Podcast #240: The Making of Winston Churchill | The Art of Manliness

When we hear the name “Winston Churchill,” images of the cigar chomping, overweight, elderly aristocrat who led England through their Finest Hour probably come to mind. What few people realize, however, is that as a young man Churchill lived a life of romantic adventure and daring by fighting at the battlefront in three different wars before he was 23 years old. And he capped off his military career by serving as a 24-year-old war corespondent in the Boer War, where he was taken prisoner, made an audacious escape, and returned home to England as a national hero. My guest today on the podcast has just published a detailed account of Churchill’s capture and escape during the Boer War and how it launched his career as the statesman we remember today. Her name is Candice Millard, and you may have read her previous book The River of Doubt about Theodore Roosevelt’s exploration of the Amazon. Her latest book is called Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill. On today’s show Candice and I discuss the supreme confidence Churchill had as a young man that he was destined for greatness and how he intentionally sought after dangerous military missions that would catapult him to fame. We also discuss the compelling leadership and persuasion ability Churchill displayed during the Boer War that would later propel his political career, as well as the similarities between Churchill and Teddy Roosevelt. Follow us! https://ift.tt/YAd15k http://twitter.com/artofmanliness