Churchill's Trial

Winston Churchill and the Salvation of Free Government

De: Larry Arnn

Narrado por: Wayne Campbell

No statesman shaped the twentieth century more than Winston Churchill. To know the full Churchill is to understand the combination of boldness and caution, of assertiveness and humility, that defines statesmanship at its best. With fresh perspective and insights based on decades of studying and teaching Churchill, Larry P. Arnn explores the greatest challenges faced by Churchill over the course of his extraordinary career, both in war and peace—and always in the context of Churchill’s abiding dedication to constitutionalism.

Churchill’s Trial is organized around the three great challenges to liberty that Churchill faced: Nazism, Soviet communism, and his own nation’s slide toward socialism. Churchill knew that stable free government, long enduring, is rare, and hangs upon the balance of many factors ever at risk. Combining meticulous scholarship with an engrossing narrative arc, this book holds timely lessons for today. Arnn says, “Churchill’s trial is also our trial. We have a better chance to meet it because we had in him a true statesman.”

In a scholarly, timely, and highly erudite way, Larry Arnn puts the case for Winston Churchill continuing to be seen as statesman from whom the modern world can learn important lessons. In an age when social and political morality seems all too often to be in a state of flux, Churchill’s Trial reminds us of the enduring power of the concepts of courage, duty, and honor.

--Andrew Roberts, New York Times bestselling author of Napoleon: A Life and The Storm of War

Larry Arnn has spent a lifetime studying the life and accomplishments of Winston Churchill. In his lively Churchill’s Trial, Arnn artfully reminds us that Churchill was not just the greatest statesman and war leader of the twentieth century, but also a pragmatic and circumspect thinker whose wisdom resonates on every issue of our times.

--Victor Davis Hanson, senior fellow, The Hoover Institution, Stanford University

In absorbing, gracefully written historical and biographical narration, Larry Arnn shows that Churchill, often perceived as inconsistent and opportunistic, was in fact philosophically rigorous and consistent at levels of organization higher and deeper than his detractors are capable of imagining. In Churchill’s Trial Arnn has rendered great service not only to an incomparable statesman but to us, for the magnificent currents that carried Churchill through his trials are as admirable, useful, and powerful in our times as they were in his.

--Mark Helprin, New York Times bestselling author of Winter’s Tale and In Sunlight and in Shadow

Churchill’s Trial, a masterpiece of political philosophy and practical statesmanship, is the one book on Winston Churchill that every undergraduate, every graduate student, every professional historian, and every member of the literate general public should read on this greatest statesman of the twentieth century. The book is beautifully written, divided into three parts–war, empire, peace–and thus covers the extraordinary life of Winston Churchill and the topics which define the era of his statesmanship.

--Lewis E. Lehrman, cofounder of the Lincoln and Soldiers Institute at Gettysburg College and distinguished director of the Abraham Lincoln Association

super

Super book. Would have preferred to hear Churchill's voice with a British accent I realize that this might be too costly, however.

This is got to be one if the best books ever. Certainly the most informative. I recommend this book to anyone loves our freedom

We all need to educate our selves in our past if we want to protect our future or our freedoms will slip right through our hands. Time is running out. If you think this is not a problem...........you are the problem.

Not really sure...

If you are not familiar with Churchill's biography, this would NOT be a good place to start. It is more of a collection of stories and essays about different years and on different subjects, generally connected to government, leadership, and statesmanship. Many of those are interesting if you are interested in Churchill, but many are not.
In the end, there are a few essays and speeches that are read directly from the original. I found the last one worth the whole book.

A great book on a great man.

Dr. Arnn has been a life long scholar concerning Churchill and it comes through in the text. A tale of a man who spent many years in the service of his country Churchill is a complex man and Dr. Arnn unravels much of this in this book. Highly recommend for any armchair historian or WWII buff.

Like the course you look back on as your favorite

Rich and well organized for the non-expert to come to think himself anointed with smarts. Enjoyably read and legible at accelerated play speed.

A Masterpiece of Political Philosophy

This is more of a scholarly book that examines the words and behavior of Winston Churchill with regards to free government. It is not a biography of WSC. It is in many ways a philosophical examination about constitutional limits of free government. Arnn writes a beautiful and eloquent defense of the political philosophical consistency of Winston Spencer Churchill. Churchill was a prolific writer and he was consistent in his ideals that sought for dignity and well-being, for an honorable peace, and for freedom that served to the benefit of all. This is not an easy principle to articulate but WSC wrote in a passionate and forthright manner that Arnn used with great skill to illustrate his thesis.

The book is divided into four parts, an introductory section that included a note on style and a comment on the trial WSC faced over the course of his life in preserving freedom against tyranny. The second section looks a WSC’s view of war, the third section examines Churchill’s view of the British Empire and the third section exams the threats to free government found in peace. The last section is a summary and also provides acknowledgements and appendices.

Arnn frequently quoted from WSC‘s writings including books and essays. I noted he frequently quoted from the book “Marlborough: His Life and Times”. I found the discussion about disarmament most interesting especially WSC’s analogy with the rhinos and lions. I will never look at rhinos and lions the same way again. (I am not going to tell you, you will have to read the book.)

This is a complex philosophical book that is not for beginners, but is aimed at those who have spent their lifetime studying Churchill and government. Wayne Campbell did a good job narrating the book.

Excellent summation of Winston Churchill's World

Churchill's long experience with world events gives him deep insight into the shape of the present .

Fascinating Man Presented in a Dull Manner

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Because there are so many other very engaging books about Churchill, don't waste your time with this one. Only an academic could take such a fascinating subject and make it dull.

A Wonderful History Lesson in Where We are Now.

This is an amazing lesson in the balance of the ideal society coupled with the human element. This is an awesome account of a very well spoken man loving his country and the world. He shows that by leading a people through courage, fighting, and dogged determination, he can better his country and mankind. This was a pleasure to read and today's society would do well to heed history's lessons.

Incredible servant of mankind’s journey in time

Church was an incredible servant of mankind, serving as a soldier, representative and leader. He was incredibly talented as a communicator and thinker and also talented in other ways. This book discussions his personal journey through his time, as his experiences shaped his evolving thoughts and action. So much is of course relevant to the works today.