cuando era parte de la secretaría de Colonias del Imperio. Es un libro interesante porque refleja abiertamente esa idea de que el europeo blanco y educado lleva la civilización y el orden al resto del mundo porque los que viven en esas tierras no tienen la inteligencia ni la capacidad, además cuenta de manera súper amena (para mí es la mejor parte del libro) sus expediciones en la selva, la sábana y el río Nilo y los grandes lagos para explorar y practicar el “deporte” de cazar. La verdad es que no es sorpresa, Sir Winston era un conservador defensor del imperio británico y parte de las clases altas y se nota! Me gusta que no tiene ninguna pena y para el es normal ser como es. El libro es entretenido y se lee rápido, las partes donde hace sus reflexiones económico administrativas son tediosas pero muestran lo amplio que era sus intereses y capacidades y como un imperialista veía las cosas, es un libro de otra época pero súper valioso para saber cómo pensaba esa clase dirigente antes de que las dos guerras mundiales acabaran su imperio.
Tal vez el inglés más importante del siglo XX y ganador del Premio Nobel de Literatura, escribe estas postales de su viaje por los territorios del imperio británico en África del Este en una misión de reconocimiento cuando era parte de la secretaría de Colonias del Imperio. Es un libro interesante porque refleja abiertamente esa idea de que el europeo blanco y educado lleva la civilización y el orden al resto del mundo porque los que viven en esas tierras no tienen la inteligencia ni la capacidad, además cuenta de manera súper amena (para mí es la mejor parte del libro) sus expediciones en la selva, la sábana y el río Nilo y los grandes lagos para explorar y practicar el “deporte” de cazar. La verdad es que no es sorpresa, Sir Winston era un conservador defensor del imperio británico y parte de las clases altas y se nota! Me gusta que no tiene ninguna pena y para el es normal ser como es. El libro es entretenido y se lee rápido, las partes donde hace sus reflexiones económico administrativas son tediosas pero muestran lo amplio que era sus intereses y capacidades y como un imperialista veía las cosas, es un libro de otra época pero súper valioso para saber cómo pensaba esa clase dirigente antes de que las dos guerras mundiales acabaran su imperio.
May 22, 2021
Well written as most Churchill is. This book absolutely demonstrates all of the characteristics of racial prejudice and colonialism for which Churchill is being reviled today. He shows the absolute faith in British exceptionalism and entitlement that enabled the Brits to conquer and rule most of the world. It never occurs to him that all these people aren’t just waiting for the English to come build railroads and harness the rivers so they can be more productive, while saying that Uganda should never be a place for white settlement, but should be run on a plantation system by disinterested British Civil Servants for the good of the locals and the Empire.
And along the way, he and his buddies hunt down and trophy-shoot anything that walks by.
This is another I read on Hoopla from our library.
And along the way, he and his buddies hunt down and trophy-shoot anything that walks by.
This is another I read on Hoopla from our library.
July 29, 2017
No sólo es un fascinante viaje por África, es un viaje al pasado, donde puedes aprender la mentalidad del colonizador inglés, visitar montón de tribus africanas, conocer la flora y fauna del África Oriental, vislumbrar el futuro, ahora pasado, del África de 1908 y deslizarte por la belleza del Nilo.
Leer a Churchill es una maravilla, es un excelente narrador, filósofo, maestro del lenguaje. A pesar de sus ideas racistas y de la caza de animales salvajes, uno se fascina con el personaje. Me inspira a leerlo más, a conocerlo mejor.
También quiero leer más de la historia de África a partir de este viaje.
Nota: La edición que yo leí es la de Editorial Almadía de 2015 con prólogo de Julio Trujillo, parte de la colección "Cartografías".
Leer a Churchill es una maravilla, es un excelente narrador, filósofo, maestro del lenguaje. A pesar de sus ideas racistas y de la caza de animales salvajes, uno se fascina con el personaje. Me inspira a leerlo más, a conocerlo mejor.
También quiero leer más de la historia de África a partir de este viaje.
Nota: La edición que yo leí es la de Editorial Almadía de 2015 con prólogo de Julio Trujillo, parte de la colección "Cartografías".
April 12, 2019
I have read a number of books about or by Winston S Churchill - most were about his time as Prime Minister during World War II. This was the earliest aspect of his life that I have seen. A very descriptive account through a British Colonialist’s eyes (with a few statements that would make one grimace in the 21st Century). One must look at this part of Africa to see what the British world (and Churchill’s) viewed it in their eyes during this time in history. To hear of Kampala as a bunch of hits hidden in the jungle in 1907 and to see what it looks like on Google Earth is astonishing as to the changes. Kampala and Entebbe are joined by urban sprawl now. The wild environment of Africa then is sadly a thing of the past. A good, short book if you can keep it in the time’s context.
March 21, 2023
4.5 Stars. It is great to be back with Winston. I've read so many books about him and it's a real pleasure to hear from him directly. This book covers 1907 and Winston's time in Uganda and Kenya. I learned that "Simba" means the place of lions-good trivia Q for Lion King fans. Lots of disease issues from mosquitoes to tsetse flies, ticks, and cholera. Winston saw that Uganda was a valuable place, fertile land, for cotton, rubber, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, sugar. He thought building a railway would be highly beneficial. Good look at history from a young man's viewpoint.
June 1, 2021
Churchill kan zeker schrijven. Als liefhebber van indrukwekkende natuur en fervent jager weet hij bij de lezer tegenstrijdige gevoelens op te wekken. Meer dan honderd jaar na publicatie doet de stijl verrassend modern aan. Alleen zijn onze opvattingen over de Afrikaanse medemens en wilde dieren wel wat veranderd om het bescheiden uit te drukken. Toch weet Churchill het mooi te brengen: de sfeer van de jacht, de risico's en ook zijn bewondering voor olifanten en rhinocerossen.
August 31, 2017
An excellent, if short, account of a journey through the East African Protectorate and Churchill's musing's on its great potential if carefully attended to.
Optimistic (but not unreasonably so) in its day, desperately heartbreaking today.
The wretched and unintended emotions of lost potential seep from every page, and one can't help but wish things had turned out any other way at all.
Optimistic (but not unreasonably so) in its day, desperately heartbreaking today.
The wretched and unintended emotions of lost potential seep from every page, and one can't help but wish things had turned out any other way at all.
November 5, 2017
Winston Churchill is a profound writer and always a pleasure to read.
October 11, 2018
An interesting book where you could see all the wonders of Uganda.
August 31, 2019
Churchill is such a good writer, even at this young age (he wrote this book at 1908).
A wonderful time travel to a long gone colonial era.
A wonderful time travel to a long gone colonial era.
August 12, 2022
I have read this book many times and my opinion is not important.
June 22, 2024
Excellent book with specific names places and events described in detail about this amazing man and his time in Africa. Highly entertaining book!
Read
September 5, 2024A colonisers beginning. This book is absolutely a manifesto of racism.
March 2, 2025
Sobre a Somália e o Uganda, respetivamente: “É como se comparássemos uma terra estéril e uma população perigosa com uma terra fértil e uma população dócil”
November 4, 2020
I had to return this book to the library and didn't get a chance to finish it, but I read the first half of it and I was finding it very interesting both as a historical account and as a travel book. I particularly enjoyed Churchill's descriptions of Eastern Africa, its landscapes and vegetation, its people and the way they lived and moved across the continent. I found it less enjoyable to read the bits on politics and colonialism, as well as Churchill's views on those matters. I understand he was a man of his time - and therefore will not start a discussion on whether his views were right or wrong - but 100 years later his thoughts and commentary feel anachronic and almost uncomfortable to read unless you make an effort to distance yourself from the text.
February 17, 2014
Really interesting account on Churchill's visit mainly to Uganda! And how actual is comments are on the way Uganda can/could be the powerhouse of the whole region! Not as part of the British empire but as a nation.
May 28, 2009
Wow what a bwanna he was, wicked fun from when the sun hadn't set on the British Empire.
June 1, 2014
Highly entertaining colonial porn. Some juicy excerpts here -
http://imadahmed.wordpress.com/2014/0...
http://imadahmed.wordpress.com/2014/0...
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