A thrilling narrative of Winston Churchill's extraordinary and little-known exploits during the Boer War. Churchill arrived in South Africa in 1899, valet and crates of vintage wine in tow, there to cover the brutal colonial war the British were fightingwith Boer rebels. But just two weeks after his arrival Churchill was taken prisoner ... The story of his escape is incredible enough, but then Churchill enlisted, returned to South Africa, fought in several battles, and ultimately liberated the men with whom he had been imprisoned. Hero of Empire is more than an adventure story, for the lessons Churchill took from the Boer War would profoundly affect twentieth-century history.