Churchill: Wanted Dead or Alive

By Celia Sandys

The “gripping narrative” of the future Prime Minister’s experience as a young journalist in the Boer War, as told by his granddaughter (Wall Street Journal).

In this lively biography of a dashing, brash twenty-five-year-old Winston Churchill, Celia Sandys chronicles her celebrated grandfather’s adventures as a correspondent and combatant during nine months of the Anglo-Boer War. This eventful period took him from the bivouacs and battle sites of Transvaal to his incarceration as a prisoner of war in Pretoria and ultimately to a bold escape across the border into Mozambique.

Using both British and South African sources of testimony, which reveal the dauntless Winston alternately as a courageous ally or foolhardy foe, Sandys recounts the exploits of a Churchill that history has largely forgotten. With historical authority, narrative vigor, and singular charm, she offers both a fully drawn portrait of the ready adventurer who would become England’s legendary prime minister and an illuminating account of the turbulent events that defined South Africa for modern times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781510743878

Reviews for Churchill

[chris_el-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.