Churchill's Confidant: Jan Smuts, Enemy to Lifelong Friend

by Richard Steyn

Overview

Brought together first as enemies in the Anglo-Boer War, and later as allies in the First World War, the remarkable, and often touching, friendship between Winston Churchill and Jan Smuts is a rich study in contrasts.

In youth they occupied very different worlds: Churchill, the rambunctious and thrusting young aristocrat; Smuts, the aesthetic, philosophical Cape farm boy who would go on to Cambridge. Both were men of exceptional talents and achievements and, between them, the pair had to grapple with some of the twentieth century's most intractable issues, not least of which the task of restoring peace and prosperity to Europe after two of mankind's bloodiest wars.

Drawing on a maze of archival and secondary sources including letters, telegrams and the voluminous books written about both men, Richard Steyn presents a fascinating account of two remarkable men in war and peace: one the leader of the Empire, the other the leader of a small fractious member of that Empire who nevertheless rose to global prominence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472140753
Publisher:	Little, Brown Book Group
Publication date:	02/01/2018
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	259,683
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Richard Steyn, a graduate of Stellenbosch University, practised as a lawyer before switching to journalism. He edited the Natal Witness in Pietermaritzburg from 1975-90, was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in 1985/86, and editor in chief of The Star from 1990-95. He served as Standard Bank's Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications from 1996-2001, before returning to writing, book reviewing and publishing.

Table of Contents

Prologue ix

1 A study in contrasts 1

2 The young thruster 10

3 A chance encounter 17

4 A reluctant peace 27

5 Reconstructing South Africa 37

6 A troublesome saint 46

7 Honouring an undertaking 57

8 In the War Cabinet 65

9 Out of favour 74

10 Outside interests 84

11 On the back foot 95

12 Meddling in Africa 105

13 Year of destiny 113

14 Madagascar 124

15 Trouble in the east 131

16 Changing commanders 139

17 The tide turns 149

18 A demanding man 158

19 A meeting of minds 166

20 Doubts set in 176

21 Overlord-and beyond 187

22 Aegean interlude 200

23 Victory-and defeat 211

24 Dealing with Gandhi 221

25 Out to grass 231

26 Soldiering on 242

27 A disreputable transaction 250

28 Last days 258

29 In retrospect 264

Notes 277

Select Bibliography 312

Acknowledgements 317

Index 319

Editorial Reviews

An impressive study of two influential and contrasting characters—The Lady

Richard Steyn has painted a vivid picture of how
Churchill and Smuts having started as enemies in the Boer War, became close confidants, friends and strong mutual admirers of each other's exceptional talents—Paul Courtenay, International Churchill Society

The importance of the relationship between Winston Churchill and Jan Smuts has received belated recognition in Richard Steyn's elegant new book. Smuts' role as Churchill's comrade, guide, and, in Steyn's depiction, wise critic, is rarely celebrated and often overlooked. In Churchill's Confidant, Steyn rescues it from the condescension of posterity, and enriches our understanding of both men with this cogent testament to friendship in public life.—Kenneth Weisbrode, author of Churchill and the King

From the Publisher