Churchill

By: The Great Courses, J. Rufus Fears

Narrated by: J. Rufus Fears

Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

His friend, colleague, and esteemed political foe Clement Attlee once memorialized Winston Churchill as "the greatest Englishman of our time - I think the greatest citizen of the world of our time." More than a half-century later, Churchill's life remains proof that a single individual can change the course of history for the better and make of life a blessed and noble thing, despite public and private trials too numerous to name.

Who was this extraordinary man who rose up at an hour when freedom and right stood in mortal peril before tyranny and terror to rally the British people? To say with courage, genius, and eloquence, "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"

Moreover, how did he accomplish this amazing feat? And how was it that this achievement was just a single part of a long and fruitful life in a stunning array of endeavors?

In these 12 inspiring lectures, Professor Fears presents a well-balanced portrait of Churchill that does not whitewash his flaws. Yet he also draws on the most recent historical scholarship and material from Churchill's writings and speeches to make the case that Churchill belongs with Pericles of Athens and Abraham Lincoln as one of the greatest statesmen in the history of democracy.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2001 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2001 The Great Courses

great course on a great man

Really good lecture. The content was easy to follow and the professor was very engaging. You can sense his passion for the topic.

Incredible and talented person. So brave!!!

Would you listen to Churchill again? Why?

Yes, didn't know much about him, but it was great to learn of his other talents and achievements.

What other book might you compare Churchill to and why?

Great bios

What about Professor J. Rufus Fears’s performance did you like?

Very good

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Admiration

Excellent Course

Professor Fears captures the essence, wit, intellect, naïveté and courage of Winston Churchill. He does so in a slightly folksy and self-deprecating manner. In the last lines he delivers a beautiful, Churchillian blow when responding to the various academics who criticized Churchill and enunciates all of his accomplishments and says (paraphrasing) “only professors could criticize that!”
Well done and thank you Professor Fears. You are a delight!

Amazing.

Teacher made it interesting. There is a lot more to Churchill than most people think.

Good course, but...

The course is good, but I personally did not like the voice of the lecturer when quoting Churchill.

A good biography of a great man.

A number of years ago, before I joined Audible, I listened to a biography of Winston Churchill. I had heard all my life what a great man he was and I decided I wanted to know the details. To my amazement, this biography revealed that Churchill wasn't a great man at all. He was rather stupid and petty and got a lot more credit than he deserved, etc., etc. I was quite confused. I wasn't totally willing to give up my idea of him at a great man, and I wondered why the author of that biography would put in so much time and effort writing a book about a man he despised.

Toward the end of THIS biography, the author mentions that there have been a couple of biographies in recent years that basically set out to make Churchill seem a failure at everything. I liked this book much better.

Yes, Winston Churchill was a flawed personality. Maybe this had something to do with the way he was raised. His mother was promiscuous and his father died of syphilis. Both his parents neglected him terribly as a child. He was sent off to boarding school at the age of seven, and when his father traveled to the city where the school was to give a speech, he didn't bother to visit his son, even though the school was just across the street.

He was also highly intelligent and he was a true hero on many occasions. I really liked this biography. While the author mentioned where he fell short occasionally, he spent more time detailing Churchill's many positive attributes.

I finished this book in only two days, which shows how gripping it was. I didn't want to turn it off for sleep.

Gripping from start to finish

I have been craving to know more about WC in the wake of Darkest Hour and Dunkirk, the Crown. This did not disappoint. The Professor is terrific! And clearly passionate about the subject. Seemed very detailed and yet moved quickly through WC’s life - pausing for the really cool stuff like WW2 and standing up to the “Nazzzis” - and I also enjoyed Churchill as a man - painter, writer, animal lover! His diet! 9 scotches and 9 cigars a day! It was all great - highly recommend!

Enlightening Survey of Churchill's Life

Professor Fears is a gem. He lays out an captivating story of Churchill's boyhood through old age and all the fascinating events of his life in between. Professor Fears also brings Winston Churchill to life and rounds him out as a human being with weaknesses, events that molded his character, his artistic talents, and his love for making life better for his fellow man.

Outstanding

I love the in depth detail into Churchill's life and his failures which helped him become the incredible man that stood alone for years against Hitler. I would highly recommend.

An Excellent Introduction

This was a good introduction to Churchill, albeit definitely presented from a very pro-Churchill viewpoint. It was enjoyable to listen to and easy to get through. I recommend it if you have not already read Churchill in his own words.