Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill (50 page)

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Authors: Candice Millard

Tags: #Military, #History, #Political, #Biography & Autobiography, #General, #Europe, #Great Britain

As indebted as I am to Martin Gilbert and Randolph Churchill, my first introduction to Winston Churchill, decades ago, was through the work of William Manchester. I have rarely encountered a writer with the ability to describe a scene with as much dazzling detail or conjure a moment from the murky depths of history as confidently and magisterially as Manchester. His writing is absolutely irresistible, and, even more than a decade after his death, his unforgettable three-volume series,
The Last Lion
, which was finished with impressive skill and devotion by Paul Reid, continues to thrill loyal readers and attract new ones.

To understanding the intricacies and endless complications of the Boer War, I could not have hoped for a more assured, trustworthy or fascinating guide than Thomas Pakenham. Pakenham is perhaps best known for
The Scramble for Africa
, but of equal power and reach is his book
The Boer War
, which is, in my opinion, the definitive modern history of the war. This book is not only thoroughly researched, it is incredibly engrossing reading, brilliant, rich and utterly compelling. I read it as much for pleasure as for work.

For a uniquely intimate and knowing perspective on Winston Churchill, it would be impossible to do better than the works of his granddaughter, Celia Sandys. Through her books—most notably
Churchill: Wanted Dead or Alive
—lectures and television appearances, Sandys has told Churchill’s story in a way that no one else could. Sandys not only knew her grandfather well, she has traveled in his footsteps, a personal mission that has taken her around the world, greatly enriching both her work and our understanding of Churchill. I am grateful to Sandys not only for her contribution to Churchill studies but for her kindness and generosity to me as I began my research.

I was very fortunate to be able to speak with family members of several of the central characters in this book. I would like to thank Keith Burgess, the great-grandson of Joe McKenna, one of the two Scottish miners who helped hide Churchill at the Transvaal and Delagoa Bay Colliery; Nicholas Woodhouse, the grandson of Pamela Plowden, later
Lady Lytton, the first love of Churchill’s life; and Judith Crosbie, the great niece of Adam Brockie, who, along with Aylmer Haldane, laid the plan that led to Winston Churchill’s escape from the Staats Model School. Crosbie wrote an insightful article for
The Irish Times
about her great uncle and was kind enough to share additional information with me.

I would also like to say a special word of thanks to Jonathan and Beth de Souza. Jonathan is the grandson of Louis de Souza, the Transvaal secretary of state for war who showed Churchill such kindness while he was imprisoned by the Boers. Jonathan and his wife not only invited me to their beautiful home in Johannesburg, they allowed me to copy in full the diary of Marie de Souza, Louis’s wife and Jonathan’s grandmother. This diary was extremely important to my understanding not only of Churchill’s life at the Staats Model School and his relationship with de Souza but the atmosphere in Pretoria before and during the war. The de Souzas also introduced me to the work of Jonathan’s cousin, Francis Hugh de Souza, who researched their grandfather’s life during the Boer War and wrote a very thought-provoking book about it titled
A Question of Treason
. Hugh also generously shared with me photographs of his grandparents as well as a copy of the letter Churchill left for Louis de Souza upon his escape.

While conducting my research, I had the great fortune to work with some of the most distinguished experts and archivists in the fields of Churchill and military studies, in England, South Africa and the United States. First and foremost in this category is the Churchill Archives Centre in Cambridge, to which any book on Churchill owes a tremendous debt of gratitude, and without which I would have been utterly lost. The extraordinarily complete and meticulously organized collection is overseen by its director, Allen Packwood, who is widely respected among Churchill scholars and students. I would also like to thank Ceci Humphries, Sarah Lewery and Sophie Bridges, archivists at the center who were exceptionally helpful to me both at the archives and, later, long distance, as I repeatedly called and e-mailed them with questions and requests for materials. I am also grateful to the archivists
who guided my research at the National Army Museum; the National Archives at Kew; Clare Fleck at the Knebworth House; and John Hoy, the chief executive at Churchill’s ancestral home, Blenheim Palace. At Blenheim, I am particularly grateful to John Forster, who, as well as personally giving me a tour of the house and its archives and taking me to see Churchill’s grave, generously agreed to read sections of my manuscript. Finally, I would like to offer a special note of thanks to Phil Reed, director of the extraordinary Churchill War Rooms. Phil gave me excellent advice, suggested several archives and experts, and even treated me to a delicious and absolutely enormous English breakfast.

In South Africa, I have a long list of highly skilled and knowledgeable archivists to thank, from Jennifer Kimble at the Brenthurst Library to Isle Cloete at the War Museum in Johannesburg, Johan Cronje and Elsje van der Merwe at Kimberley’s Sol Plaatje Museum, Gabriele Mohale in the historical papers at the University of Witwatersrand, Bernice Nagel at the Africana Research Library and the archivists at the Killie Campbell Museum in Durban.

I learned just as much outside of South Africa’s museums and archives, however, as I did within them. In Ken Gillings, I had an extremely knowledgeable, absolutely fascinating and very fun guide to the Boer War battlefields of South Africa. Through Ken, I also had the great good fortune to meet Sandy Buchanan, who is uniquely knowledgeable about the South African railway system, and John Bird, who not only has a deep understanding of the history of South African coal mining but has studied Churchill’s escape and his days as a wanted man in Witbank more closely, I believe, than anyone else in the world. Ken, Sandy and John answered countless questions for me over many years and were three of my most essential readers for this manuscript.

John Bird also introduced me to two South African mining consultants, John Wallington and John Sparrow, who provided critical details about what Churchill would have seen, smelled and heard as he hid in the coal mine shaft. I would also like to thank the mining historian Jade Davenport, who helped guide my research into South African mines and whose carefully researched and fascinating book,
Digging Deep
, was an excellent resource for me. I am also grateful to João das
Neves, the head of the history archives in Maputo, Mozambique, who was my guide to the seaside town that was once Lourenço Marques and the two-story white building that is still today the home of the British consulate. My thanks as well to the consulate staff who allowed me to walk the grounds, which has a wonderful plaque commemorating Churchill’s escape, and even tour sections of the building.

In the United States, I would like to express my gratitude to the National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri, where Churchill gave his famous Iron Curtain speech in 1946 and where there is now a world-class museum that has been host to many of the most respected Churchill scholars in the world. In particular, I would like to thank two of the museum’s former directors, James Williams and Rob Havers. I am also grateful to Karen Font, who did a brilliant job fact-checking this book.

I would like to say a special word of thanks to the Churchill Centre in Chicago, which has been extremely supportive and encouraging to me since I first began work on this book five years ago. In particular, I would like to thank Laurence Geller, the center’s chairman, and Lee Pollock, its executive director. Lee introduced me to a wide range of scholars and archivists as well as Churchill family members. He opened countless doors for me, making the early days of my research infinitely easier. I am also grateful to Lee for introducing me to James Muller, a professor of political science at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and a preeminent Churchill scholar. James gave me the great benefit of his tremendous knowledge while reading the manuscript for this book.

I am very grateful for the extraordinarily talented publishing team with which I have the honor and great pleasure to work: my editor, Bill Thomas; my agents, Suzanne Gluck and Alicia Gordon, and my publicist, Todd Doughty. This is our third book together over fifteen years, and during that time they have become not only my advisers and allies but my friends.

I would also like to thank my niece and nephew, Tori and Aaron Shaffer; my dear friends Stacy Benson and Jodi Lewis; the extremely talented and creative artist Brett McGuire; and two of the smartest, coolest people I know, Susie and Denis Tinsley, who invited me to stay
in their incredibly beautiful home while I was doing research in London. Finally, I am forever grateful to my loving parents, Larry and Connie Millard, and mother-in-law, Doris Uhlig; my three amazing sisters, Kelly Sandvig, Anna Shaffer and Nichole Millard; and my precious children, Emery, Petra and Conrad, whom I love with all my heart. My deepest, most heartfelt thanks go to my husband, Mark Uhlig, the most extraordinary person I will ever know.

NOTES

MANUSCRIPT SOURCES

AHD, Aylmer Haldane Papers, National Library of Scotland

BHL, Brenthurst Library, Johannesburg

CAC, Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge

KCM, Killie Campbell Museum, Durban

LOC, Library of Congress, Manucript Division, Marlborough Papers

NAM, National Army Museum, London

NAR, National Archives Repository, Pretoria

NAS, National Archives, Surrey

SPM, Sol Plaatje Museum, Kimberley

WIT, Louis de Souza Papers, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg