Without the support of Oliver Borthwick, who died very young in 1905, Churchill might never have been sent as war correspondent to South Africa. That assignment, which resulted in this book and Ian Hamilton's March, catapulted Churchill to fame, and elected him to Parliament. Now it's back. Because the original deserves a review in its own right, these notes are confined to the quality of the reproduction. One would think those willing to pay R19.50 for this copy would not balk at another R2-3 required for more accurate map reproduction.
Maps are important.
Even with these small flaws, however, we welcome this fine effort. For those lucky enough to own an original, Griggs' book will let you read the text without wear and tear. Together they form a coherent, gripping and highly personal narrative of an incredibly adventurous period that included WCS's capture by and escape from the Boers, as well as the relief of Ladysmith. This work is not intended to be a history of the war and thus does not cover the causes or opening of the conflict, or events at which Churchill was not present. It begins in October 1899, just after the Boer government of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State declared war on Britain and sent hardy and mobile riflemen pouring into Natal.