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.)

Magnifigant preformance

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

Audio

What other book might you compare Churchill to and why?

A biogriphy is difficult to compare when it is about a persons life and no man have ever lived the same life.

Which character – as performed by Robert Whitfield – was your favorite?

Churchill himself due to the books caracter.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

NO

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.

Excellent reading of an Excellent book

The reader, first of all, was wonderful. He provided realistic voices to the characters including the women (which many male readers get wrong).

The book was fascinating. A wonderfully complete biography of Churchill. I gained a very good understanding of Churchill's strengths and weaknesses without distracting from his incredible role in history.

A large book for a larger-than-life man

Generally, this book is considered one of the better biographies of Churchill. Having read a number of them I would agree. The recording itself is well done, though the part that deals with Churchill?s life between the wars is a bit slow and dry. This, however, seems to be the case with any book of this larger-than-life man.

A Brilliant Biography

A long, thorough and insightful biography of a fascinating and charismatic British politician, though when compared to the multiple tombs completed by Martin Gilbert and Randolf Churchill this is a brief summary of Churchill?s life.
Jenkins? insights are particularly fascinating for his own experience of later British Government.
I would agree with those, presumably American who find this dry. Much of his life is tied up in the UK parliamentary system, so unless you have a keen knowledge of the subject, the terminaology and characters can appear obscure.
As a Brit, I find this absolutely fascinating, and I believe that I will return to this book once every five years or so. A wonderful book!!!

Absolutely brilliant

I first got this Audible title many years ago, and I'm now going through it again. The reading is excellent, and the material is authoritative, entertaining and well balanced.
There are enough twists and turns for good fiction, though this is all true history.
Churchill was a complex character, and every nuance is examined, not least from the political experience of the author who held senior office in later British governments.

All you wanted to know about Churchill and more

For someone who thought that he knew a great deal about Winston Churchill, I soon found out that I barely scratched the surface. Roy Jenkins does a wonderful job filling in the details of the life of one of the greatest men of the 20th Century, but it is the expert narration of Robert Whitfield who made the story come alive with a near perfect rendition of Churchill's iconic voice together with reasonable impersonations of Franklin D. Roosevelt and others. Although 37 hours makes for a long listen, every stage of his life had noteworthy insights into the man and the times. I was particularly impressed with the wisdom and skill with which Clementine, his wife, helped to temper his moods and provide him with good counsel (when he would listen to her).

As might be expected, the events leading up to and the beginning of World War II were the most interesting. But I would recommend this book to a listener who is willing to make the effort learning about Churchill as a person and not just eager to hear about the high points.

Wordy and Miscellaneous Details

Would you try another book from Roy Jenkins and/or Robert Whitfield?

No

What did you like best about this story?

It gave a good history of Churchill's carreer

Which scene was your favorite?

The Issues and government reaction to the events leading up to the second world war

Could you see Churchill being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes, George Scott

Any additional comments?

Believe the book spent a lot of time on details and miscellaneous information that didn't help me understand Churchill