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.)

Intelligent and flowing

An intelligent flowing account of the life of the greatest politician of the 20th century. The late author, himself a British politician of note, narrates his work effectively, with colour and vigour. The narrative is a little spoilt by the electronic editing, which leaves only minimal gaps between sentences, resulting in an unnecessarily hurried atmosphere. I was a little bemused by the author describing Jan Smuts as having been ?house-trained? by Churchill ? clearly Jenkins did not have a clear understanding of the formidable intellect and will of Smuts. That aside, a really excellent work.

Narrator undercuts the story

Any additional comments?

Comprehensive bio of a monumental figure is ruined by poor narration that is dry and monotone. Gave up on it partway through but came back and finished it.

Long and detailed does not = good...

I am one third through this marathon and am not sure if I have the stamina to make it all the way. I'll modify this if I do. But I do think it merits mention to my fellow audible-ers that this is not what I would consider an optimal approach to a biography of Churchill.

My beef is that the author is so mired in political intrigue, meaningless (to me at least) detail and gossip about society in those days, and especially about peripheral characters who certainly don't matter to me, that the historical context gets mostly lost.

For example, Churchill's impact on history during World War I is barely mentioned in favor of faithful charting of the ups and downs of his political fortunes. Though the two are totally intertwined, do we have to almost completely ignore history in favor of gossip and intrigue? I actually felt obligated to watch a documentary about WWI to learn what was missing in this book. In a 34 (!) hour listen, this shouldn't be necessary.

If I make it to the end, I'll report back. But if I were you, I'd find another bio of WSC.

Wow, what a dude!

Would you consider the audio edition of Churchill to be better than the print version?

Yes, I could never sit there and read through 56 hours.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Winston Churchill obviously.

Have you listened to any of Robert Whitfield’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but he is a fantastic narrator, he does accents and everything.

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

Not that sort of book, the whole thing was a great eye opener into high level politics.

Any additional comments?

You certainly get your moneys worth with this one.

Difficult to finish

Is there anything you would change about this book?

This was probably written for the native English people and since I am not that familiar with Parliament and English or European geography, it was hard to follow.

What does Robert Whitfield bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well read.

Was Churchill worth the listening time?

He is a very interesting person and I'm glad I read the book. But it was more of a chore than most biographies I have read.

Best book I have ever read

Book was great and the presenter great. Highly recommend to everyone to read at least obe

Well worth it, if you can last

This was my first audio book upon subscribing to Audible. There are other Churchillian biographies but none as comprehensive as this one. I feel like I lived with the guy for the past month! It's worth the listen, but some might rightfully subtitle it "Everything You Didn't Want to Know About Churchill's Life." All said, an heroic work on a complex character, among the most renown figures of the 20th century.

A Useful but Not Entry Level Biography

The book is written from the point of view of the internal workings of Parliament. The author, Roy Jenkins, was himself an MP so this point of view is natural; but I would recommend a working knowledge of British politics before reading this biography. I did not have this and therefore found myself often confused by the names and titles of which there are a great many.

Jenkins crafts the narrative around Churchill's parliamentary life: where he ate, who he dined with, who his friends and allies were, where he vacationed, what speeches he gave and what everyone's impressions were. My complaint is that it is sometimes difficult to place the political jockeying within a greater world context.

For example: Jenkins relates Churchill's speech on the Suez Canal controversy and how it affected Churchill's reputation, but never explains what that controversy was. I think a more educated reader may not find this objectionable, but I found it confusing.

Prior to this book I read "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William Shirer, which told Hitler's story through the lens of greater world events. I like this approach because it had more of a story-like progression to it and easier to listen to. This biography, while informational and certainly helpful was not, to me, as enjoyable to read.

Detailed and effective

Jenkin's biography is Churchill is well written and detailed, providing a very good description of his life. He sticks to the facts with very little conjecture, and where he doesn't have clear facts he provides compelling evidence. This gave me a very good understanding of that great man. Vance is a master reader! He does accents very well and makes the text come alive. Highly recommended.

Best of British Political Soap Opera

This is a LONG book (and thus great value for money). You get not only the portrait of Churchill as a confident, sometimes bungling, always charistmatic figure, but also Jenkins's insights into the British political scene. For instance, when he says that chancellors of the exchequer often expect to become prime minister, he making a wry comment on his own lost expectations. There is just enough analysis and just enough political gossip to make it all fun, and even to sustain suspense, given that we know how it is all going to turn out. The reader is great. He "does" Churchill just well enough to be believable, but not with such emphasis as to be annoying. I have listened to all 25 disks and when my Altzheimers does its job I'll start all over again. The ONLY negative is the time it took to download!