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churchill a life: Churchill Martin Gilbert, 2014-06-05 “A richly textured and deeply moving portrait of greatness” (Los Angeles Times). In this masterful book, prize-winning historian and authorized Churchill biographer Martin Gilbert weaves together the research from his eight-volume biography of the elder statesman into one single volume, and includes new information unavailable at the time of the original work’s publication. Spanning Churchill’s youth, education, and early military career, his journalistic work, and the arc of his political leadership, Churchill: A Life details the great man’s indelible contribution to Britain’s foreign policy and internal social reform. With eyewitness accounts and interviews with Churchill’s contemporaries, including friends, family members, and career adversaries, it provides a revealing picture of the personal life, character, ambition, and drive of one of the world’s most remarkable leaders. “A full and rounded examination of Churchill’s life, both in its personal and political aspects . . . Gilbert describes the painful decade of Churchill’s political exile (1929–1939) and shows how it strengthened him and prepared him for his role in the ‘hour of supreme crisis’ as Britain’s wartime leader. A lucid, comprehensive and authoritative life of the man considered by many to have been the outstanding public figure of the 20th century.” —Publishers Weekly “Mr. Gilbert’s job was to bring alive before his readers a man of extraordinary genius and scarcely less extraordinary destiny. He has done so triumphantly.” —The New York Times Book Review |
churchill a life: Winston Churchill Richard Toye, 2020 A books which traces Churchill's life in the news from cradle to grave, showing how tensions between tradition and novelty played into his constantly evolving media image. |
churchill a life: Clementine Sonia Purnell, 2015-10-27 “Engrossing…the first formal biography of a woman who has heretofore been relegated to the sidelines.”–The New York Times From the author of the New York Times bestseller A Woman of No Importance, a long overdue tribute to the extraordinary woman who was Winston Churchill’s closest confidante, fiercest critic and shrewdest advisor that captures the intimate dynamic of one of history’s most fateful marriages. Late in life, Winston Churchill claimed that victory in the Second World War would have been “impossible” without the woman who stood by his side for fifty-seven turbulent years. Why, then, do we know so little about her? In this landmark biography, a finalist for the Plutarch prize, Sonia Purnell finally gives Clementine Churchill her due. Born into impecunious aristocracy, the young Clementine Hozier was the target of cruel snobbery. Many wondered why Winston married her, when the prime minister’s daughter was desperate for his attention. Yet their marriage proved to be an exceptional partnership. You know,Winston confided to FDR, I tell Clemmie everything. Through the ups and downs of his tumultuous career, in the tense days when he stood against Chamberlain and the many months when he helped inspire his fellow countrymen and women to keep strong and carry on, Clementine made her husband’s career her mission, at the expense of her family, her health and, fatefully, of her children. Any real consideration of Winston Churchill is incomplete without an understanding of their relationship. Clementine is both the first real biography of this remarkable woman and a fascinating look inside their private world. Sonia Purnell has at long last given Clementine Churchill the biography she deserves. Sensitive yet clear-eyed, Clementine tells the fascinating story of a complex woman struggling to maintain her own identity while serving as the conscience and principal adviser to one of the most important figures in history. I was enthralled all the way through. –Lynne Olson, bestselling author of Citizens of London |
churchill a life: Winston Churchill Piers Brendon, 2001 With a new introduction by the author. |
churchill a life: Churchill: The Official Pictorial Biography Max Arthur, 2015-09-07 When Winston Spencer Churchill was born in 1874, no one could have predicted the path that lay ahead. But, as it turned out, from Winston's undistinguished academic career to his front-line experiences as a soldier and journalist whether in India, Sudan or Cuba, and during the Boer War or in the trenches of World War I; through his unparalleled political career with all its ups and downs; to his 'finest hour' leading Britain during World War II, he was never to be far from the world's attention. Now the boy, the soldier, the writer, the orator, the politician, the statesman and the family man are all brought to life in this absorbing illustrated book. Featuring both letters to 'Mama' from the homesick - but rebellious - schoolboy and telegrams to Stalin, it highlights some of the most gripping communications from the Churchill Archives. Facsimiles of hand-annotated speech notes are paired with fascinating memorabilia, such as the poster for the reward for his capture during the Boer War, a specimen of one of his infamous cigars, a favourite gramophone record and his Parliamentary despatch box. This book also showcases pictures from his family photograph collection, providing a more intimate portrait of Churchill the husband, the family man and even Churchill the animal lover. Exhaustively researched, Churchill: The Life includes previously unpublished images - such as Winston as a cadet at Harrow and his casket's final journey into Bladon cemetery - as well as rare images of him as a baby and specially shot artefacts from family archives. Together with his unique selection of images, acclaimed historian Max Arthur's evocative and insightful narrative text gets to the core of Winston's character, using his own words and those of some of those closest to him, to provide a comprehensive study of the man and his life. This is a stunning tribute to a remarkable man. |
churchill a life: Churchill: A Drinking Life Gin Sander, Roxanne Langer, 2022-08-23 *Les Dames d’Escoffier M.F.K. Fisher Prize for a Work of Distinction* An intoxicating read. You'll want to consume it twice. —A.J. Baime, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental President and Dewey Defeats Truman A fun little book packed with historic Churchill information, drinking companions, locations, and preferences, as well as plenty of cocktail recipes! Churchill was seldom short of a witty remark, and made his views on drinking quite well-known: “I have taken far more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” When feeling down he said he felt like “a bottle of champagne . . . left uncorked for the night.” And when encouraging a young government minister to indulge in another drink, he promised, “Go ahead, I won’t write it in my diary.” Divided into four sections—Drink Choices, Drinking Companions, Drinking Spots, and Drink Recipes—this book will keep readers turning the pages of fresh and fun material as they lift a drink along with Winston. The book will also focus on the various eras—from the 1910s through the 1960s—the times in which he was drinking alone and with others. Working with the historic companies that kept him refreshed, it will include vintage advertisements and marketing material from their closely guarded archives. Winston certainly drank with a colorful cast of characters, and you’ll glimpse those such as FDR, Stalin, Coco Chanel, Charlie Chaplin, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and various other kings, queens, dukes, and duchesses. Among the elegant settings we will pop in and out of for a drink include Hearst Castle, Chanel’s house in the South of France, the Ritz Hotel in Paris, the Dorchester in London, Monaco, the Savoy, the Biltmore, and of course the bars and first-class cabins of the famed ocean liners the Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mary. So raise a glass and join us in toasting Churchill’s life and unique abilities! |
churchill a life: Churchill Winston Churchill, 2012 Gilbert, a renowned historian and official biographer of Churchill, selects 100 of the finest writings and speeches by Churchill. These express the leader's thoughts and describe the main adventures and crises of his life coupled with Gilbert's commentary. |
churchill a life: Churchill Andrew Roberts, 2018-10-04 THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, ECONOMIST, DAILY TELEGRAPH, EVENING STANDARD, OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Undoubtedly the best single-volume life of Churchill ever written' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times A magnificently fresh and unexpected biography of Churchill, by one of Britain's most acclaimed historians Winston Churchill towers over every other figure in twentieth-century British history. By the time of his death at the age of 90 in 1965, many thought him to be the greatest man in the world. There have been over a thousand previous biographies of Churchill. Andrew Roberts now draws on over forty new sources, including the private diaries of King George VI, used in no previous Churchill biography to depict him more intimately and persuasively than any of its predecessors. The book in no way conceals Churchill's faults and it allows the reader to appreciate his virtues and character in full: his titanic capacity for work (and drink), his ability see the big picture, his willingness to take risks and insistence on being where the action was, his good humour even in the most desperate circumstances, the breadth and strength of his friendships and his extraordinary propensity to burst into tears at unexpected moments. Above all, it shows us the wellsprings of his personality - his lifelong desire to please his father (even long after his father's death) but aristocratic disdain for the opinions of almost everyone else, his love of the British Empire, his sense of history and its connection to the present. During the Second World War, Churchill summoned a particular scientist to see him several times for technical advice. 'It was the same whenever we met', wrote the young man, 'I had a feeling of being recharged by a source of living power.' Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt's emissary, wrote 'Wherever he was, there was a battlefront.' Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, Churchill's essential partner in strategy and most severe critic in private, wrote in his diary, 'I thank God I was given such an opportunity of working alongside such a man, and of having my eyes opened to the fact that occasionally supermen exist on this earth.' |
churchill a life: Winston Churchill Henry Hanson, 2020-11-11 WINSTON CHURCHILL Winston Churchill was a powerful and inspiring man, who actively pursued challenges and strove to serve his country well. From fighting in World War I, to serving as the Prime Minister during World War II in the fight against Nazi Germany, he did whatever was necessary to achieve victory and keep his people safe. In addition to detailing the time he spent fighting for his country, in this book we also take a deeper look into the other areas of Churchill's life, such as his childhood, his family life, and his political impact and views. This book will take you on a journey back in time and give you a better idea of who exactly Winston Churchill was, what he stood for, and why we still talk about him today. |
churchill a life: Continue to Pester, Nag and Bite Martin Gilbert, 2010-07-23 Renowned Churchill historian Sir Martin Gilbert examines Winston Churchill’s War Leadership. Continue to Pester, Nag and Bite is the complete text of the 2004 Barbara Frum Historical Lecture, given at the University of Toronto. This annual lecture “on a subject of contemporary interest in historical perspective” was established in memory of Barbara Frum and will be broadcast on CBC Radio One’s Ideas. “The problem is not winning the war, but persuading people to let you win it.” —Winston Churchill Continue To Pester, Nag And Bite is a brilliant, in-depth look at Winston Churchill’s leadership during the Second World War, written by the world’s top authority on Churchill. By looking behind the public figure and wartime propaganda images, Gilbert reveals a very human, sensitive and often tormented man, who nevertheless found the strength to lead his nation forward from the darkest and most dangerous of times, towards the defeat of a tenacious enemy. Today’s readers will be fascinated to compare Churchill’s tactics and attitudes with those of modern-day leaders. By looking behind the public figure and wartime propaganda images, Gilbert reveals a very human, sensitive, and often tormented man, who nevertheless found the strength to lead his nation forward from the darkest and most dangerous of times, towards the defeat of a tenacious enemy. |
churchill a life: In Search of Churchill Martin Gilbert, 1997-02 Penetrating . . . beautifully rounds out and humanizes the character of the greatest statesman of the twentieth century. --San Francisco Chronicle. A multifaceted gem, sparkling with anecdotes and insights about the nature of biography, the challenges and rewards of historical research, and of course Winston Churchill. --Richmond Times-Dispatch Everything about Winston Churchill is extraordinary. During his excavation of his subject, Martin Gilbert has discovered many gems. In this book he holds some of the most gorgeous jewels up to the light for us to admire. --The Spectator. Gilbert here gives us Churchill's vast humanity with the politics largely left out. Readers daunted by the 8,000-odd pages of the official life should start here. They will love it. --The Times (London). The portrait of Winston Churchill is . . . vivid and painted with an affection and humour that rarely appear in the official biography. --London Daily Telegraph. The work [Gilbert] has done puts all historians of the twentieth century, and all students of Churchill, incalculably in his debt. --London Sunday Telegraph. |
churchill a life: Churchill's Shadow: The Life and Afterlife of Winston Churchill Geoffrey Wheatcroft, 2021-10-26 A New York Times Notable Book of the Year A major reassessment of Winston Churchill that examines his lasting influence in politics and culture. Churchill is generally considered one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century, if not the greatest of all, revered for his opposition to appeasement, his defiance in the face of German bombing of England, his political prowess, his deft aphorisms, and his memorable speeches. He became the savior of his country, as prime minister during the most perilous period in British history, World War II, and is now perhaps even more beloved in America than in England. And yet Churchill was also very often in the wrong: he brazenly contradicted his own previous political stances, was a disastrous military strategist, and inspired dislike and distrust through much of his life. Before 1939 he doubted the efficacy of tank and submarine warfare, opposed the bombing of cities only to reverse his position, shamelessly exploited the researchers and ghostwriters who wrote much of the journalism and the books published so lucratively under his name, and had an inordinate fondness for alcohol that once found him drinking whisky before breakfast. When he was appointed to the cabinet for the first time in 1908, a perceptive journalist called him “the most interesting problem of personal speculation in English politics.” More than a hundred years later, he remains a source of adulation, as well as misunderstanding. This revelatory new book takes on Churchill in his entirety, separating the man from the myth that he so carefully cultivated, and scrutinizing his legacy on both sides of the Atlantic. In effervescent prose, shot through with sly wit, Geoffrey Wheatcroft illuminates key moments and controversies in Churchill’s career—from the tragedy of Gallipoli, to his shocking imperialist and racist attitudes, dealings with Ireland, support for Zionism, and complicated engagement with European integration. Charting the evolution and appropriation of Churchill’s reputation through to the present day, Churchill’s Shadow colorfully renders the nuance and complexity of this giant of modern politics. |
churchill a life: The Splendid and the Vile Erik Larson, 2022-02-15 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake delivers an intimate chronicle of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz—an inspiring portrait of courage and leadership in a time of unprecedented crisis “One of [Erik Larson’s] best books yet . . . perfectly timed for the moment.”—Time • “A bravura performance by one of America’s greatest storytellers.”—NPR NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Time • Vogue • NPR • The Washington Post • Chicago Tribune • The Globe & Mail • Fortune • Bloomberg • New York Post • The New York Public Library • Kirkus Reviews • LibraryReads • PopMatters On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally—and willing to fight to the end. In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.” It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London. Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports—some released only recently—Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela’s illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill’s “Secret Circle,” to whom he turns in the hardest moments. The Splendid and the Vile takes readers out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together. |
churchill a life: Churchill: A Life: The Official Biography Dr Martin Gilbert, 2024-11-07 'By far the most lucid, comprehensive and authoritative account of Churchill that has been offered in a single volume' Daily TelegraphDrawing on decades of unprecedented access to Winston Churchill's family and estate, this classic bestseller remains the definitive biography of Britain's greatest prime minister. At once intimate and vastly ambitious, it transforms our unde[Bokinfo]. |
churchill a life: CHURCHILL Geoffrey Best, 2001-01-01 We are all worms. But I do believe I am a glow-worm. --Churchill Winston Churchill's inspiring leadership in the Second World War once made him above criticism. In recent years his record has come under attack from revisionists. In Churchill: A Study in Greatness one of Britain's most distinguished historians rebuts these charges and makes sense of this extraordinary man and his long controversial, colourful, contradictory and heroic career. Geoffrey Best brings out both his strengths and his weaknesses, looking past the many received versions of Churchill in a biography that balances the private and the public man and offers a clear insight into Churchill's greatness. We are all worms. But I do believe I am a glow-worm. --Churchill Winston Churchill's inspiring leadership in the Second World War once made him above criticism. In recent years his record has come under attack from revisionists. In Churchill: A Study in Greatness one of Britain's most distinguished historians rebuts these charges and makes sense of this extraordinary man and his long controversial, colourful, contradictory and heroic career. Geoffrey Best brings out both his strengths and his weaknesses, looking past the many received versions of Churchill in a biography that balances the private and the public man and offers a clear insight into Churchill's greatness. |
churchill a life: A Roving Commission Winston Churchill, 1941 |
churchill a life: Winston Churchill John Keegan, 2007-10-30 One of the greatest historians writing today gives us a defining portrait of the incomparable Winston Churchill In his landmark biography of Winston Churchill, acclaimed historian John Keegan offers a very human portrait of one of the twentieth century's enduring symbols of heroic defiance. From Churchill's youth as a poor student to his leadership during World War II, Keegan reveals a man whose own idea of an English past—eloquently embodied in his speeches—allowed him to exhort a nation to unprecedented levels of sacrifice. The result is a uniquely discerning look at one of the most fascinating personalities in history. “The best military historian of our generation.” –Tom Clancy |
churchill a life: Marlborough Sir Winston Churchill, 1933 |
churchill a life: Winston S. Churchill: Never Despair, 1945–1965 Martin Gilbert, 2015-04-06 The final volume of the acclaimed official biography: “A meticulously detailed and annotated account of Churchill’s declining years . . . A contemporary classic” (Foreign Affairs). The eighth and final volume of Winston S. Churchill’s official biography begins with the defeat of Germany in 1945 and chronicles the period up to his death nearly twenty years later. It sees him first at the pinnacle of his power, leader of a victorious Britain. In July 1945 at Potsdam, Churchill, Stalin, and Truman aimed to shape postwar Europe. But upon returning home, was thrown out of office in the general election. Though out of office, Churchill worked to restore the fortunes of Britain’s Conservative Party while warning the world of Communist ambitions, urging the reconciliation of France and Germany, pioneering the concept of a united Europe, and seeking to maintain the close link between Britain and the United States. In October 1951, Churchill became prime minister for the second time. The Great Powers were navigating a precarious peace at the dawn of the nuclear age. With the election of Eisenhower and the death of Stalin, he worked for a new summit conference to improve East-West relations; but in April of 1955, ill health and pressure from colleagues forced him to resign. In retirement Churchill completed his acclaimed four-volume History of the English-Speaking Peoples and watched as world conflicts continued, still convinced they could be resolved by statesmanship. “Never despair” remained his watchword, and his faith, until the end. “A milestone, a monument, a magisterial achievement . . . rightly regarded as the most comprehensive life ever written of any age.” —Andrew Roberts, historian and author of The Storm of War “The most scholarly study of Churchill in war and peace ever written.” —Herbert Mitgang, The New York Times |
churchill a life: First Lady Sonia Purnell, 2016-01-27 Without Churchill's inspiring leadership Britain could not have survived its darkest hour and repelled the Nazi menace. Without his wife Clementine, however, he might never have become Prime Minister. By his own admission, the Second World War would have been 'impossible without her'. |
churchill a life: My Early Life Winston Churchill, 1944 |
churchill a life: Clementine Churchill Mary Soames, 2011-11-30 When Clementine, Lady Spencer-Churchill died in 1977, aged 92, she had become a much-loved and iconic figure to the British public. In spite of being instantly recognisable as the seemingly serene, cool and detached wife of Winston Churchill, she had nonetheless shunned publicity throughout her life. In this fully updated, award-winning biography, her daughter Mary Soames throws new light on her mother, writing with affection and candour of Clementine's fifty-seven-year marriage to Winston, her strongly held political views and a life that spanned many of the major events of the twentieth century. Clementine Churchill was the perfect wife for Winston. For the years of their marriage she supported him through the triumphs, disasters and tensions that ruled his public and private life. As a shy, passionate and highly-strung woman, Clementine's self-control was constantly tested to the utmost by the turmoil of public life and in the no less harrowing family crises and the ever-present financial anxieties. When they married in 1908, Winston was already a Member of Parliament, and thereafter their life was played out mostly in front of the nation and the world. Winston always trusted Clementine completely and she became his valuable counsellor and companion. He invariably wanted her opinion - but did not always take her advice. She believed in him unreservedly, and in his destiny. When first published in 1979, CLEMENTINE CHURCHILL won the Yorkshire Post Prize for Best First Work and a Wolfson Prize for History. This major revision makes full use of a wealth of new, intrinsically personal material that has come to light since then and elaborates further on many of the issues raised in the original edition. |
churchill a life: Churchill's Political Philosophy Martin Gilbert, 1981 . |
churchill a life: The Last Lion Paul Reid, William Manchester, 2012-11-06 The long-awaited final volume of William Manchester's legendary biography of Winston Churchill. Spanning the years of 1940-1965, The Last Lion picks up shortly after Winston Churchill became Prime Minister-when his tiny island nation stood alone against the overwhelming might of Nazi Germany. The Churchill conjured up by William Manchester and Paul Reid is a man of indomitable courage, lightning-fast intellect, and an irresistible will to action. The Last Lion brilliantly recounts how Churchill organized his nation's military response and defense, compelled FDR into supporting America's beleaguered cousins, and personified the never surrender ethos that helped the Allies win the war, while at the same time adapting himself and his country to the inevitable shift of world power from the British Empire to the United States. More than twenty years in the making, The Last Lion presents a revelatory and unparalleled portrait of this brilliant, flawed, and dynamic leader. This is popular history at its most stirring. |
churchill a life: Life of the Party Christopher Ogden, 1995 An unauthorized biography of the U.S. ambassador to France chronicles her three historic marriages, her dealings with world leaders, and her revitalizing work for the Democratic Party |
churchill a life: The Churchill Myths Steven Fielding, Bill Schwarz, Richard Toye, 2020 This is not a book about Winston Churchill. It is not principally about his politics, nor his rhetorical imagination, nor even about the man himself. Instead, it addresses the varied afterlives of the man and the persistent, deeply located compulsion to bring him back from the dead, capturing and explaining the significance of the various Churchill myths to Britain's history and current politics. The authors look at Churchill's portrayal in social memory. They demonstrate the ways in which politicians have often used the idea of Churchill as a means of self-validation - using him to show themselves as tough and honest players. They show the man dramatized in film and television - an onscreen persona that is often the product of a gratuitous mixing of fact and fantasy, one deliberately shaped to meet the preferences of the presumed audience. They discuss his legacy in light of the Brexit debate - showing how public figures on both sides of the Leave/Remain debate were able to use elements of Churchill's words and character to argue for their own point-of-view. |
churchill a life: Winston Churchill Zofia Stone, 2016-10-03 As prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill rallied the British people during WWII, and led his country from the brink of defeat to victory. This book gives a brief account of his life and his political career. |
churchill a life: Churchill: A Life in Cartoons Tim Benson, 2024-05-23 'A welcome and important addition to this genre—especially given that it contains more than 300 cartoons, most of which have not been utilised in previously published books . . . With great skill Benson has created a highly readable, entertaining, and politically insightful description for each cartoon . . . Buy and read this delightful book.' INTERNATIONAL CHURCHILL SOCIETY ________________________________________________ Following an unrivalled political career that spanned a remarkable sixty years and reached both the heights and the depths of political fortune, Sir Winston Churchill undoubtedly became the world's most caricatured politician of all time. From entering Parliament in 1900 through to his retirement in 1964, Winston Churchill in Cartoons will chart Churchill's illustrious and tumultuous political career through the work of leading cartoonists from around the world. Through these cartoons there developed very contrary views of Churchill; the glorious cigar-chomping wartime leader and the flawed politician. In America he was adored by cartoonists, while in Nazi Germany and in the post-war Soviet Union he was, unsurprisingly, painted as a bumbling buffoon. After his passing in 1965, great contemporary cartoonists including Peter Brookes, Steve Bell, Matt and Gerald Scarfe, continued to use him as a benchmark for the world leaders that followed. Featuring the work of the some of the greatest cartoonists of all time and providing a new perspective of an iconic figure, Winston Churchill in Cartoons will include the very best and wittiest portrayals of Churchill the glorious wartime leader, controversial politician, and emblematic British statesman. |
churchill a life: The Last Lion Box Set Paul Reid, William Manchester, 2012-11-20 Universally acclaimed for their compelling narrative, their fresh insights, and their objective renderings of Winston Churchill's life, The Last Lion trilogy presents a revelatory and unparalleled portrait of this brilliant, flawed, and dynamic adventurer, aristocrat, soldier, and statesman. Born at the end of the 19th century when Imperial Britain still stood at the splendid pinnacle of her power, Churchill would witness the shift a few years later as the Empire hovered on the brink of a catastrophic new era. One of the greatest wartime leaders of our time, he would go on to stand alone, politically isolated in Parliament, as he took the lead in warning of the growing Nazi threat, and would lead Britain to victory against Nazi Germany and the Axis powers in World War II. Now, celebrated historian William Manchester's landmark biographies are collected together for the first time, along with the eagerly anticipated final installment Churchill's last years in power. More than thirty years in the making, The Last Lion is the definitive work on this remarkable man whose courageous vision guided the destiny of a nation during darkly troubled times-and who looms as one of the greatest figures of our century. |
churchill a life: Churchill Gilbert Martin, 2000 |
churchill a life: Winston Churchill: A Life of Courage and Conviction (The Popular Inspirational Statesman, Writer, Orator and Everything You Need to Know) Peter Espinoza, 101-01-01 The Incredible Life and Legacy of Sir Winston Churchill takes an inside look the man whom many historians consider one of the greatest world leaders in modern history. But was he really that great? Known for countless and memorable quotes, including ones he came to regret saying, we delve into some of the lesser known aspects of Churchill’s life. Surviving a death defying injury before the age of twenty, taking responsibility for the deaths of hundreds of British sailors at the outset of war and befriending a man he loathed, we explore how he went from the trenches of France during the First World War to the conference tables of the Kremlin and the White House during the second world war and beyond. Discover the pivotal moments that shaped Churchill's career, from his stirring speeches that galvanized a nation to his diplomatic efforts to forge alliances and shape the course of history. Gain insight into his relationships with key figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin, and understand the lasting impact of his leadership on the world stage. Whether you're a history enthusiast or a student of leadership, this compelling biography provides a deep understanding of Churchill's legacy and his enduring relevance in today's world. Gain inspiration from his resilience, his wit, and his unwavering belief in the power of democracy and human spirit. |
churchill a life: Winston Churchill, A Biography René Kraus, 2021-08-31 In Winston Churchill, A Biography, Ren√© Kraus presents a comprehensive exploration of one of the most pivotal figures of the 20th century. The book deftly intertwines historical narrative with biographical details, capturing Churchill's multifaceted persona as a wartime leader, statesman, and eloquent orator. Kraus employs a compelling literary style that balances scholarly rigor with accessible prose, offering insights into Churchill's complex character, political strategies, and profound impact on global history during the tumultuous years of World War II. Thematic elements such as resilience, leadership, and personal tribulations permeate the text, making it a significant contribution to both biographical literature and historical scholarship on the era. Ren√© Kraus, an acclaimed historian and biographer, draws from extensive research and personal passion for political history, which informs this compelling narrative. His background in history and literature allows him to inhabit Churchill'Äôs world authentically, providing a nuanced portrayal that transcends mere chronology. Kraus's rigorous examination of primary sources and secondary literature establishes him as a credible authority on Churchill, shedding light on lesser-known facets of his life and decisions. This biography is essential reading for anyone interested in the complexities of leadership during crisis and the intricacies of political legacy. Kraus'Äôs engaging storytelling combined with thorough scholarship makes Winston Churchill, A Biography a valuable addition to both academic libraries and personal collections, appealing to history enthusiasts and general readers alike. |
churchill a life: Winston Churchill Piers Brendon, 1984 |
churchill a life: Winston S. Churchill: The Prophet of Truth, 1922–1939 Martin Gilbert, 2015-04-06 The “important and engrossing” fifth volume of the official Churchill biography chronicles his visionary leadership in the tense years approaching WWII (Foreign Affairs). This acclaimed biographical masterpiece opens with Winston S. Churchill’s return to Conservatism and to the cabinet in 1924. The narrative unfolds into a vivid and intimate picture of his public life as well as his private world at Chartwell between the wars. With ample access to Churchill’s private papers, Martin Gilbert strips away decades of accumulated myth and innuendo, showing the stateman’s true position on India, his precise role (and private thoughts) during the abdication of Edward VIII, his attitude toward Mussolini, and his profound fears for the future of European democracy. Even before Hitler came to power in Germany, Churchill saw the dangers of a Nazi victory. And despite the unpopularity of his views in official circles, he persevered for six years in sounding the alarm against fascism. This book reveals for the first time the extent senior civil servants, and even serving officers of high rank, came to Churchill with secret information, having despaired at the magnitude of official lethargy and obstruction. Within the Air Ministry, the Foreign Office, and the Intelligence Services, individuals felt drawn to provide Churchill with full disclosures of Britain’s defense weakness, keeping him informed of day-to-day developments from 1934 until the outbreak of war. People of all parties and in all walks of life recognized Churchill’s unique qualities and demanded his inclusion in the government, believing he alone could give a divided nation guidance and inspiration. “A milestone, a monument, a magisterial achievement . . . rightly regarded as the most comprehensive life ever written of any age.” —Andrew Roberts, historian and author of The Storm of War “The most scholarly study of Churchill in war and peace ever written.” —Herbert Mitgang, The New York Times |
churchill a life: Churchill Vincent Delmas, François Kersaudy, 2020-01-30 “A wholly original and fresh approach to historical biography. Churchill would have been delighted to be a comic book hero!” —Phil Reed, Emeritus Director, Churchill War Rooms This innovative graphic biography of Winston Churchill tells his extraordinary story, from his upbringing, through his military exploits and experience of the First World War, to his pivotal role in the Second World War. It explores the details of Churchill’s life within its historical and political context and brings the story to vivid life with precision, clarity and stunning visuals. With a foreword by Andrew Roberts, the biography is followed by extensive background information. Beautifully drawn, bursting with facts, and highly accessible, this graphic biography will introduce a new generation of readers to Churchill’s incredible career and important legacy. “This biography presents Churchill’s part in this conflict in a detailed yet inventive manner, making this accessible for people of all ages and knowledge.” —Comic-Watch “A highly original approach, using the comic strip style to tell his story. With magnificent artwork and a lively text, and a foreword by the historian and biography Andrew Roberts, it captures all the drama and excitement of his long life up to the victory over Nazi Germany.” —Leo McKinstry, author of Attlee and Churchill “A full and wholly fair representation of the most adventurous life in the history of British politics . . . there is not a word I would have changed in the text of this excellent graphical account.” —Andrew Roberts, New York Times-bestselling author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny “A novel and riveting re-telling of the Churchill legend.” —Professor Gary Sheffield |
churchill a life: The Churchill Factor Boris Johnson, 2014-10-23 THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 'A stunning tour de force' - Sunday Telegraph 'Genuinely clever... this book sizzles.' - The Times Ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes on Winston Churchill - a biography like no other. Brexit, pandemic, economic crisis: Boris Johnson's leadership was an extraordinary period in recent British history, and his inspiration has always been Winston Churchill. In this book, he explores what makes up the 'Churchill Factor' - the singular brilliance of one of the most important leaders of the twentieth century. Taking on the myths and misconceptions along with the outsized reality, he portrays - with characteristic wit and passion - a man of multiple contradictions, contagious bravery, breath-taking eloquence, matchless strategizing and deep humanity. Fearless on the battlefield, Churchill had to be ordered by the King to stay out of action on D-Day; he embraced large-scale strategic bombing, yet hated the destruction of war and scorned politicians who had not experienced its horrors. He was a celebrated journalist, a great orator and won the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was famous for his ability to combine wining and dining with many late nights of crucial wartime decision-making. His open-mindedness made him a pioneer in healthcare, education and social welfare, though he remained incorrigibly politically incorrect. Published in association with Churchill Heritage, The Churchill Factor is essential reading for anyone who wants to know what makes a great leader in a time of crisis. |
churchill a life: The Global and American Spirit Evan Lanning, 2019-09-16 From the great thinkers of Ancient Greece to the illustrious forebears of America’s founding to the fearless leaders of free peoples who inspired the twentieth-century world through the disturbing turmoil and despair of two global wars—wars that resulted in genocide, mass destruction, and cultural decay—all of history seems to direct us, respectively, toward the light of truth, the sound of liberty, and the resolve of democracy. Encapsulating this and more with a sweeping series of essays, the exciting new author Evan Lanning takes us up to today’s disturbing world of critical un-thinking, historical illiteracy, unrelenting group-think, and agenda-driven “truth-telling.” In this world of unconstructive, ineffective, and ultimately destructive passions of party spirit, Lanning asks us to consider the limits of our knowledge and to surrender our respective feelings in exchange for the nobler pursuit of truth rooted in fact. Only when we recognize how much we do not know will we be able to find our way through this darkened world. Only when we realize how much humanity cannot know will we understand our need for a deeper source of meaning. In The Global and American Spirit, Lanning attempts to pierce through the darkness of political acquiescence by asserting that we must lift our eyes to the light of Truth and stand upon the shoulders of the greats in order to see the American spirit reborn. Lanning appeals to the American people to take heart once again that “the energy, the faith, [and] the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it.” In short, he asks Americans to rekindle Faith, in order that “the glow from that fire can truly light the world!” |
churchill a life: Churchill, the Liberal Reformer Duncan Marlor, 2024-06-30 Winston Churchill is handed down the generations, reinvented in the process to suit current controversies. He has been many things: presently a talisman of the political right, a war-hero of conservative outlook who saved his country; on the left, he is a reactionary imperialist, a warmongering oppressor of the workers. Both sides would be surprised by a time trip to the sensation-filled years of 1910 and 1911. They would find a modernist progressive, cordially loathed by the Tories, carrying through programs of social reform and making the prison system more humane: declaring to Parliament that even convicted offenders have rights and that how a state treats them determines the level of its civilisation. A long-serving Permanent Under-Secretary at the Home Office reckoned that Churchill’s policies (which his successors continued) halved the prison population. During the last third of the twentieth century and into the next, rehabilitation has gone into reverse. Prison numbers have soared, as the punitive approach has reasserted itself, now laced with political populism. This book looks at that story in the context of the paradoxical career of Churchill the Liberal Reformer. |
churchill a life: Churchill and the Jews, 1900-1948 Michael J. Cohen, 2013-09-13 Churchill's exalted position in the pantheon of Jewish and Zionist heroes has been almost taken for granted. This book looks beyond the myth and makes a sober reappraisal of the British statesman's attitudes and policies towards the Jews and to Zionism. |
churchill a life: Churchill's Confidant Richard Steyn, 2018-02-01 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. |
Winston Churchill - Wikipedia
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill[a] KG OM CH TD DL FRS RA (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of …
Winston Churchill | Biography, World War II, Quotes, Books,
Winston Churchill (1874–1965) was a British statesman, orator, and author. During his first term as prime minister (1940–45), he rallied the British people and led his country from the brink of …
Winston S. Churchill - Biography, Death & Speeches | HISTORY
Oct 27, 2009 · Winston Churchill was one of the best-known, and some say one of the greatest, statesmen of the 20th century. Though he was born into a life of privilege, he dedicated …
Winston Churchill Biography - life, family, death, history, school ...
The English statesman and author Sir Winston Churchill led Britain during World War II (1939–45) and is often described as the "savior of his country." Sir Winston Churchill's exact place in the …
The Churchill Project - Hillsdale College
Winston Churchill produced nearly 600 paintings during his lifetime. Nine of his artistic works, along with memorabilia from his life, were displayed at Hillsdale College in early 2017 as part …
Winston S. Churchill - U.S. National Park Service
Churchill became known for his fierce opposition to concessions to Hitler in his conquest of Europe, as well as his bold proclamations on the perils of the Third Reich.
Winston Churchill "Prime Minister" - Age, Children and Married
Mar 9, 2025 · Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was a prominent British politician, military officer, and prolific writer, most famously known for his dual tenure as Prime Minister of Great …
10 Winston Churchill Accomplishments and Achievements
Jan 26, 2025 · Winston Churchill was a towering figure of the 20th century whose legacy extends far beyond his wartime leadership. Known for his indomitable spirit, brilliant oratory, and prolific …
Who was Churchill? - International Churchill Society
Winston Churchill was voted the Greatest Briton in a UK 2002 BBC poll, primarily for his efforts to inspire the British people during the Second World War. He received more votes than Princess …
Winston Churchill Biography - America’s National Churchill …
Read about Winston Churchill's family life and relationships, hobbies, and ultimate resting place, provided by the National Churchill Museum.
Winston Churchill - Wikipedia
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill[a] KG OM CH TD DL FRS RA (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British …
Winston Churchill | Biography, World War II, Quotes, Books, …
Winston Churchill (1874–1965) was a British statesman, orator, and author. During his first term as prime minister …
Winston S. Churchill - Biography, Death & Speeches …
Oct 27, 2009 · Winston Churchill was one of the best-known, and some say one of the greatest, statesmen of the 20th …
Winston Churchill Biography - life, family, death, history, scho…
The English statesman and author Sir Winston Churchill led Britain during World War II (1939–45) and is often described …
The Churchill Project - Hillsdale College
Winston Churchill produced nearly 600 paintings during his lifetime. Nine of his artistic works, along with memorabilia …