#46: The Story of the Malakand Field Force by Winston Churchill

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100 books, book review, books, Churchill, history

My third vacation book was written by my favorite historical figure, Winston Churchill.  The Story of the Malakand Field Force was published in 1898 and was Churchill’s first book.  It chronicles an 1897 campaign in the Northwest Frontier of British India (modern-day Pakistan) to punish hostile tribes for an attack on British positions, particularly the camp at the Malakand Pass.  Churchill was a young cavalry subaltern during this campaign and requested to be attached to the force as an observer.  He would eventually serve as an active officer during the campaign, taking the place of a wounded man. 

The historical value of this book is somewhat limited.  The campaign was a relatively minor one and is rarely studied.  The chief interest in this book is connected to Churchill himself.  Even as a very young man, Churchill displays a rare natural ability in composing English prose.  The circumstances of his early life are very interesting, as he travels from war zone to war zone in an effort to make a name for himself.  Malakand is also interesting as a glimpse at the Victorian British Empire at its height.  The attitudes Churchill expresses towards natives are typical of gentlemen of that time, and are the foundation of many of the struggles that the 20th century would see in relation to Indian and African independence.  Churchill believes wholeheartedly in the destined superiority of the Empire, and it is easy to see how that belief would eventually help him push through to victory in World War 2.

Beyond the historical significance, this book was extremely enjoyable as a piece of writing.  Churchill is a master at building interest and excitement.  His depictions of battle are outstanding.  This book stands in sharp contrast to McCaslin’s Tainted Breeze.  Whereas that book was a boring look at a very significant historical event, this book is a very exciting look at an event of limited importance.  If you enjoy military history and strong English prose, Churchill’s Malakand Field Force is an excellent choice.

The Current Count:

46 Read, 54 To Go

#25: My African Journey by Winston S. Churchill

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100 books, book review, books, Churchill, history

Twenty-five down!  I will post tomorrow reviewing my progress at this major milestone, but tonight I will limit myself to a review of Winston Churchill’s My African Journey.  In 1905, Churchill was appointed Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies.  He undertook an informal tour of British possessions and protectorates in Africa, reporting in serial fashion to newspapers.  In 1908 he assembled those reports and published the result as My African Journey.  I have made no secret of my Churchill obsession.  He is one of the most fascinating individuals to grace the pages of history.  This book, like his others, drips wit and personality from every page.  I am not blind to Churchill’s flaws, and many are on display in My African Journey.  His antiquated view on race relations and the superiority of the European to the African natives would be unbearable were they espoused today.  While his views certainly evolved after 1908, they represent his unique position straddling the Victorian and the modern eras.  It was this conflict between two ages that helped shape Churchill into the guiding light for Britain in the darkest days of World War II.  My African Journey offers a look at the man before he was a legend.  Churchill’s extensive literary output over the course of his life gives readers the rare chance to watch him grow from ambitious youth to national hero.  My African Journey is an entertaining stop along that journey, and I wholeheartedly recommend it as such.

The Current Count:

25 Read, 75 To Go

#8: Churchill: An Unruly Life by Norman Rose

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100 books, book review, books, Churchill, history

One month and eight books down!  As noted previously, I am obsessed with Winston Churchill.  The man was fascinating.  No single 20th century figure looms larger over the Western world than Churchill.  The story of his life ensures that any biography will be an entertaining read.  This particular volume is relatively short, with 346 pages of text and roughly another 100 of Notes and References.  Compare that to the excellent single volume biography by Roy Jenkins (1000 pages), William Manchester’s two-volume (so far) The Last Lion (roughly 900 pages each), or the massive official biography by Randolph Churchill and Martin Gilbert (8 volumes and a dozen companions).  If you want a biography that gives you every detail of Churchill’s life, Rose’s book is not for you.  It does include several interesting anecdotes that I had not read in other sources.  The difficulty in writing a shorter biography of Churchill is deciding how many pages to spend on the different periods of his life.  Rose’s book gives roughly equal space to all phases of Churchill’s life and career.  The result is that some chapters give far less detail than desired (specifically the WW2 and post-war chapters).  Ultimately, I would only recommend Rose’s book to people who have read numerous other Churchill biographies.  Rose’s goal from beginning to end is to show the ‘other side’ of Churchill, the unpredictable and unreliable genius whose one paramount triumph overshadows his numerous failures.  I do not think that Churchill is perfect.  He made many, many mistakes.  My complaint with Rose is that in his effort to avoid hagiography he has produced a negatively skewed book.  It is a good book for Churchill fanatics that need to be reminded that Winston is human, but is not a fair portrait of one of history’s great individuals.

The Current Count:

8 Read, 92 To Go

#2: The River War by Winston S. Churchill

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100 books, Africa, book review, books, Churchill, history, Nobel Prize, Sudan

Last night I finished my second book of the year, The River War by Sir Winston Churchill.  The River War is a history of the joint British-Egyptian reconquest of the Sudan in the late 1890’s.  Churchill participated in the campaign as a cavalry officer.  I greatly enjoyed the book, but would not recommend it to another reader unless he or she is either a history nut or a Churchill fan.  I am both, and subsequently loved it.  Churchill’s analysis of a modern, scientific campaign against an ill-equipped and untrained yet fanatical foe is particularly interesting in light of the recent war in Iraq and the ongoing struggle in Afghanistan.  Churchill is a member of that elite group of authors who elevate the English language to an art form.

The Current Count:

2 Read, 98 To Go