Churchill Wanted Dead Or Alive

by Celia Sandys

A diverting account by Churchill’s granddaughter.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Africa, Biography Memoir, War

233 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Churchill's granddaughter did an excellent job on this book. I hadn't remembered that Churchill was a journalist, or war correspondent, when he was so young. I have to admit that my knowledge of the Anglo-Boer War was non-existent. The years of the British Empire are a study in political incorrectness, but that doesn't make it dull. She doesn't beat you over the head with didactic justifications, nor condemnations. Very balanced. I found it to be an interesting, attention keeping read.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at Churchill escapades in South Africa. Written by his great niece it documents his time as a Journalist in the Midlands and his time as a POW in Pretoria and his eventual escape. As an ardent Churchill fan I found his bravery and wit sparkle and shine and loved every minute of this fascinating adventure that reads like an adventure story.

[Beth Sherwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written story of Churchill's involvement in the South African Boer War--something I knew nothing about.

[Mike Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was an interesting read about one of the more exciting experiences in Churchill's life. That the author (his granddaughter) was able to find that many people whose lives were touched enough by him that they had shared it with their kids and grandkids so to make the information available was really kind of neat and awe inspiring.

[Jeremy Juliano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non fiction is not my strong suit and this book took me a while to get through. I thought it was very detailed and appeared to be amazingly accurate. I learned a lot about the young Mr. Churchill and was entertained. I learned a lot about a war I didn't know happened prior to reading the book.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book makes me want to do further research into Churchill and his times. Amazing man with more adventures by the time he was 25 than most of us in a lifetime.

[JC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall an engaging and easily readable third-party account of Winston Churchill's time in the Boer Wars. Ms. Sandys draws on multiple primary sources and provides numerous first-hand accounts of specific events. My one detraction is that Ms. Sandys, understandably, tries to paint Churchill in the best possible light rather than admitting that Churchill, like every human ever born, had his flaws. Nevertheless, an interesting read that I recommend to anyone interested in Churchill or the Boer War in general.

[Jeroen Van de Crommenacker · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s an interesting bit of Churchill history. I have the feeling it could have been written with a bit more gusto, but nevertheless the tale itself captured me immensely.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting historical account of Churchill's life as a young man in the Boer war.

[Roy McDine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very detailed account of Churchill's early years through the Boer War. Great view into how his incredible mind was forming with his hands-on war correspondence and leadership skills.

[Jon]

People associate Churchill most with his role as the leader of England through most of WWII. But he played a part in many other important events of the 20th century -- he was in charge of the British Navy for part of WWI, and he was involved in Irish independence, the formation of Israel -- he even coined the term "Iron Curtain".

But one of the most interesting episodes in Churchill's life took place in the twilight of the 19th Century. Back then, British military officers got a winter vacation -- so they could go fox-hunting or whatever. Churchill, an ambitious young man from a famous but not wealthy family, had other plans. He headed off for the Boer War as a correspondent. He didn't stay an observer for long. When the train he was on was ambushed by Boers, he took the lead in defending the train. Despite his efforts, which allowed many on the train to escape, he was captured and held prisoner. Churchill: Wanted Dead or Alive is his granddaughter's re-telling of these events, in addition to his escape and his eventual flight to freedom.

It's certainly an interesting tale. If it had happened to anyone else, I think it would make a great movie. And here it is, with Churchill, an larger-than-life figure for so many other reasons. But some of the things that would make this a great movie make it a less-than-ideal book. It's a nice, simple story. So what does Celia Sandys fill up 215 pages with? Much of it with the story of her researching this book. I'm sure it was interesting for her to meet with the descendants of the people who helped Churchill escape, but the digressions take much out of what should be a fast-paced read. So it was fun for a Churchill fan to skim through, but others should probably just read the relevant section of a good Churchill biography.

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

When people talk about Sir Winston Churchill they usually talk about his leadership during WWII. And rightly so, but the beginnings of his greatness started long before he became prime minister of England.

Here in this volume his adventures in the Boer war are discussed at length. He spent a great deal of the war as a correspondent. As a civilian he showed great bravery under fire when a scouting train was ambushed and was responsible for saving the lives of several men and rescuing the train engine when he took charge of the situation. He was able to return to active duty and retain his role as a correspondent, even though that was against the rules. An exception was made, he only had to agree to being in an unpaid status while serving.

He was captured and imprisoned for some time and escaped. Having adventures was not enough though. He also wrote about them, published several books, managed to support himself, and kept his eye on the goal of running for political office one day. He had a sense of destiny, patriotism, and a strong will to win when things were difficult. His standing as aristocracy may have opened some doors for him but he made his own way. He was more than likely an extrovert.

This book includes the results of interviews of the children of people that Churchill met in South Africa and the stories that they told. They are well woven into the overall pace of the narrative and add to the story rather than being mere asides.

Churchill had a lifetime of experience by his 26th birthday.

[Lisa Swanepoel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book offered interesting insight into some of the events of the war as well Churchill, however I found the authors bias was evident in her story telling and this tainted the overall feel of the book for me. At times her arguments in defence of her grandfather were irrelevant and halted the story.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful look at the profile of a young leader. 25 year old Winston Churchill who dared to be his own man and rise to the level of his own making. A war corespondent and journalist as well as a soldier who knew strategy better than his superiors and was never afraid to say so. I was inspired. I'd heard of Churchill's greatness in his later years and this book revealed why.

[Velda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tad of a "yawner" but a real history buff might enjoy it more.