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John Howard: a professional politician
John Howard was sworn in as the 25th Prime Minister of Australia on 11 March 1996.He is currently Australia's second longest serving Prime Minister, and has been a member of every Australian Parliament since 1974. Australia will have a federal election between now and the end of 2007, so this biography is particularly timely.

If the success of a politician is ultimately measured in how many elections s/he faces and wins, then John Howard has been particularly successful.In this biography, Messrs Errington and Van Onselen provide some insights into the man behind the politician and assess his strengths and weaknesses as a professional politician.

Highly recommended reading for all with an interests in Australian politics generally as well as those with a particular interest in Australia's Federal Government.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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One of the greatest historians writing today gives us a defining portrait of the incomparable 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.Amazon.com Review
He was something of a bully, something of a blowhard, without friends and always in search of a sympathetic audience for his monologues. Yet, writes John Keegan in this slender but thorough portrait, Winston Churchill was unquestionably the right man for the time.

Few biographers are better equipped than Keegan, the eminent military historian, to write of Churchill as a wartime leader. Indeed, Keegan suggests, Churchill was never more at ease than when confronting some fierce enemy, whether across the English Channel or a range of Afghan hills; it was from the saddle that he developed his "vision of how an enlightened empire might transform the future of mankind." The rise of other, less enlightened empires helped put an end to his own, but Churchill steadfastly insisted on a strong role for Great Britain in the postwar world--in which he succeeded, even if voters turned him out of office almost as soon as the war ended.

Keegan's respectful portrait assesses Churchill's many accomplishments (and a few noteworthy failures) as he sought, in Churchill's ringing words, to "resist oppression, to protect the weak, to vindicate the profound but unwritten Law of Nations." Admirers of Churchill and students of his time will find much of value in these pages. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

A quick read
I read this short biography after reading H.W. Brands excellent 900 page bio of Roosevelt.This book is a very quick read.If you are looking for any depth about what made Churchill tick, this book provides an overview, but not the level of detail you might want.

Brief, Informative, Engaging
If you're not looking for an extensive biography on the life of Winston Churchill, this book is brief, informative, and John Keegan does a good job of keeping it engaging. Churchill lead an interesting life - ambitious for power, was invigorated by the challenge and glory of war yet knew its costs, had an uncompromising sense of right and wrong, and instilled hope for victory in his listeners when hope seemed lost.

Winston Churchill the Cliff Notes Version
Let's say you know absolutely nothing about Winston Churchill and in a few days you're about to meet the President of your company who happens to be a true blue card carrying Churchillian.How can you make an impression on this man?
Well if I were that man, I wouldn't be reading Martin Gilbert's complete biography.Instead I would read John Keegan's Penguin version of Winston Churchill
Keegan minces no words, he gets right to it from Winston at Harrow onto Sandhurst and his military career in India and Africa.
Keegan goes right to the jugular in explaining the Conservative politics of Churchill onto his jumping the aisle to the other party and later his high office during World War I and after.
He describes Winston's wilderness years and goes into detail of Churchill's leadership during World War II.
All is described and gives the basic essence of this multi-talented man of the 20th Century.
In keeping with the abbreviated Penguin format, I say in closing, good show.Five Stars!!

You Don't Have To Like Him, But You Have To Respect Him
I've never been a big fan of Winston Churchill, but after reading esteemed historian John Keegan's succinct biography of the man, I must say that I like AND respect him just a little bit more. Keegan himself confesses that he never thought much of old Winston until he stumbled across an old recording of his speeches (in NYC of all places) and realized what a gifted and inspirational orator and leader he was. He led his beloved Britain through her darkest hours in modern history, to a victory that was anything but assured. The people seemed to genuinely love him, and his sentiment was seemingly mutual.

His years as Prime Minister during WW2 are the most well known, but Churchill led an amazingly full life, and his life of public service began way back in the late 19th century. Keegan describes how the young Winston, who did poorly in school, but had an undeniable intelligence, educated himself in politics, history and the English Classics. He was a romantic who was in love with his small island nation, and he dedicated his life to it. He was a brave soldier who served in numerous wars, including WW1, and while it would be fair to say he was a little too fond of war, he was no different from the average English officer of the time in this regard. In my eyes, his major fault was his hypocrisy. It just seems hard to reconcile his staunch imperialism with his constant talk about the virtues of freedom and liberty, and how Britain was the main proponent of such things. I would have liked for Keegan to address this point a bit more, but for such a short biography, I can let it slide.

I was intrigued to learn that Churchill and IRA founder Michael Collins were on friendly terms and greatly admired each other. In fact, Churchill apparently had a "gut sympathy for fighters" which is why he had more respect for the Irish and Boers of South Africa than he did for Ghandi and his passive movement in India.

Anyways, the book is extremely well written and entertaining, and I found it to be an overall excellent introduction to the life of one of the most important figures of the 20th century. 4.5 stars.

A superbintroductiontothestoryofSirWinstonChurchill
In 1895 when his father died, the sickly and indifferent 21-year-old military cadet Winston Churchill was flat broke, the legacy of a father who was a compulsively extravagent wastrel.

Lord Randolph had been syphilitic since early youth.His mother, American-born Jennie Jerome whose father was a stockbroker and part-owner of 'The New York Times', was always attracted to men other than her husband or her sons (Winston, born 1874, and John Spencer, born 1880).In modern terms, they were trailer trash;in Phoenix, Sheriff Joe would have set aside a bunk in his tent-city jail for Winston.

But, instead of slums, Winston was born and brought up in Blenheim Palace, built 1704-22 and still one of the great estates of England.American ex-presidents get palatial libraries as their memorials;the British rewarded their leaders with mansions and great estates.Blenheim Palace was one of the finest, far better than the estates later awarded to Nelson and Wellington.

Perhaps it was the milieu of Blenheim Palace, but Churchill matured into a man absolutely convinced of the majesty of the British virtues of patriotism, loyalty, courage and fair play.For him, being British meant manliness, courage, tenacity and ultimate moral decency.It resonated with the vigorous American spirit of Theodore Roosevelt and the beauty of the strenuous life.

President George Bush is reported to keep a bust of Churchill in the Oval Office;perhaps as a reminder of the complete contrast to himself.Bush ducked the Vietnam War in the Texas Country Club Air Guard;Churchill eagerly sought war, even though he hated it.

Like Ulysses S. Grant, Churchill was a gifted wordsmith instead of a stumblebum.He free-lanced as a journalist while serving as a British officer and was sometimes earning 20 times his military pay.He never stopped learning, he wanted facts, order, reason.His mother sent him crates of books while he was on duty, and he devoured them all.

Gen. Sir Herbert Kitchener described him as a "medal-hunter" and "self-advertiser" who was "super-precocious" and "insufferably bumptious."It was a good assessment.But, the public loved his books and even the Prince of Wales praised him.Whatever one thinks of Churchill, his career and successes are due to his own effort, intelligence, work and nerve.

In brief, this is the story of a man who might well have ended up as a Soho souse, but instead became the greatest man of the past century.He did it through his own efforts, not because of Daddy's friends, money or ability to pull strings.

This book defines the character of a great man.



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The drive to victory between June 1943 and July 1944, as the Allies consolidate their achievements, with enormous difficulty and great divergence of opinion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The beginnings of the Super Power "The United States of America!
Winston sets forth in his 5th book of the study ofthe Second World War in describing the dominance of the Allies in all theaters.This book was first published on September 1, 1951.One month and 26 days later Mr. Churchill will again be Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Winston goes into great detail of the Allies gaining control of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.Churchill's travels to Quebec and to Washington again showing him as the ultimate World Statesman.His descriptions of his meeting with FDR at Cairo in preparation for the Teheran Conference begins to show the independence and direction of the U.S.A.
During this time period Winston was gravely ill in December of 1943 and convalesced at Marrakech.He proceeded to his duties and started to plan along with the U.S.A. for the plans of the D-Day invasion.
Also Churchill describes the US advance in the Pacific along with the Allies effort against the Japanese in Burma.
We end with the fall of Rome and the preparations on the eve of D-Day.Winston will always get 5 Stars from me.He's a bit of a windbag but I still like his style!!

closing the ring
I've read all the volumes in this set and closing the circle is one of the best.Churchill is an excellent writer and when you read this volume, (and all the volumes) it is as if he were holding a conversation with you.His attention to detail is amazing and the correspondence between himself, Roosevelt and Stalin is absolutely eye opening.It gives one the feeling of being behind the scenes and sitting in on the conferences at Yalta, Russia and the middle east.Absolutely engrossing.
It gives one an entire new understanding of WWII. I would recommend all six volumes to anyone interested in WWII .

Prelude to Overlord
Volume 5 of Churchill's great WWII series covers the time frame from June 1943 to the eve of Overlord (Allied cross-channel attack) June 5, 1944. North Africa had been cleared.India had been protected from invasion. Australia/New Zealand were free of danger and the Stalin's Army was driving Hitler out of Russia. The U-Boat dangers were greatly lessened and shipping increased.The Germans were also being driven out of Italy and Hitler's tyranny was doomed.The ring was truly closing.

`Closing the Ring' deals primarily with the main conferences that were taking place.Quebec, Cairo, Moscow and Teheran conferences set dates and time tables that were difficult to accomplish but got everyone working on the same page..Churchill endeavors to clear up misconceptions about his reluctance regarding Overlord.He was always in favor of the cross-channel effort but desired to use inactive forces to gain greater footholds in Hitler's underbelly. He desired to get some landing craft earmarked for Overlord, to use forces that were standing still in North Africa, for quick capture of several Aegean islands and then into Italy.FDR and his military advisers waffled back and forth delaying landing craft until many opportunities were lost.According to Churchill, one of the greatest failures, in spite of victories won, was not bringing Turkey into the War and the benefits that would have been gained.The Allies were kept out of the Balkans thus allowing the Russian Army to fill the void of the retreating Germans.At Teheran ,Roosevelt was making deals with Stalin in the absence of Churchill.He and his advisors continued to place too much trust that Stalin would do the right things for Europe and especially in the Balkans.

This is an important volume as Churchill finds himself at times almost like a third wheel as FDR continues his courtship with Stalin.Churchill's insights were for the most part right on target, or at the very least in the ball park. He felt that there was more than one way to win this war and seemed at least to be trying to find ways to quickly bring this war to a close.Well worth reading and learning about this terrible time in history from Churchill's inside view.

Fine history told from a unique viewpoint
It is fortunate for us as readers that Winston Churchill not only had the qualities of a writer, but that he also found the time to put them to such good effect. Many a retired politician has written his personal memoirs-fewof them have ever done so quite as completely. In the war, Churchill usedsecretaries to help him cover the multitude of daily tasks he needed to getthrough and afterwards, when living at Chartwell, his home in Kent, he keptup the practise of using an amanuensis instead of writing himself. Thisallowed him to get far more work done, since he could literally do it withhis eyes closed. Nevertheless, we may feel sure that the text is his own.Proud man that he surely was, there is little chance that he indulgedanyone in much editing. When we see his virtually unedited copy sent fromthe field from India, the Sudan and South Africa at the end of the lastcentury, we can feel sure that by the 1950s, he was a competent composer oftext indeed.

"Closing the Ring" is the story of the climax of the SecondWorld War. Although he refused to admit it, Hitler probably knew deep downwhat everybody else could see very clearly after Stalingrad. The oncemighty armies of the Third Reich were being forced to withdraw; some of thebest divisions had by then been so savaged that little remained. Berlin wasbeing mercilessly ground down to rubble by legions of British and Americanheavy bombers that ended up attacking their targets almost unopposed. Itwas the time when madness reigned in the Fuhrerbunker and when the Alliescould see the fruit of their careful planning starting to ripen. Churchillwas at once rewarded by the knowledge that he had been right in thinkingAmerica invincible, and at the same time he was sadly aware that an era waspassing and the British Empire was fading away in front of his eyes.

This is a long sustained narrative, written by a man in full command ofhis enormous personal resources. In addition, Churchill had access to avast quantity of documentation concerning the period, because he hadwritten much of that too! Frankly, this is an admirable work of history,told with a writer's gift for spinning a yarn and I enjoyed every word ofit.

As Britain diminishes, so does Churchill's enthusiasm
As with the other volumes in his monumental history, Churchill's language is sparkling and, from a literary standpoint, practically genius.The man really knows how to turn a phrase, to use the English language to its best advantage. As literature, this book is wonderful, and I recommend ithighly.As history, it may be less important.Everyone acknowledges thework's idiosyncracies; it's Churchill's view, not a balanced attempt tocover the whole war.To be fair to WSC, he knew what it was, and made nopretense about it.But, after the USA came on to the European scene inmid-1943, Britain's position of authority declined, so there's less forChurchill to describe or represent.He's reduced to saying innumberabletimes "We were forced to accept our Ally's view."The reader,especially one who has read the first four books, can tell that he's nolonger so engaged by the magnitude of events.He covers a year here inonly 2/3 the space it took him in any previous volume.Maybe he's justexhausted, but whatever the reason, *Closing the Ring* lacks thegrandiose-ness of the previous entries. ... Read more

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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN MARTYRS TO THE FIRST GENERAL PERSECUTION UNDER NERO.

The history of the church may almost be said to be a history of the trials and sufferings of its members, as experienced at the hands of wicked men. At one time, persecution, as waged against the friends of Christ, was confined to those without; at another, schisms and divisions have arrayed brethren of the same name against each other, and scenes of cruelty and woe have been exhibited within the sanctuary, rivalling in horror the direst cruelties ever inflicted by pagan or barbarian fanaticism. This, however, instead of implying any defect in the gospel system, which breathes peace and love; only pourtrays in darker colours the deep and universal depravity of the human heart. Pure and unsophisticated morality, especially when attempted to be inculcated on mankind, as essential to their preserving an interest with their Creator, have constantly met with opposition. It was this which produced the premature death of John the Baptist. It was the cutting charge of adultery and incest, which excited the resentment of Herodias, who never ceased to persecute him, until she had accomplished his destruction. The same observation is equally applicable to the Jewish doctors, in their treatment of our blessed Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST. In the sudden martyrdom of John the Baptist, and the crucifixion of our Lord, the history of christian martyrdom must be admitted to commence; and from these, as a basis for the subsequent occurrences, we may fairly trace the origin of that hostility, which produced so lavish an effusion of christian blood, and led to so much slaughter in the progressive state of christianity.

As it is not our business to enlarge upon our Saviour's history, either before or after his crucifixion, we shall only find it necessary to remind our readers of the discomfiture of the Jews by his subsequent resurrection. Though one apostle had betrayed him; though another had denied him, under the solemn sanction of an oath; and though the rest had forsaken him, unless we may except "the disciple who was known unto the high-priest;" the history of his resurrection gave a new direction to all their hearts, and, after the mission of the Holy Spirit, imparted new confidence to their minds. The powers with which they were endued emboldened them to proclaim his name, to the confusion of the Jewish rulers, and the astonishment of Gentile proselytes.

Download Fox's Book Of Martyrs Now! ... Read more

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A vivid portrait of a unique leader who both experienced and influenced the great social and political changes of the first half of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

a very good juvenile
for teenagers it remains one of the very best book covering the life of churchill.

Outstanding literature
Winston Churchill:Soldier, Statesman, Artist, is an outstanding, andeasy to read book for young adults.It is very detailed and not hard tofollow along.It basically describes the entire life of Winston Churchillstarting even before he was born.It is an amazing book, yet does get dryat points. ... Read more

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Churchill's six-volume history of World War II -- the definitive work, remarkable both for its sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, universally acknowledged as a magnificent historical reconstruction and an enduring work of literature. From Britian's darkest and finest hour to the great alliance and ultimate victory, the Second World War remains the pivotal event in our century. Churchill was not only its greatest leader, but the free world's most eloquent voice of defiance in the face of Nazi tyranny. His epic account of those times, published in six volumes, won the Nobel Prize in 1953.Amazon.com Review

"After the end of the World War of 1914 therewas a deep conviction and almost universal hope that peace would reignin the world. This heart's desire of all the peoples could easily havebeen gained by steadfastness in righteous convictions, and byreasonable common sense and prudence."

And so, in the concluding volume, Triumph and Tragedy, theAllies push across Europe and take the fight to Berlin. PresidentRoosevelt's death shortly before final victory against Germanyaffected Churchill deeply, "as if I had been struck a physical blow,"and he would later regret not attending the funeral and meeting HarryTruman then, instead of at the Potsdam conference after Germany'sdefeat. Churchill himself would not be there for the conclusion to thewar against Japan; in July of 1945, a general election in Britainbrought in a Labor government (or, as he refers to them,"Socialists"), and he resigned immediately, for "the verdict of theelectors had been so overwhelmingly expressed that I did not wish toremain even for an hour responsible for their affairs." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

It takes time, but it's worth it.
This six-volume set will take a while, but it is highly worth it.It is a masterpiece.Churchill's reproduction of the hundreds of telegrams between himself and FDR and Stalin is a front-row seat to history as it shaped the world in which we now live.The great bulk of this work is Churchill's minutes, letters, speeches and telegrams from that period.There is commentary after-the-fact, but mostly Churchill is content to be judged on the historical record.Any history, military and/or political junkie should read this.This is primary source material.This is what happened, as it happened.And the nuance of thought and debate throughout the major players shows the terrible reality of war and tyranny and how the price of freedom truly is eternal vigilance.This work also demostrates how good leadership is rare and valuable and how bad leadership is often tragic and fatal.If you're one of these lost, mis-educated souls who think Churchill was a war criminal, then you will almost certainly not put in the effort to read this.But you should.

Review by The Literate Man ([...])
The following is a review I posted on the weblog, The Literate Man ([...]), on May 7, 2010.

Now this is a man's work, and for more reasons than one. In six long and annotated volumes, Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill holds the reader's attention masterfully through the years of blind pacificism and the rise of the Nazi menace in Germany (The Gathering Storm) through the blitzkrieg campaigns that brought all of Europe, and very nearly England, to its knees (Their Finest Hour) to the reluctant entrance of both Soviet Russia and the United States into the war (The Grand Alliance) and the gradual turning of the tide as the massive capabilities of all three were harnessed to overcome German war production (The Hinge of Fate) to the storming of the European continent and the discovery of German concentration camps (Triumph and Tragedy) to final victory over Nazi Germany by traditional warfare and imperial Japan by the reluctant use of atomic weapons (Closing the Ring).

Please understand, I am not generally a fan of military history or of war tales in general. And I am certainly not a fan of all of Churchill's works (his four-volume work, A History of the English Speaking Peoples, has me begging for release only halfway through volume two). But this is quite simply the greatest story of the twentieth century, and this set of six volumes records the events through the eyes and ears and hands of one of its primary architects. Churchill is a fantastic storyteller here, though he does have a weakness for prolonged and verbose defense of his decisions in the moment. Nevertheless, the urgency of actual events moves the story along at a comfortable pace, and Churchill generously excerpts from his own correspondence and the archives of the British government's to tell the tale.

Especially interesting is the tremendous correspondence that passed and the friendship that developed between Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt before America's entrance into World War II. Even as the population of Great Britain was huddled underground in subway stations during the Battle of Britain, Churchill had faith that reason and right would win out in the hearts of the American people and he repeatedly expressed that faith to Roosevelt, while also pleading for increased military support under the Lend-Lease Act of 1941. Equally engaging is Churchill's hot and cold relationship with Joseph Stalin, whom Churchill variously considered his closest ally and, by the end of the war, the embodiment of evil upon the earth. But the facts don't lie, even in Churchill's hands, and there can be no doubt that England and America would have very likely lost the war to the Axis powers if the Great Bear had not made its timely entrance and proceeded to sacrifice the greater share of its manhood for victory.

The Second World War is not for the feint-hearted. The reading of it is an enormous project to undertake. But the rewards are tangible not only in the beautiful prose which graces its pages, but also in the significance of the events that it relates. Overall, it is simply one of my favorite works.

Poor quality print.
I've wanted to read Churchill's "The Second World War" but it has always been quite expensive.

My daughter recently gave me an Amazon gift certificate that allowed me to buy the six-volume paper-back edition.
Imagine my bitter disappointment when I started to read volume I (The Gathering Storm) and noticed the very poor quality printing in the book.By poor quality print I mean that in many cases, individual letters (especially the vowels a and e) were partially formed or had gaps in them.
While the text was still legible, the small print and the deformed characters make it very uncomfortable to read.
I would have expected a much higher quality product from Amazon particularly when the price is around $75.00.

G. Shute

It's not a set
I only received one book from the 6 volume set. The seller should never make the deal look like selling a set.

Historically Brilliant, but too Many Quotations
First allow me to say that it took me almost a year to completely read this book, and it would have taken longer had I not decided to start skipping the documents. Without these documents, it is a highly readable and compelling story of one of the most imporant figures in WWII, and the only one who left a detailed first-hand account of his decisions. Churchill is a compelling and capable writer, but the inclusion of documents turned into a competiton beween the promient figures of the time, who all wanted to quoted in Churchill's memoirs. To a limited degree these are helpful, but I could only gather a oherent narrative after ignoring the documents all together. ... Read more

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338 Pages ... Read more

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Man of the Century is the often surprising story of how Winston Churchill, in the last years of his life, carefully crafted his reputation for posterity, revealing him to be perhaps the twentieth century's first, and most gifted, "spin doctor." Ramsden draws on fresh material and extensive research on three continents to argue that the statesman's force of personality and romantic, imperial notion of Britain has contributed directly to many of the political debates of the last decades -- including American involvement in Vietnam and the role of the Anglo-American alliance in promoting and protecting a certain vision of world order.

Customer Reviews (5)

A MUST FOR CHURCHILLIANS
A GREAT WORK SHOWING US HOW WINSTON CHURCHILL FORGED HIS OWN IMAGE . LOTS OF QUESTIONS ANSWERED FOR THE FIRST TIME HERE. AND MUCH MORE . A GREAT BOOK

Mold History through the Sheer Force of Your Personality
John Ramsden wrote a book of uneven quality about Winston Churchill's legend since 1945.Ramsden clearly does not target readers with no prior, in-depth knowledge of this towering presence.In some chapters, Ramsden gets bogged down in detail that, over time, annoys readers.Ramsden should have written shorter chapters about Churchill and his relationship with countries such as Australia and New Zealand.Enumerating a large number of streets, pubs, parks, etc. named after Churchill in these different countries does not add much to the narrative.Ramsden is at his best in Part One when he focuses on the controversial personality of Churchill.Churchill understood very well that he had to write his side of the story to mold the minds of his contemporaries and remain relevant to future generations.Churchill has outshined most other memorable men and women in this enterprise.Many people around the world still want to claim a piece of Churchill by quoting him in a wide variety of settings.The ultimate power of Churchill lies in the richness of his parley and writings which can still stir emotions when reason fails to mobilize for decisive action.

Time was Wrong
Notwithstanding Time magazine's famous judgement, I think Winston Churchill was the man of the last century. So does John Ramsden, who has written a book that will be deeply appreciated by those with a lively interest in Churchill's impact on politics and culture following World War II and up to the present. The text is somewhat uneven in that the author meanders between quite keen insights on important issues, such as Churchill's role toward what became the EU, and the more dubious, such as listing the various streets named for the great man in Australia. While a first time reader on Churchill should read a good biography like that of Sir Roy Jenkins, this book will be worthy of purchase by any true acolyte of this great, and still relevant, figure of history.

A new way to look at Winston
THis is not a biography of Winston Churchill.This is something new and fascinating.Here we have a text that seeks to examine Churchill the legend, the man, the history of him and his relationship with the english speaking world since 1945.Chapters include investigations of Churchills funeral, 'operation Hope Not' and Churchill 'failure' to lose World War Two, the Finest Hour.Here we learn of Churchill's FUlton speech and also his famous relationship with America, as an honorary citizen no less.

Most interesting are chapters on Churchills relationship with Australia and Canada as well as new anecdotes about why Castro and Guliani, who agree on nothing, both are admirers of Winston.This book also examines the many biographers of Churchill, including Manchester, Gilbert and Jenkins.

THe conlusion is that Churchill is not simply the 'man of the century' but perhaps of the next one as well.This is a tour de force and every Churchill admirer must read it, in fact anyone interested in histiography or in the western egnlish speaking world since 1945 will enjoy this.Every conceivable person stars in this cast, from Isiah Berlin to Dean Acheson and Robert Menzies.The English speaking world will enjoy this book about one of its greatest champions.

A last note, the chapter on Churchill and Europe and Churchill and the Irish are extraordinary in their new takes on the British and their relationship with these two neighboors.

Seth J. Frantzman

A must for the Churchill admirer, student, or skeptic
Sir Winston Churchill had no shortage of admirers among the generation that knew, or saw, him during his Finest Hour, 1940-1941. And they have remained legion among later generations. But in the wake of the September 11 attacks, many people -- and especially many politicians in need of stirring rhetoric -- have turned to WSC again, attracted to his reputation, perhaps, more than to the strict details of his long and eventful life.

John Ramsden's fascinating book is an analysis of how Churchill's reputation was born, was consciously shaped by the man himself, and how it has evolved in the years since his death. The bulk of the analysis focuses on the five English-Speaking nations, though Europe is included as well. Another large section looks at the famous "Iron Curtain" or "Sinews of Peace" speech at Fulton, Missouri, in 1946, and how it -- precisely as WSC intended -- transformed the world's view of him from heroic-but-passé war leader to very-much-active statesman, politician, and geopolitical strategist.

A final section, which I found the most interesting, analyses many of the key Churchill biographies written over the years, from Randolph Churchill and Martin Gilbert's official biography, to Lord Moran, to Manchester, to Roy Jenkins' "Churchill: A Biography" (2001), which Ramsden predicts will remain "the authoritative single text for years to come" (p. 545). Ramsden also seems to have counted every Churchill memorial statue, street, pub, and park bench in the world. And while a catalog of these things could easily become tiresome, this author skillfully keeps it from doing so.

This is no small accomplishment. People who write about Churchill are forced to deal with the sheer immensity of his life. Many respond by being prolix, or trite, or they oversimplify, or caricaturize, or fall into either blind hero-worship or equally unnuanced destructiveness. Ramsden does none of these. One way he manages this, of course, is by being fairly sparing of the details of most of WSC's life. Thus, this book will make a lot more sense to someone who already has a fairly good understanding of who the man was, what he did, and when. Another way is by filling his text with stories about, and insights into, Churchill and his contemporaries that are nearly all some combination of fascinating, entertaining, and memorable. Thus, while he's dealing with some Grand Themes, the author surrounds them with a bodyguard of anecdotes that in and of themselves almost guarantee this will be a fun read for any Churchill student or fan.

Significantly, Ramsden is not an *uncritical* admirer of Churchill, though he is clearly an admirer. The Winston we encounter here is not sugarcoated, and some of his unattractive features do come through. That and the mountainous research on display are two signs of Ramsden's chops as a historian.

Finally, as a many-year member of The Churchill Centre and its preceding organization the International Churchill Societies, I should note and commend Ramsden's coverage of this worthy organization. Far from the worshipful society of star-struck fans it is sometimes painted to be, Ramsden shows the CC to be a reputable and respectable association of clear-eyed admirers of the man of the century, warts and all.

I am always amazed at the new aspects or corners of Churchill's life and impact that people can find to write books about. This one, no question, was a book that needed to be written. And for any Churchill student or fan, it's one that needs to be read. ... Read more

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Christian Encounters, a series of biographies from Thomas Nelson Publishers, highlights important lives from all ages and areas of the Church. Some are familiar faces. Others are unexpected guests. But all, through their relationships, struggles, prayers, and desires, uniquely illuminate our shared experience.

Master statesman and orator Winston Churchill was in no small way responsible for the WWII Allied victory over the Axis powers. At many times he stood alone leading the fight against Hitler, absolute in his belief that Britain must "with all the strength that God can give us … wage war against a monstrous tyranny." From where did he derive his strength and comfort? In this Christian Encounters biography, discover how Churchill's Anglican faith sustained him during some of the darkest hours in human history.

Customer Reviews (58)

An odd and unsatisfactory encounter
I'm having a hard time understanding why Winston S. Churchill was included in this series of "Christian Encounters" biographies. Most of the other subjects "encountered," like Bach, St. Francis, Tolkien, John Bunyan, or Anne Bradstreet were true giants of the faith or at least of notablespiritual importance. Even William F. Buckley, another subject in the series, spoke and wrote frequently about his Christian faith. But Churchill? The best description of his spirituality may be either his description of himself as a "flying buttress" of the church -- ie, supporting it from the outside -- or his mot that he was ready to meet his Maker, but "Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter."

Taken on its own, "Winston Churchill" is an acceptable, if far from perfect, short biography of The Man of the (Twentieth) Century, though one that unlike most brief biographies is weighted far more toward His Early Life than toward his later years of greatness. Author John Perry makes a valiant effort to portray WSC as a man of deep-seated Christian faith which, if it did not express itself in day-to-day piety, certainly shaped his world view, his prose, his belief in his own destiny, and his conviction that ultimately all things turn out for the best. In so doing, Perry quotes what must be a substantial percentage of everything Churchill ever wrote or said that included a mention of "God," but like those attempts to prove America's founding fathers were evangelical Christians because they wrote "endowed by their Creator" in the Declaration of Independence, it was ultimately unconvincing. When you cite as evidence of Churchill's belief in God his comment that Hell must exist in order for Earth's Hitlers to receive the punishment they deserve, it strikes me as grasping at straws.

What strikes me as a more credible description of WSC's faith comes in the author's discussion of the Victorian era, and the influence of a broad Anglican interpretation of Christianity on all levels of society. Churchill's references to Biblical texts and mentions of God in his speech and writing seem at least as much a reflection of the cultural atmosphere in which he came to maturity, and the influence of his nurse Mrs. Everest, as evidence of personal faith. Perhaps the best explanation of that comes in a line Perry quotes from former Churchill secretary Phyllis Moir: "He is not religious in the sense that a man like Lord Halifax is; he has no natural faith, no instinctive piety. Rather his own successes induce in him a feeling of awe, of reverence and gratitude toward the Providence that has treated him so kindly and guarded him so well" [p. 135]. Which raises the question, again, of why include Churchill in this series? Because people buy and read biographies of Winston Churchill?

As a stand-alone bio, "Winston Churchill" is, as I said, acceptable but not great. There are a few editorial errors (references to "Eaton College" or the mention that the last Tsar of All the Russias was a cousin of England's "King George VII"), plus a few simple historical ones, like mentioning WSC won the nonexistent "Nobel Prize in history" for his six volumes on World War Two (in fact, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for "for his mastery of historical and biographical descriptions as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values"). Still, the book is far from hagiographic, and whatever the argument about Churchill's faith it doesn't try to fashion him as a plaster saint. There are better short biographies, and more convincing explorations of WSC's psychology, philosophy, and world views. But this "Christian Encounter" with the man left me unsatisfied.

Interesting yet misleading
This book is a very interesting book on Winston Churchill.It is well researched, full of insights and capably written.However, the publisher, Thomas Nelson should not have picked Winston Churchill as an important life in the history of the Christian faith.According to Thomas Nelson, the Christian Encounters series seeks to highlight the important lives of those throughout Church history.As this book proves, Mr. Churchill was not active in promoting the gospel in any way.Which would seem to be a requirement for inclusion in this series.

I think Thomas Nelson included Churchill in the series because of his comments during WWII.During the early days of WWII when the outcome was in doubt, Winston rallied Britain and the world around his cause by declaring that Britain was fighting for the survival of Christian civilization. These statements worked and fortunately, nazism was defeated.

However, after reading this excellent overview of his life, I came away believing that this book did not belong in this series.Winston Churchill was an interesting person but his life was certainly not an important life in the history of the Christian Church.

Good brief overview of the Great Man's life
Sir Winston Churchill represents something of a challenge for the Christian Encounters series.Despite being the greatest man of the 20th Century, widely admired throughout Christendom, Churchill was himself not a Christian.

Raised to observe the usual Anglican pieties and known to recite the Bible and invoke the name of God, Churchill's views on religion were complex to say the least.While always convinced of a higher power protecting him throughout his tumultuous career, Churchill didn't seem to regard any duty owed his Creator for such benevolence.

This volume of the series is quite frank about Churchill's religious views and character, lauding his leadership and vision while presenting numerous voices to condemn his many faults.His early life is given particular emphasis, remarkable given his lasting impact as Prime Minister during World War II came as an elderly man. .Indeed, the war years are glossed over, supposedly on the presumption that these are the ones with which readers will be most familiar.

All in all, this is a useful introduction for younger readers to the majestic life of Churchill, a glow-worm amongst worms if ever there were one.I don't recommend it for children below high school age particularly as the account of Churchill's parents may scandalize.

Quick read that's interesting!
A great brief read that gives you some information on a historically significant individual. Great way to get more info without making a huge time commitment that a lot of lengthy, wordy, biographies would require. Also great if you homeschool. If at all interseted I would recommend picking up!

Interesting but Problematic
Thomas Nelson Publishers' Christian Encounters series has thus far produced interesting biographies offering a quick glimpse into the lives of well known figures in various fields from the perspective of their religious beliefs - particularly their Christian faith.All have been interesting reading but the overall accuracy seems to vary according to the amount of "spin" necessary to reach the desired conclusion.With well known religious figures (Bunyon, St. Patrick), they have been more successful since their religion was the reason for their notoriety.But when their personal faith is secondary to other achievements (Newton, Eyre), there needs to be some separation of public and private images.

The religious beliefs of Winston Churchill would be a fascinating topic of a full length investigation by an academic historian.In the "Christian Encounters," version authored by John Perry (less than 200 pages), pronouncements on religious themes, no matter how incidental, are seized upon to present the subject as devout - an assumption that is then just assumed throughout the book to anchor various elements of his life.The problems with this approach are obvious:How serious should we take references to God in poltical speeches and events meant to motivate Britain in a time of crisis?Do these reflect serious belief or just an appeal to British tradition?Politicians often make appeals to Christian values when they haven't attended church regularly in decades.

This is not to say Churchill had no religious feeling but that he kept his beliefs close to the vest and would hardly fall into the expressive form of many contemporary Christians - particularly in America.Part of this is no doubt cultural:understatement was a virtue for British gentlemen of his time.His private statements on religion seem often full of contradictions but with someone who experienced such highs and lows in both his private and public life, one might expect such changes of heart with respect to divine providence.

Despite these misgivings about the book, it is worth reading - but with a cautious eye.More interesting than the insights it presents on his personal faith are those reflecting the battle within himself between two facets of his personality:his desire for stability and love of tradition with his own inherent rebellious and questioning nature.It might be asked if his attachments to relgion were because of personal faith or seeing it as reflective of the best in British tradition.

Overall, it remains an open question whether the Christian faith had a deep hold on Churchill or was mere convetion.I suspect both have elements of truth mixed with the wishes of identifying a great man with their cause by both sides of the question.This liitle booklet is a very interesting read but, given the reasons noted above, remains problematic.

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A VITRIOLIC ATTACK
TRY TO EXPLAIN WHY EVERYBODY IN THE CHURCHILL FAMILY WAS A FAILURE.CHURCHILLOPHOBIA ALL THE WAY.

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