This is a good book for anyone interested in WWII history. His speeches give Great Britain's point of view durning WWII, even before the war begins. America is mentioned several times in the book, but does this book does not give a very detailed description of what is going on in America durning this time. The book focuses on the war in Europe and Africa only. Japan is rarely mentioned. Overall this is a good book, comprised of Churchill's speeches.

Most avid readers of history know of Winston Churchill's mature works about the First and Second World Wars; and occasionally they know of his histories of the "English-speaking peoples" and of his biography of his illustrious ancestor the Duke of Marlborough. But it is much rarer to encounter someone who knows of, much less who has read, this volume of his collected dispatches as a correspondent to the Boer War. That's a pity, for these very early works, written around the turn of the century when Churchill was in his late twenties, provide an illuminating window into the developing character and literary style of one of this century's preeminent journalists, historians, and statesmen. But the stories are of interest not only because of their author. These collected dispatches serve as a primer on one of this century's first and least-well-known wars, one whose brutality and political intrigue foreshadowed the nation-draining slaughters to follow in this bloody century. The prose is a bit less polished and more stiffly Victorian than in his later works, but Mr. Churchill's sense of his destiny and his place in history, as well as his pugnacious self-confidence, shine through. Well worth a read for those who'd like a glimpse at the formative years of this great man. (by Michael Sebastian)

An excellent analysis of Churchill's life, based on the premise that if his career had ended in 1939, it would have been a litany of failure, failure, failure. James's book starts with a thumbnail sketch of Churchill's father (another spectacular failure), then traces Winston's march through the first half of the 20th century. He bolted from one parliamentary caucus to another, making enemies in all corners; he sent thousands to their deaths at the Dardanelles fiasco; eventually, he was outcast and ignored through most of the 1930's. James writes in fine style, though it is sometimes a little too aloof, preventing a closer relationship between the reader and Churchill. However, the book is an excellent overall look at the Churchill most people don't focus on (ie. his first FORTY YEARS in parliament). Worth getting if you can find it.

Sir Winston Churchill is one of the most thoroughly biographied people in history, so it's surprising to find a biography that really covers new ground. This one does.

Woodford is the London suburb that Churchill represented in Parliament during the most important decades of his sweeping career. And even while he was striding the world stage, he had responsibilities to the community that elected him. This is an intriguing, and at times surprisingly touching, view of the Great Man's relations with his constituency committee, the candidates who stood for office against him, and the men and women of Woodford.

Most touching is the story of Churchill's ultimate decision to leave Parliament, and the mixture of sadness and relief this occasioned in Woodford. They knew they were lucky to have him. So were we all.

This book carries on the family tradition of sons writing about fathers. The author's grandfather, the famous Prime Minister, had much earlier written a biography of his father, also named Randolph, which was generally poorly reviewed at the time and essentially constituted a glorification of the subject. The current work, which purports to be objective, reveals a startingly adventurous life, lived always within the shadow of the famous father. I think that objectivity is achieved (the author's father could be difficult, to way the least but was also generous to a fault and loyal regardless of consequences). The reader will be surprised at the many intellectual and other accomplishments of the subject of this biohgraphy. Toward the end of his life, Randolph was commissioned to write the Great Biography (about his famous father), and the period when he completed the first two volumes of this undertaking (Martin Gilbert finished the task) is particularly interesting.! ! The author's earliest recollections come into play in the second half of the book, which include a large number of historically significant individuals (of course, his famous grandfather, but many other British political luminaries as well). Churchill buffs will very much enjoy this book.

Written when he was 23, Savrola was Churchill's only novel. It embodies his personal philosophy on life, which was to govern his later military and political career. For those who know of his later exploits, it provides an amazing foreshadowing of events in his own life. Though the plot is sometimes clumsy, there are flashes of poignancy in his prose that are deeply insightful for a man of his age.

Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist, is an outstanding, and easy to read book for young adults. It is very detailed and not hard to follow along. It basically describes the entire life of Winston Churchill starting even before he was born. It is an amazing book, yet does get dry at points.

The author has written an excellent book about his involvement in the development of various special weapons used in WW II. He covers all the aspects of the development of several of the weapons used by various groups, especially the secret services. He also hints at some other weapons which are not covered by any official documents.

The year was 1940. France had fallen. The British Expeditionary Force had just been evacuated from Dunkirk, and Hitler was in control of the Continent. The secter of invasion loomed over the British Isles as never before since Napoleon. Over the roar of cannon boomed the voice of one man -- Winston Churchill -- who personified the determination of the free world to fight the Nazis to final victory. "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender...."

It was Britain's "finest hour." It was also Churchill's finest hour. The challenge of winning World War II was the climax of a long and eventful life -- the fullfillment of a destiny that seemed to hover over him since his birth in Blenheim Palace sixty years earlier.

Elizabeth Longford -- author of highly acclaimed biographies of Queen Victoria and Wellington -- through her fascinating text and comprehensive photo selection takes a fresh and intimate look at this remarkable man. The author reveals the complex man that was Churchill...a man of contrasts, who nevertheless had only one goal in life: to serve his country. "I have faith in my star," he wrote when he was 22, "that is, that I am intended to do something in this world." yet when the "black dog" of depression visited him he wondered the worth of all his struggle. He was a lifelong, incurable romantic, yet he was the most forceful, direct, and practical of men. He remained rooted to his English heritage, never relinquishing his vision of Britain as the "Empire," yet he treasured his American background, relishing in the fact that his Jerome ancestors had fought with Washington in the Revolution. A conservative by birth and inclination, he was the only Western leader during World War II with the vision and foresight to recognize the potential postwar menace of Stalin.

Churchill was a giant among men, one of the few who personality affected the course of history. Through her extensive biographical experience and her own personal knowledge of the man, Lady Longford has limned a new and comprehensive picture of this great man.

This book is authorized by the Winston Churchill Foundation. The photographs have been selected with the help of the Foundation, a number coming from the personal collections of the Churchill family and friends.

It is well researched, however Read could have used more original source notes and some sections need improvement in source backup and detail. However the book is balanced, not a hagiography and makes a good addition to anyone's collection on Churchill.