Book Description

Distilled from years of meticulous research and documentation, filled with material unavailable when the earliest books of the official biography's eight volumes went to press, Churchill is a brilliant marriage of the hard facts of the public life and the intimate details of the private man. The result is a vital portrait of one of the most remarkable men of any age as well as a revealing depiction of a man of extraordinary courage and imagination.
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Reviews (33)

Churchill- Man of the Century
It is difficult to comprehend the enormous challenges faced by Britain in the late 1930's- essentially alone against the Nazi aggression, save for a weakened and demoralized France, with the United States in an inexplicable isolationist phase, content to let Europe burn. In this context, the rise of Winston Churchill to Prime Minister can be seen as something of a miracle- one of those rare instances where the man fit his times perfectly. To that end, without his influence, it is easy to imagine revisionist history, with Europe divided between right-wing German and leftist Soviet spheres. How can one small island establish its force and might into this cause and thus preserve the ideals of freedom and democracy?
The answer, as given by Mr. Gilbert, is Sir Winston Churchill himself, and there is not much which can be argued on this point. If you only read one biography of a 20th century figure, then you should make it this book. Besides Adolph Hitler (to which I recommend Ian Kershaw's excellent two-volume biography), there can be no more influential figure of the last century.
And, besides, what a life! As Gilbert's biography makes clear, Churchill was never one to shun from action. There are multiple instances of Churchill, both young and old, tempting fate, either in battle or in his passion for flying. With bombs and bullets flying it seems Churchill was at peace, secure in the knowledge that God had a greater fate in store for him.
Gilbert, the official biographer of Churchill, has done a masterful job of condensing his multi-volume work into a readable 1,000 pages- it will go very fast, believe me.
All in all, the best in historical biography. Highly recommended.

One of the better biographies I've read for some time......
Martin Gilbert is a prodigious writer and a fine historian. In Churchill: A Life, Gilbert presents an encompassing view of Great Britain's most dynamic historical figure. Little need be said in this review about Churchill, a man larger than life, as that life has been voluminously recorded. However, Gilbert has provided an account that is eminently readable, fascinating in detail, thoroughly engrossing, and bottom-line, simply a pleasurable experience.

As a biographical subject, Churchill has certainly received more negative analysis than Gilbert proffers, but Gilbert takes great care to explain where unwarranted criticism of Churchill's actions and beliefs are, in themselves, errant. Surely, Churchill's politics, in a career that spanned nearly a lifetime, will provide at least some fodder for anyone. By and large, however, Churchill was exactly the prescription required to pull Great Britain through the horrors of World War II.

Not since Truman, by David McCullough, have I enjoyed a biography this much. I recommend the book highly as it deserves, every bit, a rating of five stars.

Compared to William Manchester's...
I liked much better this book than those of William Manchester. The story is linear and one feels the author's absolute knowledge of the life of Churchill. Gilbert's admiration of Churchill is apparent. I heard he has written an eight volume (official) biography of which this book is a very comprehensive and very-very well written abridgement, in other words the eight volumes are „distilled" into one. I also think the quotations are much better selected, Churchill's often very long speeches are very well compressed (my favourite is the speech after Munich). This gives the impression - at least to me - of having read a whole speech, whereas in Manchester's book it never really happens and the speeches are usually followed or preceded by the author's comments. I felt Gilbert keeps a greater distance from his subject, the book is more like a frame and lets the reader build up Churchill's personality with his imagination. Also this might be important to some (like myself) that Gilbert's language is easier to understand.
The Manchester books are of a very different character, not linear, much more personal, the author presents a lot of insight, and tells his opinion or judgement on a variety of subjects and choses the right quotations to underline these. These two volumes of Manchester contain a lot more information and interesting details. I usually agreed with his judgements but i sometimes felt he was forcing and repeating them too strong and too often. A great advantage though is that we learn a lot more about the outside world.

Churchill's book on WWII has a part which is called the „Gathering storm" meaning the approaching Nazi danger for the democracies. For Hitler Churchill was the „gathering storm", a phenomenon which is impossible to ignore and whose „thunderous" speeches and articles were so „loud" and powerful. It was nothing else but the power and truth in his speeches that made him so menacing to the Nazis as he was distrusted by all parties of parliament and indeed by the whole population.This was the reason why he was attacked publicly as a simple MP by Hitler in the late thirties when Hitler was the all powerful leader of Germany and Churchill only a political outcast.

I heard people describing Churchill as a born leader. I disagree. I don't think he was a born leader. He was a genius, the „largest human being of our time" but I think these were not the traditonal leadership qualities that made him emerge to become a strong man and a very powerful leader but his courage and his very deep comprehension of history and the power of justice on his side. Without the truth being on his side i think he would never have been a great leader (unlike Stalin or Chamberlain or Hitler).

After reading it one gives credit to the British people and also to their parlamentary system for being so rubust and being able to defend itself in times of great danger. After this book it seems that no attempt were made to bypass it even when it seemed that the present rulers (Baldwin and Chamberlain) were leading it to certain destruction.

Very good idea and makes it much easier to find something in the book afterwards is that on the top of each page the year of the actual story is shown.

Although the author avoids making many personal comments, the book is so well built up and the story itself is so full of drama that it is hard to put down. I am looking forward to reading other works of Gilbert, who really became my favourite historian (I hope they'll be translated into Hungarian soon).

Excellent although Somewhat Unbalanced
I rate this book alongside such outstanding biographical works as PATTON by Carlo D'Este, EISENHOWER by Stephen Ambrose, and TITAN (John D. Rockefeller) by Ron Chernow. It is very long, befitting its subject, but immensely readable. Like all great biographies, I was somewhat disappointed when I finished!

My only reason for assigning 4 stars rather than the maximum 5 is that Gilbert is somewhat unbalanced. For instance, if you weren't well informed about WWII strategy, and took Gilbert's account at face value, you would come away thinking that Churchill's strategic genius was frequently offset by stubborn US leaders like Marshall and Ike. Yet in other biographies, like Ed Cray's masterpiece on Marshall, you get a good understanding of how Churchill's ideas for the Aegean and Balkans, while certainly having potential, could have been costly sideshows that distracted the Allies from the main effort in France and Germany. So in this respect, I give Gilbert low marks since he never credits the possible reasons for American strategic reasoning.

All things considered, a superb book about a remarkable man. For all his much-deserved WWII glory, Churchill's career before 1940 was truly extraordinary.

Great Work
I have not read any other works on Churchill before this but I think Gilbert has done an excellent job. I learned a great deal from this work.

I had no idea of how well connected young Churchill was nor how well he had used those connections. Also I have long been an admirer of WSC because of his strong stance in WWII and his anti communism. I did not have any idea as to how liberal (in the modern sense) he was in other ways. I knew that he had served in combat but knew no details. I also learned a great deal about the up and downs and ins and outs of his political career.

Churchill was an extraordinary man and Gilbert does a good job of cataloging the triumphs, defeats and the setbacks. What I would have liked to see more of was the witticisms and "great moments". WSC is attributed with many interesting quips and stories. I would have enjoyed a biography that dealt with more of these.

I found the chapters on the interwar years of particular interest in light of current events. I would recommend the book to anyone considering a biography of Churchill. ... Read more

Book Description

Early in 1937, the enterprising owner of an independent press service made Winston Churchill an irresistible offer. He would place Churchill's articles on current world events in major newspapers across Europe--and for significantly more money than Churchill's present agent. "I am absolutely convinced," Emery Reves assured Churchill, "that you will find the diffusion of your articles satisfactory."So began a profitable business relationship that grew into an enduring personal friendship. In this book, Martin Gilbert chronicles that relationship through the correspondence of Winston Churchill and Emery Reves. He preserves a compelling record of how each man used the other's talents to forward a cause that passionately engaged them both--the spread of democratic ideals in a post-totalitarian world.The correspondence ranges from short notes to lengthy letters and reveals the important role that Reves played in Churchill's writing life. Before World War II, Reves worked untiringly to place Churchill's pro-democracy articles in newspapers around the world. After the war, he acted as agent and editor for Churchill's war memoirs and his four-volume History of the English-Speaking Peoples and ultimately made Churchill one of the highest-paid authors of nonfiction in the twentieth century. The Churchill-Reves correspondence will be essential reading for all students and scholars of the Churchill era. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

exellent narative story
Sunday, December seventh 1941, that "infamous" day, is generally regarded by historians to be a major tuning point in American History. It marked the emergence of the United States as the supreme power in the realm of word politics. On that day, Japan attacked the United States binging her into the Second World War. The events leading up to this pivotal point in American history, however, deserve much scrutiny. The second world war, taken from the American perspective, often times runs the risk of being viewed in a vacuum, marked from 1941 to 1945. The war however had been going on for some time, arguably since the Japanese had invaded china in the mid 1930's. In Europe it had been an open conflict from the time of Germany's invasion of Poland. United states involvement in the war must be viewed in this larger context in order it's true significance to be appreciated. Indeed the United States was from the outset of hostilities deeply involved in the war, just not in a direct military sense. Joseph Lash in his book Roosevelt and Churchill: the partnership that saved the west examines these years from the perspectives of the United States and Great Britain. He pays particular attention to the personal and professional relationship between the two respective leaders of the countries, who played key roles in shaping the nature of the overall conflict.

After setting up the stage, it is the conflict: between Roosevelt, American popular opinion and an ever more desperate Britain led by Churchill, between the years of 1939-1941 that the narrative centers mainly around. Written primarily through memoirs and the words of the key players: Lash depicts with growing excitement the success of Roosevelt in molding popular opinion in aiding the British. He traces with scrutiny the growing involvement of the United states in the second world war through such milestone acts as the cash and carry provision, and the lend lease act. He illustrates the tremendous willpower and resolve of Churchill's Britain in surviving the tremendous onslaught of the Axis powers in all theatres of war. The burgeoning friendship of Churchill and Roosevelt is traced till it comes to full fruition aboard the Prince of Wales in a symbolic joint Sunday service, where Churchill would remark: "the sun shone bright and warm while we all sang the old hymns which are our common inheritance" . The steps to war taken by the Japanese and forced upon the Russians are accounted for with growing uncertainty. Finally all events, movements, and personal accomplishments converge in an explosive climax with the United States entering the war after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Lash does an excellent job of putting the individual tensions, and mutual cooperation within the framework of pragmatic diplomacy. The Main characters are fist and foremost held within the confines of a harsh reality. They must adjust to circumstances as best as they can. In Churchill's case, he must try to hold his crumbling empire together while courting aid from a nation that is reluctant to give it. Roosevelt must try to do as much as he can for his friend, while having his hands tied by a reluctant populace, before he is too late. Both men struggle to work together in establishing Naval supremacy in the midst of a continuous German and rising Japanese threat. Amidst all this looms the question of what to do with the Soviet Union. .

Apparent in his work is Lash's hypothesis that the contributions of Churchill and Roosevelt were nothing less than absolutely invaluable to the favorable outcome of the war. The two leaders are endowed by Lash with an almost divine understanding of issues and forces in the world, enabling them to make the key decisions, which ensure success. Conversely the Axis leaders are depicted as mere mortals possessing both brilliance and folly. Hitler's mistakes of attacking Russia, then his unnecessary declaration of war on the United State are incidents used to illustrate this. Lash however runs a danger in this area. He never even entertains the thought of different leaders being able to fill the roles of each effectively. By neglecting to answer this question Lash slightly weakens his argument. In ignoring this leftist historical viewpoint, Lash misses a chance to greatly strengthen his stand that individual achievements were the single most decisive factor in the outcome of the war.

Despite this missed opportunity, Lash's book is a stunning work, offering an unpopular but by no means invalidated perception of history that emphasizes the value of individuals and their actions in shaping the course of human events. The book is written almost entirely utilizing the letters and direct quotes of key players to tell the story. The reader is inundated with names of generals, diplomats and political figures. Personal dramas, disputes, jealousies, friendships and the like unfold as told through the first hand accounts of these characters letters and memoirs. The effect that Lash's narrative style has on the reader comes in helping him to view the early war years as an unfolding drama, with a formidable and unique cast of characters. The Book reads like an exciting novel, in which one is drawn into the drama and uncertainty of the times. Lash's perception of history placing on emphasis individual accomplishment is greatly aided by his writing style, which like a novel lends itself to telling a story of people and the importance of their actions.

In the end Lash succeeds in writing a timeless and thorough history of the early war years. He succeeds in turning a possibly dull and dry study into a captivating story, told in effect by those who dominated it: Roosevelt and Churchill. Were the eventual outcome not listed in the annals of common knowledge Lash would have succeeded in writing a truly suspenseful novel. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Disraeli
The author provides a thorough insight of the rise of a commoner of jewish descent to the highest political rank, Prime Minister and leader of the aristocratic Tory party.

Despite its initial slow start the book gathers pace as Disraeli developes into the skilled debater and master parlimentary tatician. The various interchanges between Gladstone, Peel, Bright, O'Connell and Derby make for interesting reading.

The author explores the relationships that Disraeli formed during his life and provides the reader with a glimpse of the era and the mind of the man through many extracts of private correspondance between the subject and his peers,friends and loves.

A thorough commentry of an interesting life. ... Read more

Book Description

1926. So far as the present writer is aware, no one has attempted the form which, for want of a better name, may be called duo-biography, the biographical study of two interconnected careers. History would not furnish many opportunities for the use of this literary form. For the two heroes must be stars of more or less equal magnitude, and their careers must be in fairly close contact throughout. Disraeli and Gladstone are clearly an ideal pair for the purpose. ... Read more

Book Description

In this biography of a dashing, brash young Churchill, Celia Sandys reconstructs her celebrated grandfather's adventures as a correspondent and combatant during nine months of the Anglo-Boer War at the end of the last century-events that took him from the bivouacs and battle sites of Transvaal to his incarceration as a prisoner of war in Pretoria and ultimately to a bold escape across the border into Mozambique. Using both British and South African sources of testimony, which alternately reveal the dauntless Winston as a courageous ally or foolhardy foe, Sandys recounts the exploits of a Churchill whom history has largely forgotten. With narrative vigor, historical authority, and singular charm, she offers both a fully drawn portrait of the ready adventurer who would become England's legendary prime minister and an illuminating chronicle of the turbulent events one hundred years ago that defined South Africa for modern times. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The Early Churchill
The author, Celia Sandys, is the subject's granddaughter. As such, she had access to papers, people, and places that few individuals have. She presents a view of the early Churchill (age 20-25) that gives one an objective glimpse of his early life, ambitions, and personality. She has done much field research by access to original papers, actual locations, and descendants of those who knew Churchill in his early 20s. Much of her research is centered in South Africa where the young Churchill had a yen for being where the action was in the Boer War, and having an inordinate amount of luck escaping death and danger. Additionally, she gives detailed maps of his movements, and tries to bridle some of his self-sustaining writings that could not be independently verified. This work should give any reader an understanding that Churchill's early years were a prelude to his more famous leadership role during the dark days of World War II. An excellent read.

Fabulous
In an era when many of our political leaders are intellectually challenged, it is wonderful to learn more about the most challenging intellect of the last several centuries.

Winston S. Churchill is one of the finest statesmen, writers, and historians of our age. He was also a skilled and brave soldier, a perceptive analyst of human nature and world affairs, and a talented painter. His granddaughter's marvelous book about a brief but exciting period of Churchill's early life gives us a fascinating glimpse into this great man.

A correspondent sent to cover the Boer War, he also fought in it. Captured, he escaped. Ms. Sandys takes us on a personal tour through Churchill's route, talks with the relatives of those who helped Churchill escape, and gives us intimate insights into a man who seems to have, like Minerva, come into this world fully armed with wisdom and valor.

The World-War-II Churchill who most of us know is a mere coda to the sixty some-odd years that preceded it. Celia Sandys makes her grandfather come alive for us ... it is a remarkable book.

Sense of Entitlement and Arrogance
This is the first book that I have ever read about Churchill, so I was very surprised to read example after example of his arrogance and his "at all times" sense of entitlement. His granddaughter (an obviously biased author) recited many of Churchill's actions during the Boer War as examples of his bravery and courage. I, however, interpreted these actions in quite a different manner. One example of Churchill's "bravery" was when his train was ambushed by Boer troops. The author described his behavior as brave and heroic, whereas I viewed his actions as a very calculated tactic for self-advacement. In fact, it was Churchill's fault that the train went so far into Boer territory in the first place--he wanted more information for his newspaper, and his subsequent actions only put the British troops in more danger. The book was also not well written or organized; it reminded me of reading a high school book report.

Churchill in the South African War, ( 1899-1902)
This time last year, appropriately enough, I was reading this book of Churchill's epic escape from the States Model School in Pretoria, an event that had happened 100 years earlier to the very day.The 12 December 1999 was also a day in which I lost a friend in a road accident, thus, the centennial anniversary date becomes etched with the personal. Churchill was clearly a larger-than-life figure all of his life as his grandaughter and author Celia Sandys clearly shows in this historical work in which she followed in his footsteps, visiting campsites, battlefields etc and speaking to descendants of friends and foes alike. Contrary to the assertions of some other reviewers it is a well written and enjoyable book. Some of the interesting vignettes include the detective work the author did on tracking down the gold watches that Churchill had sent to various people for their assistance in his escape from the Boers (or Afrikaners as they are known today). At the time of publication Mrs Sandys had located 6 of the 8 watches. Mrs Sandys is not afraid to challenge Churchill's assertions that he was captured by Gen. Louis Botha himself (later the Union's first Prime Minister, 1910-19)and she rightly dismisses talk that there was ever a romantic entanglement with Helen Botha , the General's daughter. The author is partly correct when she records that Churchill's "huge political ambitions demanded a wife who would be a political asset..." However, that would cut both ways, something Helen Botha alluded to 60 years later when she said it was unlikely that she could fall for him as she was "a Transvaaler." Her father and Churchill may have "got along famously" but it is the author who is disingenous, not Helen Botha, in considering that a personal political rapport could see the leader of the Afrikaner volk, or a member of his family, contemplate such a marriage -particularly after the deaths of some 26,000 Boer women and children in the world's first concentration camps - British concentration camps. Nevertheless, this is a good read about a remarkable soldier-stateman in his younger days. Enjoy.

I expected more!
This book presents several interesting vignettes relating to Churchill's life and activities during the South African "Boer" war, but overall I was disappointed, and finished wanting more. Overall, I thought this was rather superficial, and I didn't feel as tho I had gained any substantial insight into the life of one of the giants of the late 19th/early 20th century. ... Read more

Book Description

Eric J. Evans surveys the origins and impact of "Thatcherism" as a cultural construct, economic creed and political phenomena. Drawing extensively on Thatcher's political memoirs, this invaluable guide provides an interdisciplinary account of recent British history, economics and politics. ... Read more

Book Description

Acknowledging all Churchill's other accolades, we tend to overlook his claims as a writer of travel. A fine example is at hand in MY AFRICAN JOURNEY, the story of his 1908 excursion in Kenya and Uganda.

Churchill's description of the East Africa of nearly a century ago makes an interesting comparison with today. The feeling of innocence and charm in the tribes he meets is now lost; the animals he hunts, decimated; the countryside through which he travels, pastoral no more.

But Churchill could never be just a traveler, so he notes dozens of opportunities for improvement--many subsequently adopted. Fascinating to sojourn with the young Wilson, then in his early 30's, and feel the developing insight and judgment that one day would literally save the world. ... Read more

Book Description

Nearly half a century before women in Britain had the vote Mary Gladstone, daughter of the eminent Liberal Prime Minister, William Gladstone, had her own office in Downing Street. As private secretary to her father she was at the heart of world affairs. She also led the life of a privileged young woman of the Victorian era: one that revolved around ball gowns and dance cards, amours and house parties. A friend of Burne Jones and Ruskin, loved by Tennyson's elder son and no stranger to Queen Victoria or the royal household, she could take her pick of Victorian society; yet she spent many years working for her father and chose to marry a clergyman of modest means. ... Read more

Book Description

An important and magisterial account by England's extraordinary young historian of the epic struggle between two titans for the leadership of Britain on the eve of the Second World War.

In the 1930s, Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain were the two giants of the English political stage, the sons of men who had decisively shaped the politics of the previous era. Burying Caesar charts the bitter course plotted by Churchill and Chamberlain in their ambition to win the greatest prize in British politics-the primeministership that had eluded both their fathers-a struggle carried out against the darkening storm of Nazi Germany.

What were the political machinations that kept Neville Chamberlain in office during the 1930s and deliberately kept Winston Churchill out? Was Churchill the prophet of uncomfortable truths during his "wilderness years," or was Chamberlain reasonable in his appeasement of Hitler? Stewart examines the dynamics and deep-seated rivalries within the Tory party, pitting Chamberlain's partisans against Churchill's "glamour boys." While Chamberlain appeased Hitler at Munich and urged isolation at home, Churchill emerged from the wilderness with a distinctive voice of moral authority and bulldog conviction.

Burying Caesar is a gripping account of the mechanisms and motivations that underpin politics in Britain, forces that are as powerful today-on both sides of the Atlantic-as they were more than sixty years ago. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A white wash of Chamberlain
It is all well and good to make this big deal over Chamberlian's
conscience, honour etc something that history does not record that had much to do with stopping Chamberlian from breaking his word fairly fairly regularly. A leader has to take responsibilities for the decisions that he makes within the parameters that he works under. In Chamberlain's case, he totally misjudged Hitler and his regime. It is not like the Nazis made any secret of their aims. As this book points out many in his own party like Churchill were worried that his actions.

Before the war and during the war, Chamberlain failed to produce the type of leadership required by his nation.

To Chamberlain credit, as the book points out, once he realized that Hitler could not be trusted his appeasement policy came to an end. I wish that other world leaders would have this sort of moral strength to admit sometimes that what they did was wrong and try to correct it.

The Great Man and the Clerk From Birmingham!
Much has been written about Churchill's wilderness years in the 1930's ranging from the lavish praise of William Manchester to the scorn of a John Charmley. I have never before seen a history covering the precise topic of this book which is the rivalry between Churchill and Neville Chamberlain during the decade which began with Churchill an ostracized outcast and Chamberlain a rising star and yet ended with Chamberlain a scorned failure and Churchill a triumphant war leader.

Young British historian Graham Stewart has put together a massive and meticulous study of just how and why events played out as they did between the two men. American readers be warned, this book is extremely British in tone, use of idiom and most of all, in its intricate discussion of British Parliamentary politics in the thirties. Stewart certainly assumes his readers are aware of the British electoral and Parliamentary system and the way it works. I myself, an American reader, am not but this was not too much of a handicap as I was able to follow the story without too much difficulty.

The first part of the book provides a good deal of background on British politics from the age of Churchill's father, Randolph and Chamberlain's father Joseph through the beginning of the twenties. Stewart describes the rise and fall of various parties, in particular the National Liberals of Lloyd George in the early twenties. While Chamberlain was not a player in national politics during the twenties (although his brother Austen was), Churchill was at the height of his influence, having left the Liberal party and slowly edging back towards the Conservatives. Stanley Baldwin would make him Chancellor of the Exchequer and Churchill became a full fledged Conservative once again in 1925. Further chapters describe the Conservative's loss to a Labour/Liberal coalition and Churchill's resignation from the shadow cabinet over the "India Bill". When he gets to the thirties, Stewart covers the Parliamentary maneuvering in incredible detail. Contrary to popular belief, Churchill, though out of favor with the party powers, maintained his supporters, known as Winstonians.

Chamberlain was quite different than Churchill as Stewart demonstrates, unlike Churchill, his primary loyalty was to the party not to any specific principles. It was not for nothing that Churchill referred to him as "that clerk from Birmingham." But this was the sort of man Baldwin was looking for. Churchill's first true breach with the party came over his demand that Britain re-arm in order to protect itself from the designs of Nazi Germany. Although his criticism of the Baldwin government was muted by his desire to regain office, Churchill consistently called for stronger defense preparation. After 1935, when it was clear he would never gain office under Baldwin, Churchill became a vocal and outspoken critic earning him the ire not only of the Conservatives but of the Labourites as well, who favored suicidal disarmament.

Chamberlain became prime minister in 1937 upon Baldwin's retirement. With no background in foreign affairs, he was immediately confronted with foreign crises caused by the growing belligerence of Nazi Germany, the Spanish Civil War and the actions of Fascist Italy. Despite the book's subtitle, there really was no rivalry between Churchill and Chamberlain until the Munich crisis of 1938. At this point Churchill moved into open opposition with his own party by delivering one of the most eloquent addresses of his career, denouncing the Munich pact before the House of Commons. This is the best part of the book. Stewart is never unfair to either man and not at all a revisionist. Nevertheless, he never hesitates to point out the fantastic assumptions upon which Chamberlain based his policy of appeasement. A most interesting point is how little Churchill actively did to maneuver himself into power. Although an outspoken opponent of appeasement, Churchill did nothing either publicly or privately to create the conditions which led to his return to office and his eventual ascension to the prime minister's office. In fact, once he joined the government and the war cabinet upon the outbreak of war, he muted his criticisms of Chamberlain and became a loyal soldier. In the end, despite his best laid plans and hopes, Chamberlain died a sad and broken man, his policy of appeasement in ruins. Churchill ascended to the ultimate heights of greatness in which he is held today. The reader of this book will learn a great deal about Churchill about whom much has been written as well as a great deal about Chamberlain about whom less has been written. Once the story begins to focus on the rising menace of Naziism, it is always riveting and frequently fascinating. The book is dense, scholarly and yet eminently readable. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to any serious reader of history.

Only 1/2 the Real Story
Any book on this period that wants to be even and ballanced has to deal with the events going on else where but at the same time.

Stalin and the USSR invaded Eastern 1/3 of Poland just as Hitler took the Western 1/3 of Poland yet this is almost NEVER mentioned. Stalin also took the three Baltic States, Finland, and Sinkiang Province of China and bumped up against Manchuria. The invasions of free nations by Stalin is ignored. A little group called FOCUS or the Anti-Nazi Council funded by the owner of a South African gold mine who was a Eastern European Jew and all of London's Fleet Street press were beating the drums of war against Hitler, lying about his intentions to take England, Hitler's only hatred was directed against the USSR, Communism and Communists in Western Europe. Stalin's genocide of the Kulaks was covered up by the NY Times and Walter Duranty. Stalin's shipping of Jews to Siberia is ignored by history too. Why, is the question that does not even get asked ! All too often, the terms of the Versailles Treaty are never mentioned as a cause of German hatred of the West and a determination to excape from depression.
Clearly, Hitler should have been manipulated into going after the USSR and the Brits were insane to declare war over Poland, while Stalin was murdering 10,000 Polish officers in the Katyn forrest.

A Well-written account of a Classic political confrontation
...I agree that the cost is a bit much but I believe that the reader will conclude as I have that it's well worth it.I would also concede that if you are not into British politics all of the talk about coalitions and cabinet reshuffles can be a little hard to follow. But Graham Stewart carries it off very well.This book is at bottom the story of an ancient political rivalry between two statesman that changed ultimately the course of history.Stewart traces it the way back to the fathers of the two men Randolph Churchill and Joseph Chamberlain who were at various times political allies and adversaries.What they both had in common was that neither made it to the top as Prime minister. Both died in the hope that their supreme ambitions would be realized in their sons. But the big question which Stewart effectively answers in this book is why was''nt Churchill instead of Chamberlain PM in the thirties? Churchill was smarter,He had a much wider experience in government.Had he been Prime Minister Could He not have promoted rearmament and other steps that might have headed off World WarII? Stewart shows us clearly why this did not happen. Why Churchill was seen in the thirties as a political has-ben and an adventurer who was totally out of touch with the times. While Chamberlain was seen in Lady Astor's memorable phrase as ''the coming man''.All of it makes Churchill's final dramatic acension to power at the crucial moment in the history of the world all the more dramatic and providential.Graham Stewart has written a superb book. ... Read more

Book Description

Gladstone 1875-1898 is the culmination of Colin Matthew's acclaimed study of one of Britain's greatest statesmen. William Ewart Gladstone retired from politics in 1875, but returned for a further twenty years at the forefront of British politics. Gladstone 1809-1874 told the story of Gladstone's first political career; his second is examined in this volume.

The book tells the story of Gladstone's last three premierships and his dramatic political campaigns as he pursued his often controversial aims, particularly his mission to bring Irish Home Rule to Ireland. Political reform, Egypt, Gordon in the Sudan, and the 'Scramble for Africa' are other major themes. The treatment of Gladstone's political career is balanced by Colin Matthew's acute discussion of his full and active private life, including his enormous correspondence and prodigiously wide reading. The book ends with a moving account of Gladstone's death and state funeral, the last great set-piece of Victorian Liberalism. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Invaluable study of Gladstone's later career.
As the dominant Liberal politician of the nineteenth century, William Gladstone is one of the most important figures in the history of Victorian Britain. His diaries constitute an essential source of information about his life and times, and their publication under the editorship of Colin Matthew, was one of the great historical publishing projects of recent times. This book, a follow-up to Matthew's "Gladstone, 1809-1874," collects the introductory essays from the volumes of these diaries; together, they provide considerable insight into the later life and career of the most remarkable politician of Victorian England.

In 1875 Gladstone was a fit 65 years old. Though he had announced his retirement the year before, this meant retirement from politics (which he always saw as a second-order activity), as he devoted himself to a number of theological and ecclesiastical debates. He remained an elemental force in politics, however, and his anger with the massacre of Bulgarian Christians by their Ottoman rulers precipitated his return to the political arena. The result was the famous Midlothian campaign, which Matthew defines as one of the great set-pieces in the history of Victorian Britain.

Matthew argues that Gladstone's return to politics was defined by his earlier retirement. The Midlothian Campaign set the stage for his political activity after 1875, which took the form of "campaigns" inspired by unusual crises and special causes. As a result he discovered the politically abnormal issues and orchestrated politics around them - in effect, as Matthew puts it, giving politics a millenarian tone. Gladstone's campaign for the seat was also notable, though, for the introduction of a new type of political communication - the stump speech. This was a product of the changes that Victorian Britain was undergoing, a result of the expansion of the electorate and the emergence of the popular press - for, as Matthew notes, Gladstone's audience wasn't the listeners but the readers of the newspapers which carried his speeches.

Gladstone's success was reflected in the returns from the general election of 1880, which not only saw him triumphant in Midlothian but the return of the Liberals to government as well. Matthew's account of Gladstone's second administration comprises a quarter of the book, and focuses on the main areas of the prime minister's concern. The first was in foreign affairs, where Gladstone was most committed to restoring right conduct after the excesses of "Beaconsfieldism." Here Matthew sees the prime minister as prescient in his concern about imperial "overstretch," recognizing the importance of the economy in defining Britain's strength and worrying about the burden the empire was placing upon it. Yet the occupation of Egypt in 1882 was a measure far more expansionistic than anything undertaken by Disraeli's government, though Matthew notes that Gladstone considered this intervention much more justified than those of the previous administration. Domestically, Gladstone's government was more successful, particularly with parliamentary reform, which Matthew considers the great legislative triumph of the administration.

Yet it was Ireland that ultimately occupied most of Gladstone's attention, becoming the issue that would dominate the remainder of his political career. Upon returning to office in 1880, his government faced rising tension in Ireland over the issue of land, tension embodied in the rise of the Land League. In response, Gladstone wanted to readjust social and financial relationships without an expensive scheme of land purchase. This meant maintaining the predominantly Protestant landowning class, which he believed was the key to keeping order when in fact the opposite was increasingly the case. By preserving the landowners, land agitation grew, which led to more coercion, which in turn led to the demise of Liberalism in Ireland and the growth of the Home Rule movement.

Faced with this problem, the prime minister eventually embraced Home Rule as the solution. Here Matthew charts Gladstone's intellectual construction of his approach towards Home Rule, noting that his conversion to the issue was by gradual evolution rather than sudden change. The key to this process was recognition of the new pluralism in the region and containing it within parliamentary absolutism - a process rooted in the assumption that the Home Rulers were willing to operate within the constitutional sphere. Yet while Gladstone courted the Home Rulers, his assumption that the Liberals would rally behind the measure - which was in line with his traditional "big bill" approach towards handling his party in the House of Commons - proved disastrously incorrect, splitting the party and setting the stage for the Conservative victory in the election of 1886. Though acknowledging the rejection of Gladstone's proposal, Matthew argues that it provided the framework for discussing constitutional revision of the United Kingdom for the century that followed.

While an elderly figure after his defeat in 1885-6, Gladstone retained much of his vigor. Unlike the aftermath of the Liberal defeat in 1874, Gladstone was committed to winning another election in order to form another government which would successfully pass Home Rule. Apart from some initial approaches to Parnell (an overture that was thwarted by the sensational O'Shea divorce case), however, Matthew argues that Gladstone did little to formulate a party consensus on the particulars of a new Home Rule Bill prior to taking office once more as Prime Minister after the weak Liberal victory in the 1892 election. The legislation which emerged was more limited than its predecessor, and though passed by the Commons it was defeated in the Lords, thus frustrating Gladstone's last great legislative measure. With his age increasingly beginning to tell, Gladstone retired in 1894, dying four years later.

Few books can equal this volume in its perceptiveness about Gladstone's later years. A winner of the prestigious Wolfson History Prize when it was first published, it is nessesary and rewarding reading for anybody seeking to understand the life and career of one of the most important figures in modern British history. ... Read more

Book Description

This digital document is an article from New Statesman (1996), published by New Statesman, Ltd. on March 18, 2002. The length of the article is 1454 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Blair is Labour's lifeblood, says the Maverick ex-minister, and it couldn't win without him. (The NS Interview).(Tony Blair; Frank Field)
Author: Cristina Odone
Publication: New Statesman (1996) (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 18, 2002
Publisher: New Statesman, Ltd.
Volume: 131Issue: 4579Page: 18(2)

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Book Description

This Reprint contains private correspondence between Gladstone and his Foreign Secretary, Lord Granville, conducted during the years 1868-1876. The correspondence is between two men who wrote to each other privately, but about matters which were, as Professor Matthew states in his supplementary introduction, "the very stuff of official diplomatic exchange." Edited with full scholarly rigor the correspondence sheds light on the details of foreign policy at a time when Britain was at the height of her power, as well as on a wide range of nonpolitical matters. ... Read more