Churchill: A Biography [Hardcover]

 

 

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Perhaps it takes a politician of Roy Jenkins' stature to write a work worthy of a man who was once described as "The greatest living Englishman." Whilst not an uncommon surname, the very word "Churchill" conjures up an image of one man and one man only. That man was Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill - soldier, journalist, painter, Nobel laureate, politician and leader of nations. I am not given to defacing books but I well remember being 15 years old when this great man died and going to the school library to read a short biography of his life. Directly after his name were brackets inside which was printed the year of his birth followed by a dash and a blank space reserved for the year of death. Having read the item, I carefully wrote "1965" into that blank space and closed the book.

For those who may not be unaware, Roy Jenkins was a leading British politician who, in post-war years was a fellow Member of Parliament alongside Churchill - although of a different political persuasion. In his preface, Jenkins describes having met Churchill as a boy and observing him at work in later years - although he is very careful to admit he did not know the man. With an honest and intuitive comment, he also declares his belief that a biography does not necessarily demand or even profit from such personal knowledge and that such familiarity can "distort as much as it illuminates."

Any biography should be a dispassionate account of whoever is under the microscope and should include those good, bad and even ugly aspects which combine to comprise the very qualities which made that subject exactly who and what they were. As biographies go, this is a first-class work. As a life story on Churchill, this will very probably stand the test of time to become recognised as the best ever. It really is all here; From an opening Chapter entitled; "The Brash Young Man (1874-1908)," through two world wars (Churchill was one of only two people holding ministerial office at the outbreak of both WW1 and WW2 (he was First Lord of the Admiralty on both occasions although he did hold other posts in between) and, of course the post-war years right up to 1965. In a word, this book is complete.

I always begin reading such factual works by studying the illustrations in order to get a feel for the product. In this instance, I spent almost 30 minutes just reading the captions and comparing them to the relevant image. There are 84 historic photographs arranged together in 2 areas and another selection of 12 pictures which are works of art reproduced in colour. Whilst some of these are portraits of Churchill, others reveal his own skills with a paintbrush.

This is a comprehensive work on one of the greatest statesmen of all time. Consequently, I would suggest would-be students of Churchill ensure this work is elevated to the top of their list as far as their own studies are concerned.

NM

Like most students of the life of Winston S. Churchill I was anxiously awaiting the third volume in the Last Lion series on Churchill's life by William Manchester. Sadly Mr. Manchester has recently announced that, due to extreme health issues, his much-anticipated book would never be written. Having read the first two books I was absolutely stunned.

After the shock wore off I immediately began the prospect of finding a biography that would complete the Churchill history and do it in a way that would complement my earlier study through the Manchester biographies.

May I recommend Churchill by Roy Jenkins. This book, written by a man who has the unique perspective of actually having served in Parliament and in a variety of other important posts in British government, masterfully fills the void. Concise and well written, Churchill by Roy Jenkins is easily the finest single-volume biography of Britain's greatest leader.

Roy Jenkins turns the life of one of history's most interesting men into one of the world's most boring biographies. He is more interested in footnotes and asides than story arcs and feelings...I barely have any idea what Churchill was like as a person from reading this artless bio. Please avoid this book at all costs.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Packed With Knowledge!
Perhaps the greatest tribute to the work of author Roy Jenkins is that, at times, he seemed to know what Winston Churchill was actually thinking - and you're pretty sure he's... Read more

Published on Jun 9 2004 by Rolf Dobelli

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read
First off, its important to note that this is a political biography and focuses on Churchill's career in parliament, not his family or friend relationships. Read more

Published on Mar 19 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars Well detailed.....perhaps a bit too much so
This book, while well researched, is a tedious read. Overwhelming detail in areas of limited relevance tend to clutter excellent underlying content and compromise big picture... Read more

Published on Mar 19 2004 by David D.

5.0 out of 5 stars The scope of Manchester's work but more succint &
marginally better. This unabridged audio version of Jenkins book came in two parts, part one slightly longer. It takes Churchill's life to 1940. Read more

Published on Mar 18 2004 by JOHN GODFREY

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
I found this book to be a difficult read--and even more difficult to finish. There are parts that stick out as great tales of Winston Chuchill. Read more

Published on Jan 7 2004 by Ben D. Cherniavsky

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Book but Maybe a Bit Heavy Going
I do not want to get into the accuracy of this book since I am not a Churchill scholar, or comment on if it is political or fair etc. Read more

Published on Dec 30 2003 by J. E. Robinson

5.0 out of 5 stars Heroism in Politics
Is there any more fascinating figure than Winston Churchill? I have found him interesting since I read a children's book on him back in 1972 and continue to find him interesting... Read more

Published on Dec 20 2003 by M. A Newman

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
This book was diappointing for a number of reasons. Although well researched, Churchill amazingly remained a two-dimensional character throughout the tedious effort by Jenkins... Read more

Published on Dec 17 2003 by Mark A. Moorstein

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this only after you've read Manchester or Gilbert
If I were to choose a first Churchill bio to read, it would not be this one. The writing is very cumbersome and yes, it does assume a lot of knowledge of British affairs on the... Read more

Published on Nov 17 2003 by DrummerGirl

5.0 out of 5 stars Best in the den with brandy and cigars
Winston Churchill is one of those great characters in history who deserves multiple first class biographies. Read more

Published on Nov 10 2003 by Thomas J. Burns

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