The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume II: Alone, 1932-1940: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume II: Alone, 1932-1940

By: William Manchester

Narrated by: Richard Brown

Length: 36 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

This second volume in William Manchester's three-volume biography of Winston Churchill challenges the assumption that Churchill's finest hour was as a wartime leader. During the years 1932-1940, he was tested as few men are. Pursued by creditors (at one point he had to put up his home for sale), he remained solvent only by writing an extraordinary number of books and magazine articles. He was disowned by his own party, and dismissed by the BBC, Fleet Street, and the social and political establishments as a warmonger, and twice nearly lost his seat in Parliament. Churchill stood almost alone against Nazi aggression and the pusillanimous British and French policy of appeasement.

Manchester tracks with new insights this complex, fascinating history, without ever losing sight of Churchill the man - a man whose vision was global and whose courage was boundless.

©1988 William Manchester (P)1990 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Manchester is not only a master of detail but also of 'the big picture'....I daresay most Americans reading The Last Lion will relish it immensely." ( National Review)
"[Manchester] can claim the considerable achievement of having assembled enough powerful evidence to support Isaiah Berlin's judgment of Churchill as the largest human being of our time." (Alistair Cooke)

An outstanding book. History lovers book.

This is my third time listening to this trilogy and I learn something every time. These are outstanding books.

My favorite of the series!

I have listened to this several times while working on my dissertation. I was surprised by how many listeners disliked the reader. Richard Brown has a crisp, cool, quintessentially British timbre for the narrative and a decent WSC accent whenever called for. His delivery of certain cynicisms by the author and Churchill quotations made me burst out laughing at times while still staying engaged in the somber tones in the book. The prose is excellent, and the build to WSC's rise to power is superb. I cannot recommend this one enough!

The Best Churchill Biographies

Manchester's 2 volume The Last Lion epic are the best biographies about Churchill and may in fact be the best biographies ever written. Manchester spent, quite literally, decades researching his subject. His books not only give an excellent portrayal of their subject, but the times and society in which Churchill lived. I believe it would be a crime to read/listen to only an abridged version (should one even exist). Of the two audio books, I felt Brown was the superior narrator. His natural accent fits the book perfectly, and you always knew when he was quoting Churchill directly due to the timbre of his voice when doing so. I found myself genuinely disappointed on finishing vol. 2 because, sadly, Manchester didn't live long enough to write a third volume addressing Churchill's life during his Finest Hour. Don't miss this excellent audio book.

too good to miss

if you only read one biography in your life let it be this one. it's an amazing combination of William Manchester writing and Winston Churchill's life

Gets better every lisen !!!

After adjusting my ears to the narrator on volume 1, I found the history of the man and of the times truly captivating. It becomes very detailed in sections and I found myself doing a little research, all-in-all a great listen.

Maybe too detailed to comprehend all the characters but very informational

Good for history but too much detail to remember all the people involved and was entertaining

If you love history

Loved this from start to finish of all three volumes. Churchill was in the middle of everything important in the past century. Also just fun to hear his speeches and humor come through in a moving way.

best investment

this book is so very captivating. you feel as if you know the entire British government

Incredible reading of definitive work

A subliminal reading of one of, if not the, defining biographies of Churchill. The reader’s grasp of the Churchill’s voice, reflected in the many imitations of his quotes, brings the already well-researched and beautifully written work to life. The one drawback for the modern listener is the technological limitations of the 1990 recording- strong in the mid-range with some word pronunciations aggressively piercing through. I found it hard to sound mix into a pleasant sound and after a while it can be harsh on the ears. But a must-listen nonetheless!

An Eagle Who Never Stopped Talking

Churchill once said, "When the eagles stop talking, the parrots begin to jabber." He kept talking even when drowned out by the parrots and cowards of his day until eventually he was ALONE as the sole voice of wisdom and action. Copiously detailed. Integrally insightful. A political masterpiece.