Winston Churchill Reporting

Adventures of a Young War Correspondent

By: Simon Read

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

2016 Voice Arts Award Finalist

Long before his finest hour as Britain's wartime leader, Winston Churchill emerged on the world stage as a brazen foreign correspondent, covering wars of empire in Cuba, India, the Sudan, and South Africa.

In those far-flung corners of the world, reporting from the front lines between 1895 and 1900, Churchill mastered his celebrated command of language and formed strong opinions about war. He thought little of his own personal safety, so convinced was he of his destiny, jumping at any chance to be where bullets flew and canons roared. "I have faith in my star - that I am intended to do something in the world," he wrote to his mother at the age of 23 before heading into battle.

Based on his private letters and war reportage, Winston Churchill Reporting intertwines young Winston's daring exploits in combat, adventures in distant corners of the globe, and rise as a major literary talent - experiences that shaped the world leader he was to become.

©2015 Simon Read (P)2015 Post Hypnotic Press

An Icon in the Making

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely, especially anyone interested in history and WW2. It is a spectacular look into Churchill's inner mind and what life events shaped his destiny.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Winston Churchill Reporting?

In a book like this, there are many memorable moments as well as eye opening events. For just one moment in time I'd say when Churchill has an epiphany of what war really is about when surrounded by the dead and dying on the battlefield. War is cruel, bloody and painful. It gave him a basis in reality when he had to send in troops during WW2.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

OMG Simon Vance is a jewel in the crown of narrators. His performances are always in the super star category.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, it was very hard to hit pause. But then one must sleep and eat. It is worth listening to more than once. I myself have listened to it twice. No doubt will listen many more times.

Any additional comments?

An excellent peek into the mind of a powerful man at a time when his fate was being shaped.

Young and Reckless

I have read many books by and about Churchill, but Read does us all a service by covering a period of his life we do not often hear about. Much of the book is fairly slow going - more detail about the battles than I expected.

There are great stories about Churchill himself: how he used his family connections to gain access to battle zones, his struggles to get his writing published and his inability to settle into the lifestyle expected of a young officer. I knew the basics of his escape during the Boer war, but the adventure is told well here and in much more detail than I have read before.

We do get glimpses of how his experiences shaped the Winston Churchill who lead the British during much of the second world war. It does feel a bit like the first volume of a long and detail biography. There is a fairly abrupt end to the action, followed by a one chapter epilogue that outlines the next 50 years of his life. I wish that there had been some discussion about how the experiences outlines in this book came into play in later policy or strategic decisions.

But as a fan of everything Churchill, I did enjoy the book and will probably listen to it again after reading books that only refer to this period in passing.

Simon Vance, as always, did an excellent job with the narration.