Winston Churchill

By: John Keegan

Narrated by: Richard Matthews

"[Keegan is] the best military historian of the world."—Tom Clancy

When today’s world leaders require inspiration and strength in times of crisis, they often invoke Winston Churchill. The son of a member of Parliament, Churchill, a poor academic student, wanted to be a solider early in life. At this he succeeded brilliantly, fighting fearlessly on the frontiers of the British Empire but eventually being captured. His escape from a South African prison camp led him to national fame and catapulted him into a life of politics.

The eminent historian John Keegan charts Churchill's career, examining his steadfast leadership during the catastrophic events of World War II while England was dangerously poised on the brink of collapse. With wonderful eloquence, Keegan illuminates Churchill's incredible strength during this crucial moment in history and his unshakable belief that democracy would always prevail. Keegan looks at Churchill's speeches, which are some of the greatest examples of English oratory, and identifies his ability to communicate his own idea of an English past as the source of Churchill's greatness. He also sheds light on the political climate of Churchill's time. The result is an insightful, sensitive portrait of Churchill, the war leader, and Churchill, the man.

Critic reviews

"An accomplished and seductive book."
-The Times Literary Supplement

"Stands out as a model of insightfulness about an immense historical personality who helped to shape the world we live in."
-The Economist

"Masterfully covers nearly all aspects of Churchill's illustrious career with knowledgeable insight and sympathy."
-Forbes

A good intro/summary

I didn't know much about Winston Churchill's life, and wanted to learn more, but didn't want to sink myself into a long, detailed tome. This book was the right choice for me. It was informative, but not intimidating or boring. The story flows smoothly, chronologically, from Churchill's youth to old age, just like a proper biography should. After listening to the book twice, I now feel like I have a reasonable understanding of who Winston Churchill was and why his role in history is considered so significant. I thought the narrator was great, although I can imagine some people might not like his Churchill impression.

Best Short Churchill Biography

Sir John Keegan’s wealth of experience in military history make him the perfect author to pen a slim biography of the most important figure of the twentieth century.
Also, the narrator is superb.

Further reading on Churchill...
Winston’s War - The Second World War from Churchill’s point of view. (Max Hastings)

The Last Lion: Three books covering Churchill’s entire life and times. First volume won the Pulitzer Prize; Second is my favorite.
(William Manchester)
Total 2,000 pages; 130 hours.

Sir Martin Gilbert made a career of writing about Churchill from every conceivable angle. The foundation of his career was the eight volume Official Churchill Biography.

Winston Churchill himself wrote about “My Early Life” and his role in both World Wars in:
“The World Crisis” & “The Second World War”.

Sir John Oregon's Winston Churchill

One of my favorite historians Sir Johns Churchill is a very good succinct read. There are longer books about Churchill but I suggest that this is a very good introduction to the topic. All the important points are written here and this book may lead you to want more about Churchill. On the other hand if a quick history is what you are looking for this is your read. It can be easily read in a couple evenings. its very enjoyable written. I recommend this and a!! of John Keegan works.

Worthwhile

The narrator is a bit too much for me. I prefer a straight un-dramatized read but the book itself is good. This was my first serious exposure to Winston Churchill and I would recommend it to any casual student of history. For those looking for an exhaustive study I would recommend that they look elsewhere.

Very nice good book

Like hearing about historical figures Churchill was one of my favorites to read about a dashing figure