The life of Winston Churchill was so eventful and the available documents relating to his life so voluminous, that penning a complete and unabridged biography of Churchill is truly a lifetime task. So it has been for British historian Martin Gilbert, charged with the task of being Churchill?s official biographer. In this book, Gilbert recounts the events by which he came to become the most extensive living resource of Churchill knowledge and artifacts.

Gilbert came to his task in a roundabout way. Fresh out of Oxford in the early sixties, the young historian concedes he knew comparatively little about Churchill as the great man was not a highly regarded figure among the Oxford academy at that time. Churchill?s son Randolph had been hired by a publishing house to write the multi volume official biography of his father. Gilbert was hired as one of several research assistants. Expecting to stay with Randolph only a short time, Gilbert ended up working with him for more than half a decade. In the first part of the book, Gilbert describes the experience of working with the mercurial and difficult Randolph in putting together the first volumes covering Churchill?s early life. On Randolph?s death in 1968, Gilbert was asked by the publisher to take over the project. Gilbert agreed to do so and a lifetime task was set before him. In ensuing chapters, Gilbert describes his frustrations and pleasures at the enormous amount of written materials by or about Churchill. Perhaps no other historical figure has such an extensive archive. As recounted by Gilbert, his explorations of Churchill?s letters and papers taught him much, not only about Churchill?s impact on British and world history but about Churchill?s character. Yet as Gilbert states, no historical figure can be brought to life merely on the basis of written documents. Fortunately for Gilbert, at the time he did much of his research, in the sixties, many of the people in Churchill?s life were still alive to be interviewed. This includes many of his secretaries, a number of military and political figures with whom he worked and his wife and children. From decades of research, Gilbert emerged with a compelling portrait of a truly great character. A man, not without his faults but still a great liberal, a great democrat, a great leader and a great family man. The book is filled with anecdotes and quotes from Churchill. As one example, Gilbert discovered a letter of response from Labour Prime Minister Ramsey McDonald praising Churchill for his kindness and friendship. Gilbert never found the original letter Churchill wrote to McDonald but wonders what it could have said to elicit such a response from a man Churchill had referred to in open Parliament as ?the boneless wonder?.

Anyone who admirers Winston Churchill and Martin Gilbert must read this book. It is an absolute necessity to any Churchill library. Anyone who would like to learn a little about one of the 20th centuries truly great figures should read it as well.

Biographers spend years, and in this case decades, to bring their work, their subject to us. The manner their books came about is generally shared in their acknowledgement, or a section thanking those people and institutions that were instrumental in helping create the work. Sir Martin Gilbert is one of the great Historians of our time, and his main work as a historian is certainly a man that is truly unique, a historic original, a man who's peers can be counted on one hand.

"In Search Of Churchill" allows the reader to get about as close as he can to the writing of a biography without actually being one of Sir Martin's assistants. His work documenting Churchill is about to cross into its fifth decade. Sir Martin began as an assistant to Sir Winston Spencer Churchill's Son Randolph in 1962. In 1968 he took the task on alone, and has carried it forth, and continues to do so to this day.

Alone of course is the wrong word, while he certainly has written thousands of pages of what many consider the greatest biographical work ever done, hundreds of others living, and others through the papers they left behind, have helped Mr. Gilbert on this lifetime task. Churchill has not been the only subject of this great biographer which is yet another testimony to this historian.

Churchill is a constant, he is quoted almost daily, his speeches are legendary, as are his quips, which were at times poked in fun, and at others ended the careers of their target. Mr. Gilbert works toward answering questions that may not have a definitive answer, but if there is an individual to put forth valid opinion, none are more qualified than he. Why is Churchill a figure of history that has not been relegated to the past's vague memory, why does he routinely appear on magazine covers in this Country and others on a yearly basis? What was it about this man that has spawned an International Churchill Society who counts thousands on Continents around the world as paying members? Why are their new books on this man written on a regular basis, and how many authors have their books in print a century after they were written. Great Author's works line the shelves, but writing was an avocation for this man in addition to his other talents.

Mr. Gilbert brings you along to "meet" people who worked with Mr. Churchill. As his life spanned from the 1870's to the 1960's those who knew him are legion. He was Prime Minister twice, held nearly every major Government position, won the Nobel prize, painted, and held the fort for the Western Democracies until help finally came. If such a man had not lived so large and so long he would almost be more believable as legend and or myth rather than the Statesman, warrior, orator, and one of England's greatest citizens that he continues to be, in some cases in memory only. He did have a head start, as his Mother was American, and perhaps that makes us in the USA feel we can claim him as partly ours.

The embassy in Washington D.C. has a statue of Churchill, in mid-stride he has one foot on American soil and one on the territory of the English Embassy. In life his influence, his determination, and sense of destiny spanned the Globe. Even in death he spans the 2 Countries he loved the most.

His like will never be seen again.

If you enjoy biograhpies or Churchill, this is a book for you. Gilbert has come across some fascinating material in his pursuit of the great man. It is also interesting to see how exactly a biography is written. The book starts out focusing more on the author, but works its way into Churchill. Gilbert steps away from merely events in his life and through letters and those who knew him best, gets down to the inner man. The best part is a letter Churchill dictated when he was only a small boy where he predicts a great deal of his future. Gibert goes right to the heart of Churchill.

Churchill's 'History of the English Speaking People's' is presented as all history should be presented- with a keen understanding of the events as they unfolded, an amazing ability to convey the motivations and passions of the people involved, and with a profound wit. Churchill effortlessly tells us the story of England from it's earliest settlement to the eve of World War I. His insights into such events as the Boer War, the Conflicts with Napoleon, and the American Civil War are unparrelled. If you want to learn more of how the Anglo-American world came to be this four volume set is more than worth a look.

I am not of Angle Saxon but rather of Slavic descent, but this is a truly interesting set of books that will keep your attention no matter your ancestral heritage. There are 3 significant observations I've made while reading the set of books: 1) his description of the English kings and queens is easy to follow and his characters are alive (except for the constant stream of nobility getting their heads cut off), not boring; 2) he also devotes a lot of the story to America, more than the other "colonies," and 3) his history of Britain during the time of the American Revolution is very skimpy, biased, and does not deal with the real issues America faced. The book is very poor in dealing with the American Revolution, but overall the book is essential and easy reading for the consumate history reader.

Exhaustive, pithy, insightful, illuminating and in places funny as hell; it is rare to say of a four-volume work, "I couldn't put it down", but of Churchill's work I say it truthfully.

I'm a member of The Churchill Center, of which Mr Langworth is a director, and for years, I've been an occasional customer of his Churchillbooks business. I've emailed or written him a few times over the years, and so I like to think that -- through my pesky and amateurish questions -- I bear a little tiny bit of the responsibility for the publication of this excellent book. Because now that I have this, I won't have to bother Mr Langworth in person any more. I'm sure he rests more easily knowing this.

The 'Connoisseur's Guide' is, without exaggeration, the Book of the Century about the books written by The Man of the (Twentieth) Century. From Sir Winston's rarest and most obscure titles to Book-of-the-Month-Club volumes owned by millions, Mr Langworth has catalogued, evaluated, and given us his excellent personal insights and opinions about them. For each title, including posthumous collections, the Guide gives us a bit of history, excerpts from contemporaneous reviews, and a listing of every known imprint and variant, including translations into other languages.

I'm not, either by temperament or financial status, a collector of fine volumes. I just love to read Sir Winston. And I have found this Guide to be every bit as useful to me as I believe it must be for the most high-end of Churchillo-bibliophiles. Mr Langworth is to be commended for the remarkable amount of work that went into compiling this comprehensive Guide. It is a volume that belongs on the shelf of any student of Churchilliana.

A Connoisseur's Guide is a quirky and engaging tour of all the editions of Churchill's key texts. Before a debate over my use of "quirky" in an endearing manner, let it be known to all that Langworth is the major American dealer in books by and about Churchill and as such has a unique view of Churchill as filtered through his work. Others regularly handle Churchill material (including the author of this piece, who, in the spirit of full disclosure, it should be noted is praised in the acknowledgments and cited authoritatively in the text), but none take into stock and send back out Into the world a fraction of the books, pamphlets and magazines that pass through Langworth's hands. Indeed, in his introduction he claims "one purpose" he had in compiling the Guide was to forestall the question most frequently put to him by novice buyers: "What exactly am I holding in my hands?" With this Guide in hand, the answer might still require one more call to Langworth; but once the aspirant grasps the bibliographic language with which he narrates this textual tale, home-schooling should quickly replace classroom instruction. The Guide is put together with admirable clarity, even simplicity. For each text, from The Story of the Malakand Field Force in 1898 to the posthumous ephemeral publications, Langworth first provides an eminently readable redaction, along with some solid background of each book's place in the canon. In these preambles Langworth's voice resonates eloquently, providing a sense that we are being guided by a generous, avuncular Diogenes with knowledge of all things Churchillian. Following his introductory remarks, Langworth deploys excerpts from both contemporary and modern commentators; his use of supporting and dissenting opinions offers a novel approach to understanding how a text was greeted upon publication and how it continues to be perceived. Throughout Langworth relies on the bibliographical research of the late Frederick Woods, who devoted decades to tracing Churchill's works, and whose bibliography, to date, has not been superseded. Langworth states that his goal is to amplify, not expand upon, Woods's early work, and in this, I think he is too humble: he clarifies innumerable pockets of obfuscation transmitted by Woods (one need only read his lucid discussion of The Malakand Field Force to see how far we've come). He also, however, occasionally nudges up against the hubristic: definitionally, Woods is the text with which Langworth is bantering, and insomuch as the preponderance of readers will not be familiar with Woods, his frequent taglines "see Woods" and "Woods incorrectly" seem a bit bullying. Maybe I'm being too pedantic, but the paragraphs devoted to the physical components of the books are similar enough in both format and language to Woods to have generated a feeling that Langworth, now and again, set up his predecessor only to knock him down. Most readers, I suspect, will breeze through the technical patches on book production, press-runs and binding variants and will be rewarded with the concluding categories with which the description of each edition ends. The first of these is labeled "Comments" and in it Langworth incorporates the substantial anecdotal knowledge he has gathered in his decades of handling Churchill books. In these passages he demonstrates the extent to which he has attained true "connoisseurship," that state of grace to which all collectors of objects aspire, and he communicates his wisdom with the ease bred of confidence. For example, in describing the Times Book Club issue of Lord Randolph Churchill he notes: "nicely if not elaborately bound (it lacks the gilt coat of arms) it is an adequate if not dramatic looking set of books." And about the first edition of India:: "softbound copies on the market today outnumber hardbound copies at least twenty to one...." These are, to my mind, truths that could only be proffered succinctly and elegantly after years of study and reflection. In a late interview, the American novelist Bernard Malamud suggested that "clear writing is clear thinking," and in those pithy observations, in which Langworth shares his clear thinking in clean writing, the Guide earns a place on the list of essential reference works devoted to Churchill as author. The Guide is sturdily produced; the photographs are attractive. I wish a number of the more compelling, early books had been shot in color, though some appear on the color dust jacket. To those of us who esteem Churchill's accomplishments, this work offers one more reason to stand in reverence: the titles and text roll across seven decades with clarity and logic. The Guide both elevates and entertains-and you can't ask for much more for your money, can you?

These six volumes should be, in my opinion, MANDATORY reading for anyone interested in (a) WW II (b) HISTORY (c)increasing their knowledge of the English language. Having read the entire set over 50-60 times, I am still fascinated by new material I discover with each re-reading. It comes as no surprise that Sir Winston was awarded the NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE for this masterpiece.

Because of his immense output, Winston Churchill may be described as an old-fashioned writer. Fortunately for us he does not read as such. There is very little archaic about the expressions he uses or the grammar he employs, in volume after volume after volume. It remains immensely readable, and this is the strength of a good writer, it seems to me. As a boy, Churchill was held up to me as an example of a person with a very full command of English. I was told, although I have never been able to verify it, that Churchill employed one of the largest vocabularies of any individual writing in English. It is ironic to think that, although the use of English is becoming ever more widespread, it is not generally being put to anything like the kind of use a man like Churchill made of it.

"The Grand Alliance" takes us to the point in the Second World War when the Americans finally declared their intentions. In a sense, it announced the end to hesitation, the end to British doubts about whether they could possibly win out against Hitler alone. Of course, America had participated in the war to a very large extent already, having agreed to set up the famous "Lend-Lease" program, whereby first Britain, and later Russia, were given material support in a way which satisfied the neutral and isolationist U.S. congress. It was also something of a victory for Churchill at the same time, since he had worked doggedly at bringing the Americans around, and although Pearl harbour did tip the balance, it was partly due to Churchill having prepared the ground.

Churchill himself states that, from the moment of the U.S. entry into the conflict, no matter how long it might take, he was certain of victory. From his point of view at the top, he could see that the sheer weight of numbers (tonnage, armament production etc.,), added to the geographical reality of Germany, meant they could never hope to win against the combined industrial might of Britain and the U.S. It was this absolute faith which sustained him during the reverses of 1941 and 1942.

...as is the second volume "Alone". How can anyone allow these books to be out of print? Manchester captures the sense and spirit of a bygone era better than any other historian I've ever read, with the possible exception of Barbara Tuchmann - and even then I'd say he's her equal. This volume speaks volumes about Winston Churchill and how he came to be what he was.

Manchesters biography of WSC is one of the greatest examples of historical biography I have ever read. This first volume effectively captures the age of WSCs upbringing in a way that cannot fail to illuminate and entertain.

This is a book to enjoy over weeks, getting sucked into a recreation of an entire historical period and living and thinking with Marlborough himself through his own correspondence. The scale is vast - the whole of Europe up to the borders of the emerging power of Russia, as well as early exploits in the Mediterranean and North Africa. Marlborough's lifetime spans enormous change - from the Three Musketeers to an age of all-but modern warfare, diplomacy and party politics that we can easily identify with. The young Marlborough is literally at the side of the historical d'Artagnan as he is killed at the siege of Maastriccht and yet goes on to manage the logistics and strategies of vast campaigns with organisational abilities that would have been equally relevant in the Gulf War. Whether dealing with politics on the home front or warfare overseas, of the Glorious Revolution and conflicting loyalties to the Stuarts, of major campaigns or minor skirmishes, of Machievellian plots or of personal relations, Churchill's touch is perfect, and his prose majestic. John and Sarah Churchill come across over three centuries as living, fallible, admirable and vibrant personalities and at times one is almost embarrassed at the detail their correspondence allows us to share of their intimacy. This is also a book to return to again and again, to dip into favourite passages and to read them aloud in the family circle, savouring the richness of Churchill's prose and the splendour of his subject matter. Though not easy to get hold of, the effort is worth it. My wife sought a copy for months as a present to surprise me - I have never received a better gift. It also prompted a very memorable visit to Blenheim Castle when we were last in Britain - it's not just one of Europe's great wonders, but a must for all Churchill and Marlborough admirers.

John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, found the perfect biographer in his descendent, Sir Winston Churchill. During the 1930's, while out of power and in his usual scramble for cash to support his generous lifestyle, Winston Churchill researched and wrote his great six-volume biography. He was the first biographer to have access to the family archives at Blenheim Palace, and he combined his documentary research with personal visits to the battlefields and sites of the major events of Marlborough's life. Even though it published during the Great Depression, the expensive set, full of colored maps of the battles and sieges, became England's best seller with over 100,000 copies sold. It restored Churchill's finances, at least for a while. Later, less expensive editions were published, and the book remained in print for many years. Prices for the original edition have climbed, but good libraries will still have it shelved. If the original edition can be read, or better still, borrowed, this is the version that will give the greatest enjoyment. Most of the historical figures we call "great" achieved their greatness by doing one great thing that changed the course of their country or the world. John Churchill did two great things. He was the key figure in England's "Glorious Revolution" of 1688 who saw that it happened bloodlessly. And he was the supreme commander of the English army and of the alliance that shattered Louis XIV's dream of dominating Europe. Unlike any previous struggle over the throne, the invaders (William and Mary) arrived in the west, and because of Marlborough's actions, the king fled in the east. The revolution, which settled the religious strife in England and also confirmed parliament's permanent acendancy over the crown, set the course of England for the next century and beyond. As Queen Anne's commanding general, John Churchill achieved one of history's great records as a field commander. He never fought a battle that he did not win, and he never laid siege to a city that he did not conquer. To achieve this, he was his own ambassador, traveling by horse or carriage across all of Europe to confirm alliances and secure troops and supplies. He led his army into battle, often side by side with the Austrian general Eugene, and defeated the French and their allies over and over again. His tactical brilliancies are still models studied in the world's military schools. Churchill brings his ancestor to life. The anecdotes of John Churchill's youth -- leaping from the bed of Barbara Villiers just before the king arrived at his mistress' door, and, later, his wife's letter of how the young officer returned from an absence and "pleasured me twice, with his boots on." After his death, the same Sarah rejected a proposal of marriage in a letter that to this day makes the reader break down with weeping. The maps drawn for Churchill's book are a pleasure. Virtually every battle and seige is laid out clearly, and colored with red in the original edition for quick comprehension. But it is, of course, Churchill's marvelous prose that makes the book so memorable. He tells the story of Marlborough, his wife Sasrah, the Kings and Queens, the generals and the soldiers, and the whole tumultuous, clashing world of Marlborough's times. It is a very great book.

This is a very interesting, fast-paced book that provides a good introduction to Winston Churchill. Indeed, after reading this I was compelled to read "The Unruly Giant", which is a very solid biography recently written by Norman Rose giving further insight into this fascinating historical charactor.

I agree with the other reviewer in saying that Churchill provides an amazing amount of detail about the early exploits of his life, leading one to wonder just how much of it really happpened and how much he chose to embellish when writing this book some years later. Also, Churchill's constant references to contemporary events are sometimes confusing and frustrating unless one knows a lot of the history of the British empire and its political scene during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

None the less, it is a good book to start with if one wishes to learn about one of the 20th century's truly great men.

For a book written by the author when in his 30s (I may be off by a few years), this is incredible. First, because Churchill himself wrote it, and not some professional writer. Second, because of the extreme detail, which suggests either an incredible memory, or a willingness to make up finely constructed overlays of fiction. Maybe this is a little of both. Churchill either covers his tracks well, or presents the facts very pleasantly.

His mom ignores him and his dad holds about 3 substantive conversations with him. In return, he idolizes and idealizes both, consoling himself by getting in trouble at school, and playing army at home. Like a latter-day Peter the Great, his childhood army games lay a foundation for adult army leadership, although Churchill stays more constrained than the despotic Russian. He maintains, however, a raw animal side to his spirit which stays intact his whole life, resulting, in one memorable event about 40 or 45 years after this book cuts off with Churchill's marriage, where Churchill pauses on an inspection of a European battlefield after the defeat of Germany to urinate on the famed "Siegfried Line" in front of a group of military dignitaries. Naughty boy to the end.

Churchill convincingly puts himself back into young boy mode and preserves for us portraits of his nurse, Mrs. Everest, the hatefulness of boarding school, and the release of achieving self-actualization in the form of military school at Sandhurst, and then a whirlwind of military adventures on several continents, arranged mostly by his influential and adulterous mother. Not much adultery here, but William Manchester goes through it in detail in his first of the two-volume set "The Last Lion." Churchill never criticizes his mother; he just takes maximum advantage of her contacts.

In a double inversion of himself as the subject, this is a great summary of how Churchill decided to become a great man by first getting noticed in the middle of adventures, and writing about them during and afterwards. Plus getting paid for the writing to support himself on a scale correlative to other British subjects who either inherited it, or made it big in business. But it was all substrate for his political ambitions.

Teddy Roosevelt thought Churchill was a "show off." Which is probably true, and which comes out clearly in the video-ization of this book, under the name of "Young Winston." But he seems to have been a lovable showoff, and if Kennedy had not intervened, American political aspirants may instead be more self-consiously modeling themselves on Young Winston.

One problem: John Churchill had no male offspring, according to the family tree Winston added to his biography of Marlborough. No problem, just call yourself a Churchill, not a "Spencer-Churchill" or even a "Spencer" and just go to market as a Churchill. Plus make yourself great. He definitely did, and this book records what it also produces.

Mr. Mee is a fantastic writer. As another reviewer remarked, Mr. Mee definitely brings history to life. The meetings described in this book make for great, enticing reading material for junior high school on up.

Mr. Mee is an excellent writer and truely brings history to life. I recommend this book to anybody that wants more than "light reading", has an interest in human-kind and is not a real history buff.

In a rather short book, the political and military aspects of the events surrounding the Middle East War of 1967 are well examined. Amazingly enough; enjoyable reading .

The most engaging nonfiction I have spent time with in more years than I care to remember.

The real service that this book performs is to remind the reader that great historical figures are not one dimensional. Chuchill was a renaissance man, warrior, journalist, historian, memoirist, politician and statesman. He was arguably the single greatest personage of this century and his name has become a symbol for the indominitable spirit of a free people. The collection of letters sent to and received from his wife are entertaining as well as educational. They provide a feel for the time in which they were written and place many of Churchill's famous accomplishments (and failures) in proper context. Amazingly, unlike today when the more we know of a public figure, the smaller they seem, in Churchill's case one comes away convinced that this was a great man in the truest sense, and that much of his greatness is due in no small part to his marriage to Clementine.

When I considered buying that book, I first felt quite uncomfortable about the idea of reading an exchange of private letters between Winston and Clementine. Fortunately, I overcame my discomfort fast. I quickly enjoyed reading that thick epistolary volume about their political and personal matters. The personal letters of the Churchills revealed to me how influential Clementine was on Winston across the board. Their deep love and trust was the secret of their successful marriage, even if Winston was not always an easy husband and politician to deal with. Corresponding by written messages (today perhaps by email) with each other on a regular basis, even when they were together, proved to be an excellent way to help them keep their enduring flame for each other intact. Today, too many marital and extra-marital relationships get dissolved prematurely because of a lack of enough communication between both players. Life is after all a comedy in which men and women play their part and need to know or rediscover how to communicate their joys and pains to one another in order to increase the odds that they will be successful in their relationship.

This book was introduced to me through a friend and, quite frankly, my first reaction was to cringe at the idea of reading such a bulky historical book. But from the first letter I was transfixed by the dialogue between husband and wife on both political and personal matters. This book brings with it a new aspect of Churchill's personality - he was not only a great statesman but he was a passionate man who loved his wife dearly which is seen clearly in the letters that were intended for her eyes only.

I often wonder how he would have felt to know millions would one day read the letters he wrote to his "clemmie-cat". In any case, its a great read :)

Cheers, Meagan.