Triumph and Tragedy: Second World War 4

This is the concluding volume in Winston Churchill's incomparable history of World War II. As in his previous three volumes it provides remarkable insight and an unparalleled "you are there" view of the events. It is an absolute must-read for anyone that has had the pleasure of completing the previous books.
However, it suffers in comparison to the other books. This first-person view of history worked incredibly well in the first three volumes because Churchill was, quite literally, in the middle of much of the significant action and decisions from 1938 to 1942. His insight, speeches, decisions, and influence on diplomacy literally made history and changed the course of the war. Having a front-row seat to that power and thought process is a treat.
However, starting in 1943 and certainly in 1944 the United States and the Soviet Union became the primary players on the Allied side and Great Britain (and thus Churchill), exhausted and smaller than the others, became a junior partner. Churchill had less and less influence in the conduct of the war and it is not surprising he was greatly frustrated by it, though he certainly knew that only through the combined efforts of the USA and USSR could complete victory be achieved.
In this volume he spends most of his time on things he had direct impact over (which were smaller scale) or talking about his frustrations about not being able to prosecute the war as he saw fit. For example, we hear much more about a small invasion of Italy he tried to coordinate than we do about D-Day. And we hear practically nothing about the treatment of Jews or concentration camps.
But Churchill really comes through in the end as he chronicles the Soviet transformation in 1944/5 from ally to adversary. And there is an epilogue where he discusses the transformations of the geopolitical situation from 1945 to 1957 that is remarkable in its anticipation of many of the issues we continue to face.

And he wrote about it with an excellence no one else has equalled. I would certainly listen to it again. I am amazed at how candid yet diplomatic Churchill is, and how beautifully he writes. Imagine a great world leader, also a brilliant journalist, who knows first hand the course of the most important war in history describing events and the personalities of the principal world rulers with penetrating insight and great humor. There is so much to be learned by this book, listening to it twice would only be good for starters.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is a brilliant book and I loved it. However, the account of a journalist who lived through the war and observed it first hand pales in comparison with Churchills authority and intimate knowledge of events.

I thought of him as Churchill. I felt Churchill was telling me about the war.

Triumph and Tragedy. The birth of the world today.

This is one book I am going to get a hard copy and take notes.

Yes.

You should definitely listen to the whole series to understand this tragic period of history. It is true what others wrote before that the book is a little bit self serving, but nonetheless it's a great listen.

I have the feeling that Churchill himself is telling me the story. Rodska is a great narrator, he even paid attention to using slightly different voices and accents if the contents of a letter or telegram is related written by Roosevelt or Stalin.

Many films were already made no need for more.

Being extremely interested in the WWII I try to read all points of view on the subject and this set of books gives me a wonderful insight to the war and the politics that led up to the war

The fact that Churchill was the prime minister of England at the time of the war allow me to better understand the working of a government and a people at war from the inside

Yes except that I hear Churchill's words read in a voice that is not Churchill

This book must be read with other books of the time for Churchill's history is related by Churchill and he can't be completely objective in his narrative

An amazingly well told story of the second World War. A great statesman and a great writer. And the narrator is fantastic!

I don't really know if the narrator sounds just like Winston, but ... I constantly forget that I'm not listening to the Prime Minister himself. I normally purchase fiction. Also, I'm generally familiar with the course of WWII. This book is not fiction and I learned a lot. Plus, for those who enjoy period mysteries, this book nicely makes the reader think he or she has a seat at the creation of history. Plus, like any good listen it made me stay in my car after I arrived at my destination.

What WC brings to the history is excellent writing and "the" offical British view of what they were trying to accomplish in WWII.

I got Vol 1 cheap somehow and kept on purchasing. Well worth all those credits.

Near the top of the History category.

It was written to be a comprehensive of Churchill's perspective of the war so the series is best appreciated as a whole piece.

He sounds so much like Winston Churchill,from what few voice recordings we Americans are familiar with, it seems as if he were telling the story himself.

I would not take this as the definative history of WWII, any more than another from perhaps, a US or USSR memoir. I do value it's perspective taken from Churchill's own personal diaries and what official papers could be revealed at the time, so it gives a very personal view of the war. Luckily, we can all appreicate Churchill's fine memory, sense of humor and a distinctive prose style .