Join us to discuss Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard. At the age of 24, Winston Churchill was utterly convinced it was his destiny to become prime minister of England. He arrived in South Africa in 1899, valet and crates of vintage wine in tow, to cover the brutal colonial war the British were fighting with Boer rebels and jumpstart his political career. But just two weeks later, Churchill was taken prisoner. Remarkably, he pulled off a daring escape—traversing hundreds of miles of enemy territory, alone, with nothing but a crumpled wad of cash, four slabs of chocolate, and his wits to guide him. Millard spins an epic story of bravery, savagery and chance encounters with a cast of historical characters—including Rudyard Kipling, Lord Kitchener and Mohandas Gandhi—with whom Churchill would later share the world stage. The lessons Churchill took from the Boer War would profoundly affect 20th century history.
If you’d like to read ahead, May's book is Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow. Have a book suggestion for the Book Chat? Email Barbara Goldner.