In 1900 Lord Roberts handed over command in South Africato Lord Kitchener, convinced that only some 'police work'remained to be done. However, within a fortnight, the warescalated and the new Commander-in-Chief had to makedesperate efforts to end the conflict. This new bookincludes numerous unpublished letters written by or toKitchener ......

From the bestselling author of Destiny of the Republic, this thrilling biographical account of the life and legacy of Wintson Churchill is a "nail-biter and top-notch character study rolled into one" (The New York Times). At the age of twenty-four, 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. Bestselling author Candice 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. But Hero of the Empire is more than an extraordinary adventure story, for the lessons Churchill took from the Boer War would profoundly affect twentieth century history.

The British Army was shocked by three military defeats in a week in South Africa in late 1899. The commanding General Sir Redvers Buller lost his nerve. Something must be done was the cry across the Empire. Britain sent forth not one, but two military heroes. Field Marshal Lord Roberts and Major General Lord Kitchener spent their first five weeks in South Africa restoring morale, reorganising their forces and deceiving the enemy as to their intentions. In the next four weeks their offensive transformed the war: Kimberley and Ladysmith were relieved from Boer sieges and an enemy force of 4000 under General Cronje was captured on the Modder River. A long and bitter guerrilla war ensured in a terrain ideally suited to fast-moving Boer commandoes. On the dark side, deeds were committed of which no civilised empire priding itself on justice and fair play could be proud. The comradeship-in-arms of Roberts and Kitchener, their differing yet complementary personalities, their strategic and tactical decisions are described and assessed using a wide variety of sources including, personal papers and official correspondence. By these mens resourcefulness the British Army, despite its unpreparedness and poor leadership at many levels, won a remarkable victory in the first of the twentieth century Peoples Wars.

In this sweeping 1920 biography of Horatio Herbert Kitchener, better known as Lord Kitchener, Sir George Arthur shines a bright light on the British military leader and statesman who, during World War I, organized armies on an unprecedented scale and became famous as the face on British recruitment posters. Volume III finds Lord Kitchener being appointed Secretary of State for War as World War I looms, and documents his many campaigns and recruitment efforts up until his dramatic death at sea in 1916. Written only four years after his death, this valuable historical account by a friend and contemporary offers a look behind the handlebar mustache and pointing finger of the man whose "Your country needs YOU" posters later inspired those of the United States during World War II. British writer SIR GEORGE ARTHUR (1860-1946) also wrote A Septuagenarian's Scrapbook and Not Worth Reading.