Many and many a year ago, when I still had dreams of making it in Hollywood, I embarked on a project that would easily take up a number of years of my life. My project was to write a screenplay on the Civil War in Angelo with the Soviet Union (with help from Cuba) backing the government and the revolutionary leader, CIA backed, madman Jonas Savimbi fighting against the government.
That was the first half of the screenplay. The second part of the screenplay took place in South Africa and the fictitious over throw of the racist, apartheid, government by the ANC (African National Congress) led by a figure similar to Nelson Mandela.
The screenplay was amazingly well received and I was promised by prominent talent agencies “Not to worry. They would take care of me.” Naturally nothing came of their promises. Note to all future Hollywood writers: When an agent or even a studio head tells you, “Not to worry. They will take care of you.” Start looking for other avenues to sell your work.
So when I picked up Candice Millard’s fantastic biography, “Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill” I thought I at least had an idea of the situation she was examining. In fact, I learned so much from this novel that all the research I did for my screenplay seemed like nothing. What I would learn of a young Churchill I simply had no idea about. The man was after glory on the battle field in such a way that’s it’s hard to believe he made it passed twenty-five. Naturally, the glory he sought was in hope of advancing his political career which it did.
Mrs. Millard, like any great biographer, does not take sides in the war between the Boers and the British. In fact, at times I found myself rooting for the racist Boers to beat the ever expanding British empire.
I highly, highly recommend this book,
A Curious View 