The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume 3

Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965

By: William Manchester, Paul Reid

Narrated by: Clive Chafer, Paul Reid

Length: 53 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Spanning the years 1940 to 1965, Defender of the Realm, the third volume of William Manchester’s The Last Lion, picks up shortly after Winston Churchill became prime minister - when his tiny island nation stood alone against the overwhelming might of Nazi Germany. The Churchill portrayed by Manchester and Reid is a man of indomitable courage, lightning-fast intellect, and an irresistible will to action.

This volume brilliantly recounts how Churchill organized his nation’s military response and defense, compelled President Roosevelt to support America’s beleaguered cousins, and personified the "never surrender" ethos that helped the Allies win the war, while at the same time adapting himself and his country to the inevitable shift of world power from the British Empire to the United States.

More than 20 years in the making, The Last Lion presents a revelatory and unparalleled portrait of this brilliant, flawed, and dynamic leader. This is popular history at its most stirring.

©2012 John Manchester, Julie Manchester, Laurie Manchester and Paul Reid; published by arrangement with John Manchester, Julie Manchester and Laurie Manchester (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc

Critic reviews

"Before his death in 2004, an ill Manchester asked former Cox newspapers journalist Reid to take his research notes and finish writing the final volume of his trilogy. The long-delayed majestic account of Winston Churchill’s last 25 years is worth the wait…. Manchester matches the outstanding quality of biographers such as Robert Caro and Edmund Morris, joining this elite bank of writers who devote their lives to one subject." ( Publishers Weekly)

"General readers, as always, will be taken by [Manchester's] boundless abilities as a storyteller…. Essential for Manchester collectors, WWII buffs, and Churchill completists." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"A big book but reads easily…. The finished book is a worthy conclusion to what must be considered one of the most thorough treatments of Churchill so far produced. An essential conclusion to Manchester's magnum opus." ( Library Journal)

What a remarkable man and what a great story!

I loved the richness of detail and the multiplicity of storylines that were woven into this book.

much easier to understand than 1st 3

while the first 2 were very interesting, the voice was sometimes difficult. in all, very good

Reid Deftly Captures Manchester's Elegant Energy

The unflinching portrait of WSC, in all of his complex, and often contradictory, human extra-ordinariness, is carried on in this volume as masterfully as it was in Vols. I and II. What makes this one so much more enjoyable is the almost minute-by-minute depiction of life in England, among the people and the government, and in the Western World during WWII. It is a triumph of biography that the author, while obviously in awe of Churchill and the "great man" he was -- or that he became in these circumstances -- does not gloss over his subject's faults, errors and shortcomings, making a fascinating and realistic work and a totally enjoyable listen. At 50+ hours it is a monumental undertaking, but never a wasted moment!

Winston - incredible guy - prescient beyond belief

Would you listen to The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume 3 again? Why?

Yes, to try to capture all the momentus history of which he was a part.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I usually do not like it when the narrator tries to imitate the voices but he nailed Churchill's and it helped in knowing when he was quoting Churchill directly.

Did Clive Chafer and Paul Reid do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

yes. But it drove me to distraction the way he (Chafer) or he (Reid) felt he had to define every single direct and indirect object. If HE said he was going to Chartwell for dinner I damn well knew that he was talking about Churchill, not the Archbishop of Canterbury

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

First were the years of 1940 and 1941, when Churchill and the Europeans were dealing with the Nazi and Axis push through Europe and we did not even seem to notice there was a war going on. The second - When Churchill was dealing with Roosevelt and Stalin - - It was so obvious that Churchill was right and that the world might have been in much better shape if Roosevelt had listened to Churchill rather than winging it with Stalin.

Any additional comments?

This really give us Americans a good idea of the war years we missed - when things seem so bleak.

Masterful Narration

As extraordinary as the content was of this opus, it paled in comparison to the narrator's performance.

Final Vol. Last Lion Narrator Falls Flat

If you could sum up The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume 3 in three words, what would they be?

Epic

What did you like best about this story?

Churchill, the Times, the Struggle to carry on after leaving office

What aspect of Clive Chafer and Paul Reid ’s performance would you have changed?

BOTH OF THEM. No sense of story. Both read in monotones

Who can add words to a perfect biography

I have been a student of history all my life particularly WWI, WWII and the American Revolutionary War. Anything about Winston Churchill is a must read and I was moved by William Manchester series because the author did not hide warts and WC’s blessings. What a soldier does in his professional career can be documented but what he really thinks behind those twinkling eyes takes a lot of digging. I will reread this series over and over. It is a career but well worth the time.

worthy third volume; narrator not up to the text

Would you listen to The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume 3 again? Why?

The story was riveting; the narrator ended each sentence with an upward inflection - as if asking a question. It became tedious and tiresome.

Would you be willing to try another one of Clive Chafer and Paul Reid ’s performances?

no

The Lion Roared

Would you listen to The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume 3 again? Why?

Indeed, I would

Who was your favorite character and why?

Winston, full of intelligence, wit, and his own man

What about Clive Chafer and Paul Reid ’s performance did you like?

Englis accent

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

no

Any additional comments?

Great for any history buff

Spectacular recounting of the life and times of one of the most important Ben in history

Extraordinarily well presented and detailed account of Sir Winston’s WWII years onward to the end of his life. The magnificently read/performed reading of this exceptional book brought such realism to the text I feel as though I knew the PM and felt a loss when he passed on. A must listen to performance!