Parallel to today | The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940

Winston's Wilderness Years | The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940 | William Manchester

books:


	• The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940 William Manchester Little, Brown and Company, 1988 - 756 pages average customer review:based on 38 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Churchillians will love this book

The 8 years covered in this book were quite possibly the most dangerous years of the 20th Century. Had Churchill not existed England might well have followed the rest of Europe into Nazi domination. America would then have had to stand alone for freedom and democracy, something she had shown little appetite for until Pearl Harbor. Even then, Germany had to declare war on the States before America would react to Hitler.

Manchester captures perfectly the times and the man himself. Every person interested in Churchill and how one strong leader can impact the world will enjoy this great account of him.

for more information click here

Parallel to today

I have read this twice over a span of twenty years, and given multiple copies to friends, family and business acquaintances. I believe it is more relevant today than at any time since it was written. Many reviewers suggest that Churchill's brilliance was in seeing the Nazi build up when others missed the signs. This is a simplification of what happened that can cause the reader to miss the extraordinary parallels between the 1930s and today.

First, the vast majority of the estimates (intelligence) which Churchill received came from within the English government, made available to him by his unique status as a former First Lord of the Admiralty and his unique family heritage. The key difference between Churchill and Baldwin and Chamberlain was not information, but the conclusions they reached. Manchester helps us to understand England's equivalent of the Vietnam Syndrome. Baldwin and Chamberlain, and much of the English public was still reeling from the "Lost Generation" of the Great War (WWI) and found it inconceivable that the Germans would want to fight another war. Manchester does a masterful job not only documenting the denial, but of leading us through the intellectual elites fascination with Hitler and Mussolini personally, and Fascism more generally. In the midst of the Great Depression, these men were leading two war torn second tier countries to prosperity. They were heroes, and Churchill was the war monger. Appeasement was a virtue and not the blemish it would become. A fascination shared by the intellectual elite in the US as well, Joe Kennedy and Lindberg offered as examples.

Intruding on the placid "world as we would like it" view, comes Churchill. Challenging the Cassandra like view of both, Hitler and Fascism/ Nazism, he risks the delicate appeasement strategy, and Hitler sensing who his real adversary will be, exploits this. Manchester explains that despite his noble lineage, Churchill was not a wealthy man, and lived his life financially dependent on his writing; syndicated newspaper columns, books, lecture tours and radio addresses. We learn of the Government's decision to challenge Winston here, pressuring newspapers to drop his syndications and denying him access to the BBC.

Manchester weaves this story together, letting us live through the extreme depression that Churchill fought all his life, the darkest days coming when his wife cruised around the world with another man, leaving him alone at home (he still had his staff and children) driving himself mercilessly to finish his history of Marlbourgh (John Churchill) and the English Speaking Peoples, books which paid the bills. We see a man who was driven more than anything else by a consuming desire, one might say obsession, to be Prime Minister, but who was completely unwilling, in fact unable to compromise principle to advance his own position.

This is a splendid book, and with the possible exception of Churchill's own "The Gathering Storm", is the most riveting account of the lead causes of the European WWII I have read. My only caveat is the book does start slowly, spending a great bit of time on a day at Chartwell, and the Master's many idiosyncrasies, but persevere. It also builds on volume 1, Visions of Glory. I read them in reverse order and in retrospect that might be the best way to do it. Buy and copy and enjoy, the journey is fascinating!

for more information click here

Winston's Wilderness Years

William Manchester has written a classic description of the Wilderness Years of Winston Churchill.
His foray into the abyss of English politics is described at length. Mr. Manchester described the practice of the English government of ignoring Mr. Churchill and his many diatribes in the House of Commons. In fact what was happening in Germany with the formation of the Nazi Party alarmed Winston. During this period of the Gathering Storm, Churchill indeed had intelligence contacts who reported to him of the real situation happening in Germany.
As a back bencher,Winston continued to try to warn Baldwin and later Neville Chamberlain of the true Tectonic intentions. Some recent theories describe Churchill as an aggressive patrician seeking glory. Sorry folks, you are indeed wrong. What Winston stood for was the right of people to have peace. I realize that Churchill was a Victorian Warrior. His stance today would be too extreme and unacceptable in our current political scheme. But in 1940, Mr. Churchill represented the last hope of a Democratic presence in the World willing to face the Nazi menace.
Manchester does this book well. He describes in detail how Churchill economically survives by writing. Winston utilizes an extensive staff to write his many articles and books during his Wilderness years. Manchester describes in detail how he does it. These journalistic efforts kept Winston one step ahead of his creditors. He continued to live the life of aristocracy even though he was really poor.
His destiny awaits. Good for him! I rate it 5 Stars. Too bad Manchester dies before old Winston does!! Metaphorically that is. However I have heard the good news that the third book to complete this trilogy is in the works. Paul Reid has been chosen to complete this magnificent series. Hopefully publication will be in 2010. Mr. Reid, Manchester's loyal readers await!!

for more information click here

The Last Lion: Alone

This volume, the second of three intended by author William Manchester, carries forward the standard of high scholarship and refined expression set forth in volume one. Churchill the man, during the years "Alone," was anything but solitary. By the time World War II started he knew as much "intelligence" as anyone in the UK and had finally ceased to be the lone voice urging military preparation against the growing Nazi menace in the face of ongoing Chamberlain concessions stupifying in both their obtuseness and import.

One can only regret that Mr. Manchester did not survive to complete volume three.

for more information click here

Astounding, appalling, inspiring-- amazing

I just finished reading this book and its predecessor, and am griefstricken at the fact that Manchester died before completing the third volume. These books are amazing. As I read them I was reminded of a review concerning (I think) Tuchman's bio of Stillwell, which went something like: "This is more than a book, it is an education."

The writing is insightful and balanced throughout, and replete with background information that puts it all in perspective. Manchester clearly admires Churchill greatly and lauds his genius, yet is not blind to his character flaws or occasional errors. He does not shy away from making judgments about the appalling lengths to which Baldwin and Chamberlain went to appease Hitler and prevent Britain from preparing for the upcoming war, but he also shows the cultural context and competing priorities that informed their actions. Both books are incredibly readable; I've been completely absorbed in them since reading the first page. I highly recommend them both.

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

hot