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Average Customer Rating:

Excellent introduction to the great man

Customer Rating:

I never agreed very much with Roy Jenkins's political views and I was therefore wary of purchasing a book written by him on a man whom I greatly admire as I feared left wing revisionism. I was pleasantly surprised that Jenkins managed to put aside his political diffences to produce a fine biography of the national icon. Much of the information in the book, I had already picked up by means of television programmes, articles in book reviews, history books and the like but the review of Churchill's writings encouraged me to read some of Churchill's own works. I therefore purchased "My Early Life" as well as Churchill's six volume "History of the Second World War" and read these afterwards as well. The sheer courage, immense ability and vast energy of the man were outstanding. I was born in 1960 and hence didn't experience the war but I must confess that if I ever hear one of Churchill's wartime speeches being broadcast while watching a film or documentary I can feel the tears building up in my eyes. This never happens for any other speaker or politician and is quite extraordinary. The historian, A J P Taylor, in his book "English History 1914-1945", published by the Oxford University Press, called Churchill "the saviour of his country" and so he was. But more than just HIS country. Roy Jenkins previously wrote a huge biography of William Gladstone and until he began work on Churchill's biography, Jenkins thought that Gladstone had been our greatest ever PM. After working on the Churchill biography, however, he came to the conclusion that Churchill was our greatest PM. Frankly, I tend to think that Gladstone was overrated but I concur with Jenkins's view about Sir Winston Churchill. He was a soldier, adventurer, journalist, literary giant, statesmen of the greatest magnitude and gifted artist. I doubt that we will ever produce another leader like him. Sir Winston Churchill's funeral in 1965 is said to have brought the greatest numbers of monarchs, presidents and PMs together in one place until the funeral of the late Pope John Paul II (another towering giant) according to an article on the BBC website. I have never read Jenkin's biography of Gladstone although I have read his biography of President Roosevelte which was a far slimmer volume. Highly recommended biography about the man who was voted the Greatest Briton of all time in 2002.

Sir Winston	Customer Rating:
Sir Winston. One of the great heros of our country. This book should be read by all school children, why are they reading shakespear when we have the ultimate hero. A master of politics and war. Sir Winston will always be my hero. This book will give you a super account of the mans life.

The dullest book about a national hero I've ever read

Customer Rating:

This book was like wading through treacle! So much time was taken up with unimportant things that i lost interest fairly smartish. If you want to read a book about Churchill, go for 'In the footsteps of Churchill' by Prof Richard Holmes. It's so much easier to read and concentrates on the things that really matter about the great man and not obscure speeches he made in 1910 which seem to fascinate Jenkins so much

A very interesting book	Customer Rating:
A biography written by a political insighter. Very readable. Minor mistake on the election period in the Weimar republic. Can be recommended if you want to read more on Churchill otherwise the best short biography is Bests: "Churchill: A study in greatness".

A Most Interesting Biography	Customer Rating:
Churchill by Roy Jenkins is a very readable book with lots of interesting details. It deals with all the major aspects of his life in an interesting and enjoyable style which does not become bogged down in analysis. It also unlike some biographies does not regard Churchill as a perfect prime minister but as the right man for the right time. All in all it is a very good book.