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Summary: Unearthing Winston: Manchester Gets It Right
Review: Churchill probably ranks as one of the most enigmatic world leaders of the century: bordering on manic-depressive, at once reckless and calculating, egotistical and completely convinced of his own place in history, Churchill seems to defy definitive analysis. But William Manchester makes the best attempt yet. His biography is readable and entertaining as well as profound in its analysis. He brings a wide range of tools, deftly handled, to the work: psychology, history, political and military sciences, and sensitive cultural understanding. With refreshing penetration, he re-examines critical successes and failures, such as the Dardanelles, the invasion of Norway, and the evacuation from Dunkirk. Manchester writes with critical compassion, and rarely excuses Winston's faults without providing evidence. The prose is, if mildly archaic like Winston's own, heroic and rolling. It is a book that will be greatly enjoyed by those who love William Shirer's "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" and similar historical works which challenge a wide range of intellectual faculties
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Summary: A larger-than-life book about a larger-than-life man...
Review: William Manchester (1922 - ), one of the GI generation's finest writers, has written about everything from the Kennedys to acid-tongued reporter H.L. Mencken. But in this book he presents his greatest work - a superb biography about one of the twentieth century's greatest heroes - Sir Winston Churchill. This volume, which includes the first fifty years of Churchill's crowded life, is written with a Victorian style and passion for adventure that Churchill himself would have admired. (What other biography uses the word "Array", instead of "Table of Contents", to list the chapter headings)? Churchill's life does read like something out of a Hollywood script - he was the scion of one of England's most prominent families - his father was a member of Parliament and could have become Prime Minister, had he not developed syphillis, which eventually drove him mad and killed him at an early age. He was often cruel to his son Winston, harshly criticizing even his smallest mistakes. His beautiful American-born mother had extramarital affairs with many handsome men, including the King of England. Largely ignored by his wealthy and famous parents, Churchill was a "problem child" in his youth, and was expelled from several boys' schools until he made a career in the British military. He fought in a number of small but bloody wars in Britian's colonies in Africa and India, and he often was in the thick of the fighting, recklessly exposing himself to bullets and cannon fire. In the Boer War in South Africa in the late 1890's he was captured by enemy forces and placed in a prisoner-of-war camp, but made a daring escape and returned safely to his own forces. Elected to Parliament at the age of 25, he quickly moved up the political ladder, even changing political parties when it suited him. By World War One he was the head of the British Navy, but here things began to go wrong. In 1915 he proposed to invade and conquer Turkey, a German ally, thus knocking it out of the war and allowing the Allied forces to attack Austria and Germany from the south. The plan was sound, but the invasion was so bungled by incompetent British generals and admirals that it was a total failure, and Churchill was forced to take the blame and resign in disgrace. He then spent some time as a military commander in the front lines in France, and in the 1920's enjoyed something of a political comeback as the Chancellor of the Exchequer (a position similar to our Secretary of the Treasury). However, his poor handling of Britain's economic woes led him to fall out of favor, and by the end of the book in 1932 Churchill is an outsider in Parliament, with little real power or influence. Yet this book is far more than a simple biography. True to form, Manchester offers an engrossing account of the Victorian era that Churchill grew up in - the glories of the British Empire, the racist "raj" system in British-ruled India (where white Englishmen were encouraged by hotel signs "not to beat their (Indian) servants" in the hotel lobby); the terrible conditions which Britain's poor lived under; and the peculiar social mores and customs of the British upper class to which Churchill so proudly belonged. Although Manchester clearly admires Churchill (and who couldn't, after reading this book), he isn't afraid to note that in many ways Churchill was a very flawed man, and must have been difficult to live with. An open snob, Churchill had all of the prejudices of his class - he treated his servants poorly, insulted his secretaries and others who couldn't keep up with him mentally or verbally, disliked strong women and wasn't above making chauvanistic remarks about them in public, and he had a huge ego and seemed to think that the rest of the world revolved around him and his needs. And, while he expressed sympathy for the lower classes, he regarded Britain's middle class with aristocratic disdain, this despite the fact that they paid most of the nation's bills and taxes. Yet his genius, as Manchester copiously notes, was genuine - his brilliant skills as a writer and orator, his political and personal courage, his genuine committment to personal freedom and liberty, all these and more made him one of the great historical leaders of all time. Quite simply, not only is this Mr. Manchester's finest work (out of many), but it reads more like great literature than a simple biography - "The Last Lion" is a larger-than-life book about a larger-than-life man. My only regret is that due to his recent stroke Mr. Manchester will not be able to complete this series - a real tragedy for anyone who loves great biography.
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Summary: The Man of the Century
Review: Manchester's work is extraordinary and a journey into the making of a great leader of the world that was the 20th century.Churchill was a man of vision and he was molded in his early years. Manchester makes a case for his growth coming in the Boar War period. There is a beginning of greatness. Manchester introduces us to the world that formed this great man.
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Summary: Understand the most Remarkable Man of the 20th Century
Review: This is an excellent book on the first half of the life of a truly exceptional man. Mr Manchester's book deals with Winston's early life and his rise to power and fame. I particularly liked the vignettes about life at the turn of the century; the social situation, the class struggle, the morals of the upper and the working classes. Just reading it makes you feel somehow inadequate against the intellectual brilliance, courage and sheer energy of the subject. It would have merited a full five star rating but for two faults. It should have been shorter. It as if every single little titbit of information had to be written out in full, rather than filtered through the critical intellect that Mr Manchester undoubtedly possesses. Instead, he quotes too many letters, reports and speeches in full when his job as a biographer was to summarise them. The second fault was Mr Manchester's tendency to lionise his subject. Brilliant he may have been, but a bit more acknowledgement of Winston's faults would have made him more human and reachable. But this is nitpicking. Overall the book is a good read on a subject well worth reading about.
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Summary: Volume 2 of the life of Winston Spencer Churchill
Review: "The Last Lion: Alone, 1932-1940," the second of William Manchester's projected three-volume biography of Winston Spencer Churchill, continues telling the story of the life of the 20th century's greatest statesman. This volume covers the eight-year period from the beginning of Churchill's longest period in the political "wilderness," to his rise to power as Prime Minister of Great Britain at the beginning of World War II. I think this book is even better than the first volume, "The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932." Manchester contends that the inter-war years, and not his years as Prime Minister, were Churchill's personal "finest hour." Politically ostracized by two successive Prime Ministers - Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain, the main architects of Britain's policy of appeasing Nazi Germany - Churchill was one of only a handful of men in Britain to speak out in favor of increased military preparedness as a means of countering the growing Nazi threat in Europe. Only when it became obvious in the late 1930s that the appeasement of Hitler had failed, did the British nation turn to the one man who had consistently advocated standing up to the Nazi dictator: Winston Spencer Churchill As he did in the first volume of Churchill's life, Manchester provides an insightful historical overview of the times in which Churchill lived. Especially fascinating to me was the account of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's 1938 trip to Munich, where the most infamous act of appeasing Hitler - the sellout of Czechoslovakia - took place, and where Chamberlain believed he had achieved "peace in our times." "The Last Lion: Alone, 1932-1940" once again clearly demonstrates why William Manchester is one of the pre-eminent biographers at work today. The book is written with obviously meticulous scholarship, insightful analysis, and crisp, sparkling prose; I have yet to find a better account of Churchill's life. Now, if only Mr. Manchester would give us that third volume . . .
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Summary: Read both books - Best history/biography ever!
Review: Many lists say the best historical biography is "Disraeli" by Blake. This is better. Way better. The only author that has ever kept me glued to a book as much as Manchester's is Michael Crichton. It's odd to compare a biography to Jurassic Park, but Manchester makes history come alive. He spends a lot of time and care setting the "culture" in a way that is not pedantic or boring (unlike some Civil War histories I've read!). And then he builds on Churchill's stories in a way that makes you feel like you're in Churchill's shoes, with the same issues and challenges. Unfortunately, there is no Volume 3 about the war years. Manchester's illness prevented this. What a sad loss to history. Read Vol 1 and 2. You won't regret it.
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Summary: Fascinating
Review: Now that we are firmly into the 21st Century, it might be appropriate to ask, who was the greatest man of the 20th Century. (We might we ask, who was the greatest person of the 20th Century since this was the century that gave us reason to be inclusive with the question). I'm sure I echo the thoughts of many when I suugest that the answer is easy: Winston Churchill. Rather than make my case here, I would direct you to read Manchester's biography of the man, "The Last Lion". William Manchester set out to write the biography of Winston Churchill and found that it was not going to fit neatly into one volume. We have, in "The Last Lion:Visions of Glory" the first of, presumably 3 or 4 volume. This is quite an undertaking. For me, the prospect of reading so large a book just to get the facts on the first third of a man's life seemed pretty intimidating. I left this book on the shelf for a number of years. Finally, I decided to give it a shot and I immediately found myself immersed in the early years of Churchill. There really is plenty to write about this man and Manchester is just the person to handle the job. I found this book not only hard to put down, when I finished it I got started right away on the second volume; "Alone". I have been waiting patiently while the author continues to age. I have tried to ignore the rumors that there will be no further output from Manchester. Such is the quality of his writing and his thoroughness that this biography ranks at the apex of 20th Century historical writing. Read this book and the second volume and you, too, will demand its' proper conclusion.
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Summary: A Great Story!!!
Review: Manchester has written a masterpiece. His intimate portrayal of Winston Churchill, one of the most charismatic figures of the 20th century, reads like a classic novel and is filled with more information than many history books. Born as the grandson of a duke at a time when the British Empire was at its height, Churchill's youth is full of adventure as well as adversity. His parents are absent throughout most of his childhood and he is largely brought up by his nanny. He attended Harrow during his high school days and then went on to Sandhurt, which is the equivalent to England's WestPoint. Churchill was never popular among his classmates but excelled at fencing and was a truly great polo player. After Churchill graduated from Sandhurst he was assigned to the Fourth Hussiers Calvary Regiment as a second lieutenant. He begins his tour in India and would go on to fight in the Boer Wars in Africa, where he was captured as a P.O.W. His dramatic escape would help make him a household name. Manchester then navigates the reader through Winston's time as a young war correspondent, his first failed attempt to run for Parliament, and his engagement to Clemintine. Churchill is victorious in his second attempt at Parliament and through his great ability and oratory, becomes a member of the cabinet by his early 30s. His tenure as First Lord of the Admiralty during WWI is a highlight of this volume. He would hold six different cabinet positions before 1925. He would change political parties twice. At moments he had penetrating insight and incredible vision, his mind could juggle multiple ideas at once, and his work ethic is legendary. But make no mistake; his blunders were nearly as big as his triumphs. This is a beautiful story and a fascinating history. Manchester portrays Churchill as an original. Churchill would entertain guests while he was taking a bath. Once a lady of social standing was appalled at Churchill's behavior and said, "Winston, you're drunk." Churchill's reply: "Yes, and you are ugly...but I shall be sober tomorrow." I highly recommend this book as well as the second volume. Excellent reading!
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Summary: Truly Exceptional.
Review: I've now read four of Mr. Manchester's works and all have been excellent. This is one of the two best biographies, or framents thereof, that I have ever read. Mr. Manchester has a style of writing that belongs in the hands of a novelist, not a historian or biographer. He can make 900 pages fly by without you noticing. I've read the two first parts of his Churchill biography and am completely devastated that the last one will probably never be completed. I mourn for the loss of Mr. Manchester's wife but history will truly mourn the loss of the concluding piece of this opus.
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Summary: This is the real thing
Review: There are many good biographies out there, but a great one is rare. This is one of the great ones; William Manchester has taken the art of biography to a new level. Most biographies are merely "interesting," rarely making any effort to give the reader a sense of what it would have been like to be or know the subject. Manchester does just that. Rather than write a narrative story of Winston Churchill's life, he has chosen instead to give us a rich tapestry of Chrchill's life as it was woven. Many biographers are simply idolizers of their subjects; this is not so with Manchester. He reserves no harsh judgment, just as he reserves no due praise; when he is reporting something negative that Winston did he says it was negative, and explains why. But The Last Lion is more than just a biography. In attempting to capture the essence of Churchill Manchester has written some of the best material about World War I and the appeasement crisis. It is rare that historical events can be made to feel like the present, but Manchester has done this. Both volumes of this work are well worth your money, your time, and your attention. Indeed, the only bad part of Manchester's biography is that he will not be able to finish it. It is not known how much of the third volume he was able to put together before Alzheimer's made work impossible for him, but it can be hoped that whatever he was able to do will someday be published, no matter how unpolished it may be.
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