His dramatic escape from being a prisoner of war gained him fame, and his subsequent newspaper accounts of later battles secured his generally favorable reputation.

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? 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. Apie laikus, kai Britanija vis dar buvo imperija, nors to milžino kojos vis labiau linko po užsikrautu svoriu. 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).Gal nustebsite, kad Čerčilis neturėjo universitetinio ar bent kitokio humanitarinio išsilavinimo, tad bus proga pamąstyti, kokią dalį jo (o ir kitų žmonių) sėkmėje vaidina įgimti dalykai, saviugda ir savišvieta.

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 . In 1924 he became a Conservative MP for Epping and was Chancellor of the Exchequer for the next 5 years. 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! I found his recounting of his school days to be particularly enjoyable, as he makes snide remarks about Latin and grammar. Still, fascinating stuff, and I'm glad I got a sense of his voice before I embarked upon the very long Last Lion series.I gathered these were wicked people and there was no end to what they would do if they had their way. One example of this was his reliance on a pistol instead of his cavalry sword in battle, with at least one situation where his injured shoulder would have led to him being a casualty instead of the victor. As we all know, in 1930 Churchill had no idea that his greatest trials and triumphs still lay before him. When do the waving lights and shadows of dawning consciousness cast their print upon the mind of a child?

His perspective from his experience of war in the 20th century allowed him to see his early life as part of a vanished era in warfare, and in the social structure of life in England.With this brilliant opening we enter what for Churchill was a miserable and dark period of early life. If those who condemned him then or who contemplate war in this day and age had read page 245 of this book, they might meet the true world statesman - I quote: "Let us learn our lessons. He describes his large collection of toy soldiers, his usually unsuccessful experiences in school, and how his family decided his path in life was to join the army as an officer. 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.

This book was an interesting look at Churchill's formative years, education, army experiences, and early political life. Vietomis požiūris į kai kuriuos dalykus stebina, bet supranti, kad būtent taip tuomet viskas ir atrodė. 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”). 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. This is what allows this book to be both one for a student of Churchillian history and one for a casual reader.Anyone suffering the stress of exams - take heart; it took him three tries to pass the exams for entry to Sandhurst when even the powerful influence of his family could not help; in the end, it was his own determination and perseverence that triumphed. He wrote books including The World Crisis(1923-29), Marlborough (1933-8) and The Second World War (1948-54).