Winston S. Churchill. Vol. 1: Youth, 1874-1900

108 Pages·2015·2.24 MB·English

by  Randolph S. Churchill

SECOND LIEUTENANT WINSTON S. CHURCHILL
4th Hussars 1895
WINSTON S. CHURCHILL
by R S. C
ANDOLPH HURCHILL
WITH AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW EDITION
BY SIR MARTIN GILBERT
V I
OLUME
YOUTH
1874–1900
Hillsdale College Press
RosettaBooks
2015
Hillsdale College Press
33 East College Street
Hillsdale, Michigan 49242
www.hillsdale.edu
Winston S. Churchill: Youth, 1874–1900 (Volume I)
Copyright © 1966 by C & T Publications Limited
Introduction © 2005 by Martin Gilbert
Originally published in 1966 by William Heinemann Ltd. in Great Britain and by Houghton Mifflin in the
United States.
All rights reserved. eBook edition published 2015 by Hillsdale College Press and RosettaBooks
Cover art by Jirka Väätäinen (based on photograph from the Broadwater Collection, October 1900)
Cover design by Jay McNair
ISBN Mobipocket edition: 9780795344466
www.RosettaBooks.com
Theme of the Work
He shall be his own biographer
—Lockhart
Theme of Volume I
How an under-esteemed boy of genius
of noble character and daring spirit
seized and created a hundred opportunities
to rise in the world
and add glory
by his own merit and audacity
to a name already famous
Contents
Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgements to the New Edition
Acknowledgements
Introduction to the New Edition—Martin Gilbert
Short Biographies
1 BIRTH
Blenheim—The Spencers—The Marlboroughs—The Jeromes—A Dance at
Cowes—The marriage settlement.
2 IRELAND
Quarrel with the Prince—Lady Aylesford’s farewell—‘Pressure can be
applied’—Disraeli’s solution—Viceroy of Ireland—Childhood days in
Dublin.
3 ASCOT
Winston’s first letter—Encounter with Latin—‘Terribly slangy and loud’—
Mr. Sneyd-Kynnersley—Challenge to Chamberlain.
4 BRIGHTON
Lord Randolph in India—Watching Lord Randolph—The election in
Birmingham—A battle for life—Lord Randolph’s pinnacle—‘Another half-
dozen autographs’—Lord Randolph resigns—Football and theatricals—
The Golden Jubilee—Harrow is chosen—Christmas with Mrs Everest—Mrs
Everest gets diphtheria—Working hard for Harrow—‘I have passed’.
5 HARROW
Mr Welldon—A prize for recitation—‘Phenomenal slovenliness’—A
Remove at last—‘Do try to get Papa to come’—The Army Class—Mr
Somervell’s English lessons—The preliminary examination—Lord
Randolph takes up racing—The den at Banstead—‘Welldon “swished”
us’—The Lord’s exeat in jeopardy—Fireworks with Count Kinsky
—‘Slouchy and tiresome’—With Minssen at Versailles—Visit to the morgue
—‘I have won the fencing’—The army exam—first failure.
6 SANDHURST
Accident at Bournemouth—The exam: third time lucky—Walking tour in
Switzerland—A quarterly allowance?—‘Neither late nor lazy’—Shabby
treatment of Everest—Winston intercedes—Recovery of the watch—
Advantages of the cavalry—Christmas at Blenheim—Prudes on the prowl—
Lord Randolph’s deterioration—‘Solitary trees… grow strong’.
7 THE FOURTH HUSSARS
A vacancy in the Regiment—A regimental steeplechase—A libel on
Churchill—Death of Everest—Search for ‘first principles’.
8 NEW YORK AND CUBA
Mr Bourke Cockran—Impressions of New York—Under fire at twenty-one
—His first medal—A party at Tring—Reluctant departure.
9 INDIA
The voyage out—Bungalow at Bangalore—‘The most beautiful girl’—‘The
life of a recluse’—The delights of polo—The pony called Lily—A political
analysis—His early reading—On literary style—Military duties—Money
troubles—A dishonoured cheque—His own university—Reading the Annual
Register.
10 FRONTIER WARS
His first speech—Hoping for orders—‘Faith in my star’—‘I shall be Prime
Minister’—A hot engagement—Hopes of glory—His first book—In search
of action—Polo to Tirah—Captain Haldane—‘The book is an eyesore’—
Aiming at Egypt.
11 THE RIVER WAR
Appeal to Salisbury—A success at Bradford—‘Christmas tree order’—A
native village—An army on the march—Kitchener—Patrol at sunrise—
Report to the Sirdar—Account to Hamilton.
12 RETURN TO INDIA
Advice from the Prince—‘I love one above all others’—The great Polo
Tournament—Triumph for the Regiment—Bishop Welldon consulted—
Difficulties over the novel—Lord Cromer’s kindness.
13 BOER WAR
The Scion and the Socialist—The Jameson Raid—Provisions of War—
Publication of The River War—Short cut to the front—The armoured train
—‘Worked like a nigger’—‘Alone and unarmed’—Rounded up ‘like
cattle’—Application for release—A close prisoner.
14 ESCAPE
Over the wall—A knock at Howard’s door—Hunt in Pretoria—Haldane’s
grievance—Train to Delagoa Bay—‘Thank God—Pamela’
15 LADYSMITH TO LONDON
Jack, his mother and the Maine—Jack is wounded—Savrola is published—
Chamberlain writes—Critique of a sermon—Too many Dukes—‘Roarable
and splendid’—Diamond Hill.
16 OLDHAM AND AMERICA
A very friendly reception—Oldham—General Election—A triumphal
progress—Lectures in England—Lecturing difficulties in USA—Death of
the Queen.
Illustrations
Second Lieutenant Winston S. Churchill
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough
Blenheim about 1880
John Winston, 7th Duke of Marlborough
Frances, Duchess of Marlborough
Leonard Jerome
Clara Hall Jerome
Lord and Lady Randolph, 1874
‘B’—The Marquis of Blandford (Vanity Fair)
Lady Randolph in Ireland
Winston and his mother (Thomson Newspapers)
‘A Younger Son’—Lord Randolph Churchill (Vanity Fair)
Mrs Everest
Lady Randolph with Jack and Winston
2 Connaught Place: the drawing room
Mrs Jerome and her daughters
Lord Randolph about 1884
Letters from Brighton: supervised and unsupervised
Jubilee at Brighton
The schoolboys about 1887
Lady Randolph, 1889
Mr Davidson’s Small House
H. O. D. Davidson
Robert Somervell
Rev J. E. C. Welldon
Bernard Minssen