Churchill

By: Roy Jenkins

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 38 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Winston Churchill is an icon of modern history, but even though he was at the forefront of the political scene for almost 60 years, he might be remembered only as a minor player in the drama of British government had it not been for World War II. In this magisterial book, Roy Jenkins' unparalleled command of the political history of Britain and his own high-level government experience combine in a narrative account of Churchill's astounding career that is unmatched in its shrewd insights, its unforgettable anecdotes, the clarity of its overarching themes, and the author's nuanced appreciation of his extraordinary subject.

From a very young age, Churchill believed he was destined to play a great role in the life of his nation, and he determined to prepare himself. Jenkins shows in fascinating detail how Churchill educated himself for greatness, how he worked out his livelihood (writing) as well as his professional life (politics), how he situated himself at every major site or moment in British imperial and governmental life. His parliamentary career was like no other - with its changes of allegiance (from the Conservative to the Liberal and back to the Conservative Party), its troughs and humiliations, its triumphs and peaks - and for decades, especially the crisis years of the late 1930s and the terrifying 1940s, when at last it was clear how vital Churchill was to the very survival of Britain. He evaluates Churchill's other accomplishments, his writings, with equal authority.

Exceptional in its breadth of knowledge and distinguished by its stylish wit and penetrating intelligence, this is one of the finest political biographies of our time.

©2001 Roy Jenkins (P)2002 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A first-class, well-sustained work of history and a masterpiece of biography." (The Sunday Telegraph)
"This is far and away Churchill's best one-volume biography." (Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.)

A great book for a great man

This book is long, but not too long. I enjoyed particularly the description of his early life. The writing is interesting, and it's read in a lively voice. But then, how could Churchill's life not be interesting.

Please read you will thoroughly enjoy

Brilliant book that charts the life of a great statesman. The twist & turns, the near things, the web through which our history is created.

Excellent

I have read/listened to many biographies of Churchill. This the best biography of them all.

Very Good But Very British

A little too focused on details of British Parliament. This is not surprising since it is written by a Parliament Member but as a parochial American, some of the details were hard to follow. Overall, excellent though with great information and insight.

Well-written, well-read political biography

Jenkins' account of Churchill's life is strongly influenced by his own career as a Labour MP, and if this biography is anything, it's a political life. We hear about every one of Churchill's many campaigns for office and much of the party intrigues that helped get him in and out of positions of power. For those with the stamina to hang in through dozens of hours of reading, this is a fine listen, one that will certainly leave you in awe of Churchill's own stamina and drive.

extraordinary

The narration in this book was fantastic, and the material -while very lengthy and sometimes a bit prosaic- was insightful and well-researched.

WSC : only 49% british

britain's political class was a remarkably inept bunch
they're lives were built on generations of rewarded mediocracy
inherited privilege and money were under every floorboard

a confrontation with the wider world brought this liability into focus
the author roy jenkins seems very comfortable in this world
the subject (WSC) winston spencer churchill confronted it at every turn

churchill was a miserable, melancholy and arrogant man
he say enemies behind every tree and threats in every encounter
he was built for war and confrontation but lost his compass in peacetime

WSC seems to have had all the modern american virtues
loud, indulgent, brazen, self promoting, constantly on the move
he kept the wolf of insignificance away from the door at all costs

when war finally came WSC was the man britain needed > loved
weeks after the war ended he was voted out of office in favor of Atlee
britain's relevance in world affairs has been fading ever since that change

the story focuses on a long list of british political events and characters
that is the world roy jenkins understands and participated in for decades
WSC was too big for that, he spent his life seeking the center of world events

The life and times of Churchill

What did you love best about Churchill?

I learned a great deal about British politics and was very impressed with the amount of research that went into the book. The were lost of details and explanations from the author why he assumed certain things happened the way they did.

Any additional comments?

Some might say this is too long, but considering the topic I don;t think it could be much shorter. If you have the time and enjoy History, this is a great book.

Inside Baseball

My favorite of all the Churchill bios. Jenkins admirably steers clear of the high-perspective generalizations we are usually exposed to. He has a keen knowledge of Parliamentary minutiae, and sticks to his knitting. This is the Churchill biography for the political junkie and those who have read everything else in the field.

Very Detailed

This book is a filled with detail and very well described events. I had little knowledge of the life of Winston Churchill or the workings of the government he briefly led before reading this book. I can say that Jenkins left no stone unturned and has written a truly exceptional book.

The narration is exceptional. No annoying flaws in the narrators reading style and maintains a steady pace.

Only 4 stars due to the, in my opinion, overuse of insignificant names throughout the book which made some sections slightly difficult to follow.