The Second World War: Milestones to Disaster

By: Winston Churchill

Narrated by: Christian Rodska

Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Churchill's history of the Second World War is, and will remain, the definitive work. Lucid, dramatic, remarkable for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it is universally acknowledged as a magnificent reconstruction. Please note: This book was originally published in six volumes:

1.The Gathering Storm
2. Their Finest Hour
3. The Grand Alliance
4. The Hinge of Fate
5. Closing the Ring
6. Triumph and Tragedy

Churchill then condensed these into four volumes, which have since been released as one, rather hefty, publication. Audible has published the unabridged recordings of Churchill's condensed volume, divided into four parts, as follows:

1.Milestone to Disaster
2.Alone
3.The Grand Alliance
4.Triumph and Tragedy

©1959 Cassell and Co. Ltd; 1990 the Esate of Winston Churchill (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Great

I thoroughly enjoyed the perspective of Churchill. As an American, the story of the Second World War is too often told through the lens of Pearl Harbor, with a nod toward Chamberlain as a cartoonish appeaser and Churchill as a bulldog in a derby hat, and not much more.

The narration conjures up the voice of Sir Winston well, though admittedly this can be a bit tiresome. I enjoyed the touch overall.

The lives that could have been saved

What did you love best about The Second World War?

Winston Churchill's knowledge of what was transpiring was quite extensive. You can see some similarities with more current situations of the last 20 years or so. Sometimes it is better to stand up to a tyrant from the start as it sets up the direction your future relationship will take. This is often the advice given children when trying to deal with a bully in school.

Who was your favorite character and why?

You have to love Winston. Sometimes he comes off as pretentious but mostly he is humble about his part in the affairs leading up to WWII.

Any additional comments?

Great reading by the narrator, British accent and all.

Absolutely superb

I have already listened to all of the volumes of" The History of the English Speaking Peoples ". That was wonderful but this is better. Quite extraordinary wr


iting and wonderful narrator. I am thoroughly looking forward to the other 3 books.

Brilliant! Only Churchill could have done this.

What a gift Winston Churchill has given his and future generations. This is an absolutely unique perspective on World War II. Not only was Churchill in the middle of all major decisions made in Great Britain during the war (and was aware of most of the pre-war decisions), he also has a keen sense of history and perspective that only a few historians possess. He also has a mastery of the English language and a sublime wit that brings this already compelling story to life.

As far as this volume (1 of 3 published, 1 to go - hopefully) it is absolutely remarkable the sheer number of opportunities there were to prevent/delay this conflict that were missed or explicitly ignored. In the beginning of this volume, Churchill declares WWII should have been named "The Unnecessary War" and it is hard to argue with his thesis. But his insight into this entire process is terrific. I highly recommend this set of books for anyone interested in the War or a remarkable view into a great leader in a trying time.

Finally, just a quick note on abridgment. It is true this is an unabridged audio book of the first of four volumes, but the four volumes are a textual abridgment of Churchill's original set of six volumes (but at least Churchill was apparently the one who did that abridgement). I have the original set of six and I am able to follow along with the audiobook. I end up reading the sections that were left out in the evenings and to me they are very interesting. Those sections left out are insightful and do add to the overall tapestry of the story.

It does not make this version any less worthwhile, though. As others have noted, the narrator sounds like Churchill (or at least like I imagine Churchill would sound like) which adds to the overall experience.

great narration

I often had the feeling that I was listening to a narration by Churchill himself. I'm not sure if this is an excellent imitation or if it is the way the narrator usually speaks. The narrator does a great job of bringing the man (and his words) alive. He also switches voices very effectively for other characters (such as Chamberlain and Baldwin). This book mostly focuses on the politics that led Britain and France to do little to stop Hitler from mobilizing Germany for war. It is a fascinating inside view.

An all time favorite 5 star series

If youve never read Churchill before, prepare yourself for one of the most original and immensely talented award winning writers ever. This is his utterly fascinating and insightful account of ww2. A must read as far as Im concerned. Dont let the length of this series deter you, You wont be able to put it down. This book so impressed me that I went on to read almost everything else he wrote and from there I came across " the last lion" by William Manchester - The greatest Churchill biography (as far as Im concerned) which also resides at the pinnical of my all time favorite books

History like I wish it had been taught

What did you love best about The Second World War?

Churchill's perspective and his ability to articulate it are engaging and exciting, even when you know the eventual outcomes.

What other book might you compare The Second World War to and why?

His The Gathering Storm was much the same, and Liddell Hart's, The Real War is similar.

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

no

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The unnecessary war and how it happened

Impressive Leader

An impressive look into history by the man who lived it closer then anyone. Live it from his eyes to your ears.
Only way to make it better would be to hear it narrated by Churchill himself.

Churchill Was/Is the man

I bought this book on sale and I should had bought it sooner. I'm looking forward of listening to the next book in a few and hope to finish the series by summer/fall.

As close as you'll ever get to spending time with Winston Churchill

Churchill's writing needs no introduction or praise as he dedicated his much of his life to the volumes of history he penned. What makes this audio book exceptional is the choice of narrator for this who has a British accent and a raspy aged voice that makes it easy to get lost in his narrative and feel as though Churchill himself is reading his book to you. One of the best audio books I've bought on here and will by buying the other volumes with new credits.