Winston Churchill is an icon of modern history. From a very young age, Churchill believed he was destined to play a great role in the life of his nation, and he determined to prepare himself for the task. Roy Jenkins shows in fascinating detail how Churchill educated himself for greatness, how he worked out his livelihood through writing as well as his professional life in politics, and how he situated himself at every major site or moment in British imperial and governmental life. His parliamentary career was like no other, with its changes of party allegiance, its troughs and humiliations, its triumphs and peaks.
In this magisterial book, Roy Jenkins's unparalleled command of Britain's political history and his own high-level government experience provide a nuanced appreciation of his extraordinary subject. Exceptional in its breadth of knowledge and distinguished by a penetrating intelligence, this is one of the finest political biographies of our time.
"This is far and away Churchill's best one-volume biography."
"From Roy Jenkins' masterly biography, we emerge marveling at the manifold gifts that informed Churchill's genius for leadership."
"A first-class, well-sustained work of history and a masterpiece of biography…Of all the very many biographies of Winston Churchill that have been written, this one is the best."
"This is a splendid addition to Churchillian lore, a chronicle full of revealing personal anecdotes, delightful wartime vignettes, and fascinating new insights into the critical 1939–1945 years."
"Idiosyncratic and accessible…Jenkins' judgments and the fact that he has boiled this eventful life down to a single volume will attract many readers…Entertaining."
"As a veteran politician and administrator, Jenkins is well placed to evaluate Churchill's strengths and weaknesses as a cabinet-level official."
"Stirring…This work is a mighty accomplishment. Jenkins illustrates eloquently how Churchill, perhaps to serve his insatiable ambition, learned to play the game of democratic electoral politics, despite his own aristocratic inclinations. Jenkins acknowledges Churchill's stubbornness, often-destructive vanity, and tunnel vision on certain issues. Yet, Jenkins convincingly asserts, he was right far more often than he was wrong; and on the life-or-death threats posed by Nazism and then Communism, he was right sooner and in a more profound sense than any contemporary statesman. For that, the world will be forever in his debt."
"This comprehensive, witty, and incisive tome, read by British narrator [Vance]…is an enriching entry to scholarly collections."
"A thoughtful and comprehensive portrait of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's remarkable life…Jenkins' inside perspective on British politics makes his work essential reading for those interested in Churchill's life and times."
