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)

An epic and authoritative work.

With a truckload of original sources and some of the deepest historical research you will ever see, These books tell the whole story of Churchill's life: his culture, his glory, his strength, his brilliance, and also his flaws/mistakes.

If his advice would have been heeded, World War II may not have ever happened. Instead, he was accused of being a warmonger and sensationalist about Hitler's plans.

This is book two of three. It ends with Churchill finally being appointed as prime minister as Hitler rolls into France.

Churchill was a gift to the entire world.

I am a Winston Churchill fan, and have been for a long time. loved this book.

worth every minute

view of the history of the time. well worth 35 hours. Hard to turn off the car and wait until the next time I could listen.

not as good as reader of first volume

fascinating, informative and interesting. very relevant, even today. i wish they had used the same narrator as in the first volume.

great!

really great to hear about underlying narrative to one of world's greatest heroes. sadly, civilization will probably continue to not listen to good council until it's too late.

the man who saved the world.

this book is absolutely worth having and hearing again in again. well writen, enlightening and masterfully read. no one has done more for the world. without Churchill the Nazis dominate earth today. the fact people are trying to judge him now based on the values and norms of today is just disgusting.

Solid Second Volume!

I jumped into Volume II of the Last Lion immediately after finishing Volume I. The headline is this: This was an excellent 36 hour investment of time. This is a well written, thorough and fascinating look at Churchill's years in the wilderness. Really enjoyed learning about all the difficulties Churchill faced in the years leading up to his move to 10 Downing Street.

Now for the one major con (& I'm admitting this might be petty). Volume I was narrated by Frederick Davidson who was exquisite. His reading was flawless – the “voice” he gave Churchill really resonated with me. Volume II was narrated by Richard Brown & I never really connected with his voice or style. Had he been the first “voice” of Churchill in Volume I, then I might feel differently. But, in my opinion, it was a big step backward. And 36 hours is a long time to be reminded of how much more I enjoyed Davidson’s version of Churchill. Again – this is a personal preference, but it did contribute to my overall enjoyment of the audio book.

All that said, I can’t wait to dive into Volume III

Marvelous

This is a modern classic about “The Wilderness Years” of a great man. It is amazing how much those wilderness years now reflect the current crisis facing the world.

Collossal

What made the experience of listening to The Last Lion the most enjoyable?

The era in which Churchill lived, with its penchant for daily journals, allows historians to paint a true picture of Churchill in every aspect of his career viewed from multiple angles (friends, foreigners, enemies, etc). The three volumes pack an incredible amount of history, politics, international relations into an very interesting story about a very interesting man.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The contrast between Churchill and Neville Chamberlain was stark.

What about Richard Brown’s performance did you like?

Mr Brown has Churchill's accent down pat and makes the story so much more vivid.

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

No one can listen to his in one sitting (unless you have terminal insomnia), but shutting it off is difficult. Once I finished each volume, I could wait for the next.

A biography and history interwoven

This is a brilliant biography and background into the buildup of Nazi ambition and confidence. It also outlines the desperate attempt to appease as the British try to hang on as a world power. The implications of the Great War are manifesting.