The Rake

THE LEGEND THAT WILL NEVER DIE

Source: Churchill in 1950 in a Turnbull & Asser siren suit with his poodle, Rufus, at his country home of Chartwell, in Kent, where he lived for more than 40 years.

November 30, 1895 was a hot day in Cuba. Arroyo Blanco, a small village in south central Cuba, was the scene of fighting between Spanish troops and rebel Cuban forces. It was Winston Churchill’s 21st birthday, and a birthday present was to come in the form of gunfire. “There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at with no result,” he would later say.

How Churchill got to Cuba is an interesting story. Recently commissioned in the army, Winston was bored. In 1895 there was very little action in which a young officer could shine. Churchill, above all, wanted a reputation for bravery. Looking around the map, it seemed that only in Cuba was there any fighting taking place. The young cavalry officer used his influence to get himself attached to a Spanish regiment, which was then given the forlorn task of defeating the Cuban freedom fighters. Young Winston would leave Cuba in December 1895. He spent only a month there, but it was in Cuba that he developed his lifelong

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Rake

The Rake5 min read
In Search Of No Civilisation
Self-catering isn’t a sexy word. Perhaps it’s the ‘catering’ part that brings to mind school dinners and slops of mashed potato. But what self-catering means, if you read between the lines, is privacy. In this world of fast-paced consumerism, you can
The Rake8 min read
A Woman Scorned?
When the cultural fixation with Harry and Meghan reached its nadir — I think one can arguably assign this moment to either their untimely departure to the grand-old colony of Canada, or to that tiresome display of interviews, book releases and Netfli
The Rake5 min read
Under Our Own Steam
There were more than a few raised eyebrows and quizzical looks from naysaying friends and acquaintances at a dinner party when it was suggested to them that my wife and I would be embarking on a meticulously planned and plotted road trip through the

Related Books & Audiobooks