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)

Must read for Churchill, WWII buffs.

This is part two of a three part biography. All three volumes are outstanding and should be read/listened to completely (although if your interest is primarily in WWII and not the man, you could skip the first volume.) It is the definitive biography of Churchill and brilliantly written. I have read, and listened to, all three volumes and recommend them without reservation.

Churchill’s Quites Read Distractingly

The reader is an excellent narrator and should have stuck to his regular voice when reading Churchill’s quotes. But instead he chose to read Churchill mechanically periodically emphasizing random words. It was distracting.

Excruciatingly drawn out to great effect

I’m new to this history, but of course I know who wins the war. So seeing all the details leading up to it makes you want to pull your hair out observing how much it took for the English to properly address the threat ahead of them. I spent the first book really disliking Churchill, and now I don’t know when I started rooting for him

It's really good

do yourself a favor and give the first book in the trilogy a shot. I was disappointed it was over.

they switched narrators

the continuation of thec story is 5 stars, but I was disappointed that narrators were switched.... it deffinitely affects the experience

Excellent Volume 2, if you can hear it.

Poor recording quality. Sound is muffled at times as well as rise and fall unexpectedly. When you can hear the reading, excellent follow up to volume 1.

Great.

I loved every word of this book. Narrator sometimes sounds like Vincent Price but that's okay.

Excellent book!

It is a bit difficult to follow the minute details at times, but Churchill was such a compelling individual that the gravity of the man and the story carries one on. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and am anxious to start the last volume.

Great book -- poor narration

If you could sum up The Last Lion in three words, what would they be?

Compromised by narrator.

What other book might you compare The Last Lion to and why?

Volume one

What didn’t you like about Richard Brown’s performance?

It is lame. Frederick Davidson's narration of Volume One is the sine qua non of great narration. Brown's ambiguous accent and his inadequate impersonations, not to mention horrible, tuneless singing, are a travesty when compared to Frederick Davidson's work. What a missed opportunity.

Any additional comments?

Very disappointed that Davidson did not complete the series.

History Made Clear

What an expedition through time...all the old family names, their machinations made clear...perfection. Buy this book now. If that period is a hazy piece of your education these two books will clarify it all. Getting to know the man who lived it is frosting on the cake.