The Last Lion Box Set: Winston Spencer Churchill, 1874 - 1965

The Last Lion Box Set: Winston Spencer Churchill, 1874 - 1965

Book by Paul Reid

 


DETAILS


Publisher : Little, Brown and Company; BOX edition (November 6, 2012) Language : English Hardcover : 3008 pages ISBN-10 : 0316227781 ISBN-13 : 978-0316227780 Item Weight : 9.45 pounds Dimensions : 6.5 x 6.25 x 10 inches Best Sellers Rank: #55,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #4 in U.K. Prime Minister Biographies #49 in Historical British Biographies #372 in World War II History (Books) , Universally acclaimed for their compelling narrative, their fresh insights, and their objective renderings of Winston Churchill's life, The Last Lion trilogy presents a revelatory and unparalleled portrait of this brilliant, flawed, and dynamic adventurer, aristocrat, soldier, and statesman. Born at the end of the 19th century when Imperial Britain still stood at the splendid pinnacle of her power, Churchill would witness the shift a few years later as the Empire hovered on the brink of a catastrophic new era. One of the greatest wartime leaders of our time, he would go on to stand alone, politically isolated in Parliament, as he took the lead in warning of the growing Nazi threat, and would lead Britain to victory against Nazi Germany and the Axis powers in World War II. Now, celebrated historian William Manchester's landmark biographies are collected together for the first time, along with the eagerly anticipated final installment Churchill's last years in power. More than thirty years in the making, The Last Lion is the definitive work on this remarkable man whose courageous vision guided the destiny of a nation during darkly troubled times-and who looms as one of the greatest figures of our century. Read more

 


REVIEW


To call William Manchester's three-volume "The Last Lion" (1983–2004) "mid-size" seems laughable, yet it's true: as wool-died Churchillians know, of the late Martin Gilbert's (1935–2015) eighty-eight books, not fewer than thirty-seven were dedicated to Sir Winston. Is this the biography I would commend to those beginning serious study of W.S.C.? No. That would be Roy Jenkins's one-volume "Churchill: A Biography" (2001), which has the merit, not only of concision, but of having been written by another Member of Parliament and Cabinet Member who held the same position, Chancellor of the Exchequer, that Churchill had once occupied. Jenkins had an insider's understanding of British history and politics that Americans Manchester and Paul Reid (who completed the third volume of "The Last Lion" after Manchester had suffered two strokes) could not possibly have grasped. If, after reading Jenkins, you are ready for more, but not so much as Sir Martin serves up, the Manchester-Reid three-volume set of about 3,000 pages tells a ripping tale with flair. Historians will continue to argue over Manchester's interpretations. Based heavily on Churchill's own memoirs and other works sympathetic to its subject, "The Last Lion" does not preserve the even-handed distance and depth of perspective that is the crowning glory of Robert Caro's 4-volume-and-counting assessment of Lyndon Johnson (1982–2012). In fact, a careful reading of "The Last Lion"'s last volume, "Defender of the Realm, 1940–1965" (written by Reid, based on 100,000 words drafted by Manchester and his copious notes), reveals some discrepancies between its picture of W.S.C. and Manchester's own in Volume 1, "Visions of Glory, 1874–1932," and Volume 2, "Alone, 1932-40." Among other things, Manchester claimed that Churchill's alcohol intake was not excessive; Reid states that the subject's drunkenness was rare but occasionally occurred. Perhaps both Manchester and Reid are correct: if anything would set a hearty tippler on a binge, surely the Second World War would do it, if the tippler was Britain's Prime Minister. Manchester's earlier volumes raise questions about Churchill's mental stability; not so Reid's, which attributes mood swings to what anyone in Churchill's position would surely have suffered during 1939–1945. Perhaps the largest missed opportunity in the climactic third volume: though rightly focused on WW II, surprisingly few of its final pages are given to Churchill's post-war life and career, his death and state funeral, and his legacy. If ever a twentieth-century statesman deserved as much attention as that paid by Manchester, Reid, Gilbert, Jenkins, and scores of others, Churchill qualifies. The set under review has been criticized for cheap binding. While I'll grant it is not of Franklin Library quality, neither does it command such a daunting price. Treat these books respectfully, slip them back into their attractive box, and they should last more than a generation. Reading such a thing on Kindle boggles the brain.

 


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