Kitchener: The Man Behind the Legend [Paperback]

Philip Warner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2007

Kitchener was one of the most successful generals Britain has ever had, and yet he has always been a mystery. Legends proliferated about him in his lifetime, and the circumstances of his death have remained an enigma. Not until recently, with the fresh material which has come to light, has it been possible to find the real person behind that enormous, intimidating moustache. In this absorbing study Philip Warner shows us exactly what a debt Britain owes to Kitchener. Far from being the remote, austere figure of the placards, he was a daring adventurer and spy, a meticulous planner and a commander who took his place at the front of the battle. He was trusted by civilians; worshipped by his men, and detested by most of his officers. Philip Warner had exclusive access to the papers of the Kitchener family while researching this book, and spoke to the few people still alive who knew the man personally. The result is the definitive biography of this most important yet least known of British generals.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A hero of the Victorian era, British general Horatio Herbert Kitchener (18501916) was as famous for his stern, "military" appearance as for his victories on distant battlefields in the Sudan and South Africa. In this well-researched biography, based on family papers, military historian Warner shows that Kitchener, first Earl of Khartoum and Broome, was a complex figure who, while certainly out of touch with the lives of average soldiers, was at heart an adventurer hiding behind a huge, forbidding mustache. Beginning with the future hero's sheltered childhood and his "schoolboy-adventure-story" life as a military surveyor in Palestine and Egypt, the author recounts his rapid career rise, his well-planned battle campaigns and his many conflicts with politicians. This is an informed, balanced account that convincingly disputes many myths, including the notion that Kitchener was homosexual. Warner's books include The Crimean War.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In this popular biography of Kitchener, we find neither the latent homosexual nor the self-centered eccentric of other recent biographies but a Victorian gentleman whose successes as adventurer, administrator, and general combined with his own quirks of personality to generate criticism and misunderstanding. But Warner tends to overstate his case for Kitchener's normality and competence. He also fails to establish Kitchener's professional milieu. The book moves so rapidly through the Sudan, Egypt, India, etc., that readers will find it difficult to evaluate Warner's arguments. George Cassar's more scholarly Kitchener (London: Kimber, 1977) presents a similar view and is preferable for academic libraries. This is comparable in quality and appeal to Philip Magnus's Kitchener (1958) . For general readers. Dennis E. Show alter, History Dept., Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 247 pages
• Publisher: Cassell (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0304367206
• ISBN-13: 978-0304367207
• Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 5.5 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,623,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars this book wasn't very good, September 6, 2009

By 

Peter D. Bellone - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kitchener: The Man Behind the Legend (Paperback)

I can't say this book was terrible but I thought that I didn't get behind the legend as the title suggests. One of the main problems- and it didn't help I just finished the excellent vol 1 the last lion by manchester- was I think the author skimmed over parts he should have gone more indepth and expanded on stuff that he should have skimmed over. I really wished he would have gone into the sudan and the south african campaigns- I really felt like he gave the boer war short shift- a little more instead of discussing the veneral rates of soldiers in india for a couple of pages. In short I thought the book too short and I didn't feel like a got a handle on kitchener's personality. This book is more like a thumbnail sketch.