The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932

A vivid life such as that of Mr. Churchill's deserves every single last of the 800+ pages in this tome. It would be a travesty to spend any less time on arguably the greatest non-fictional character to ever exist. William Manchester understands this well. Manchester has a curious obsession with the life of Winston Churchill, and you'll find that this book is so painstakingly researched that is has you wondering what kind of favors he had to pull. Obsession, however, is an important ingredient in a great biographer. Without it, you cannot get the level of detail that you might otherwise. The other vital ingredient in a great biographer such as Manchester is a certain detachedness that allows him to step back for objective reflection and analysis. While Manchester spends most of the book praising Winston's energy, heroics, ability, wit, skill, work ethic and political prowess, he also is not afraid to excoriate when a fault is found with Winston's actions.But while the history and analysis of the man himself is wonderful, what this book does exceedingly well is provide context. For each one of Winston's major political decisions, there is a strong background of history setting it up. This book is 2/3rds about Winston Churchill the man, and 1/3rd about Great Britain the falling empire. This is apt. The two--the history of Winston Churchill and the history of Great Britain--were intertwined, and have become inseparable in modern lore. For a reader who is shaky on British history like I was, you'll find this a useful blend of the two.Much of the book is told through unearthed letters and correspondences between Winston and others--many to his wife Clementine, many to other members of Parliament, and many to friends and other family members. When I spoke of Manchester's obsession before, this is the best evidence of that. Manchester had to track down these letters--the logistics of which are mind-boggling--sift through them, and then, hardest of all, infuse them into the narrative. Not only does one develop an appreciation and respect for this level of diligence (which appropriately mirrors Winston's level of diligence), but the letters add much value to the story. They allow for a level of deep insight into his life, exposing the more personal and sentimental side of Winston Churchill the husband and father, as opposed to Winston Churchill the great and vicious politician. And yes, he uses sweet lovey-dovey names with his wife, but I will not spoil exactly which ones (it is quite hilarious). In fact, I refuse to spoil much at all, because this book reads like a novel following a character through a fantastical land, and it had me turning page after page wondering what would happen next.If you're like me and were drawn to a Churchill biography because of the insane number of quotables so graciously bestowed to us by him, you will not be let down. Line after line of cleverness, of eloquence, of wit. Sometimes, his relentless usage of language borders on cheesiness. You'll find that his highbrow manner of speech holds effectiveness to those on his side, sways those undecided, and draws ire from those opposite. And further, speaking of opposition, the domestic political opposition to Winston remains a theme throughout (as is the nature of politics.) For Winston, the political barriers halting his rise to the Prime Minstership were severe, subjecting him to political exile on three separate occasions. This was because Winston's often extreme stances and opinions were found unpalatable to those far less skilled than he was. Plots were often devised without his knowledge, behind his back, hidden because none were his equal on the battlefield of open debate.Winston Churchill was a man of action, sharply decisive and beyond courageous. He stared death in the face on several occasions, and whether through fortuitous external forces or his own action, he survived every time. This has led to the notion that Winston had some sort of divine being watching over him. I'm an atheist myself, but it is hard to believe that a man so singularly incredible could not only be born, but also survive long enough to change the very fate of the world for better without the presence of something supernatural. Winston Churchill is truly a one-in-a-trillion human being, and William Manchester is clearly the right man to recount to us his wonderful story. As I said in the title, Winston Churchill would have been damn proud of this masterpiece.I look forward to reading the next two volumes with great joy.

Does 3,000 pages of text over 3 books and an additional 400 of footnotes, acknowledgements and bibiliography do Churchill credit? In this Part I of Manchester's biography on Churchill I would have to give an emphatic "yes".He was both a man of interesting times and insistently at the center or commenting, reporting or opining on it from just off stage. The book opens with a thoroughly entertaining introduction to the Victorian age, the life one may experience in upper class London and how life is far different for the poorest along with the slippery slope for the burgeoning middle class climbing out of poverty but always one flu away from falling back into the slums.Manchester is spare with his words and engaging in his appreciation of the world occupied by his topic and keen to share detail that brings us into the world; the contradictions accepted in Victorian morals; the writers, plays and art of the time. Occasionally he can be a bit superficial such as trying to sum up the reasons for the birth of the British Empire in a page or 2 but he makes it up with his building a sturdy podium for his character to stand on. His prose is generally understated, often witty and likely inspired by Churchill himself.There is so much to Churchill; a materially wealthy but otherwise miserable childhood; much bullying at school, a mother that may have slept with half the House of Lords, a syphletic father who likely went mad well before the disease consumed him and on to military school, the Boer War, India, Cuba, Parliament, the Irish question and of course the Great War.While the reader is given the bonus of an early 20th century history lesson what most impressed me was Manchester's focus on Churchill's mind, philosophy and actions. He quotes often from Churchill's own materials along with that of many of the leading politicians of the day; Asquith, Lloyd George, Chamberlain and many others. The result is a robust fully fleshed out portrayal and an opportunity for us to then evaluate the world events of the time.The primary event of book one is the Great War where Churchill was Lord of the Navy. Manchester lays down an excellent case for Churchill's military skills; procurement, strategy and execution both offense and defensive. He is credited with being an early sponsor of aircraft and is called the father of the tank. He has been much maligned for the disastrous results at the battle of the Dardanelles. It's here that Manchester writes well on what Churchill's role was in bringing in the Navy and failures of Kitchener's army to move swiftly and choosing extremely poor locations for landings. It's a battle that haunted and taunted Churchill forever and one that he regularly demanded full transparency to explain his own role.Manchester's central tenant is Churchill's consistency of thought and action throughout his lifetime. That he had both a need for victory and to equal magnanimity to the losers in war or politics always put is adversaries on edge. It was his principles that drove him out of the Conservative camp and in with the Liberals and back to the Conservatives some 15 years later. Interestingly enough one can largely agree that politics changes more than Churchill but we was labeled an opportunist and disloyal as a result.The first book concludes as Churchill is sitting somewhat weakened on the backbench of parliament in the early 1930's as Manchester sets the stage for the rise of Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo. He points out that even then it was Churchill that these leaders asked and worried about while at home his critics has already written him off.There is much more here - horrid descriptions of the battlefield and strategies of WWI, the Irish rebellion, book tours in the US, the initial stages of dismemberment of the Empire and a very fine description of India and Manchester's appreciation of differing religions and cultures.This book is wonderful. It's long but never dull and rich is all the areas that I had hoped for. One to book II!

My grandson was very pleased with the gift.

Good book at cheap price and packing is also good. Got delivered it before the delivery date. So delivery is also prompt . Happy with the product.

The book is very engaging to read and the amount of pages really didn't overwhelm me. Of course, Manchester really likes Churchill - so much is clear after reading the first few hundred pages - but he still acknowledges the failures and missteps of the man, who arguably saved Europe.It was a great read and I can only recommend the book.

It's exciting, and massively informative about the history of these times, what romps the upper classes and royalty get up to and how we behaved as a nation, I'm almost ashamed to be British! A wittily written, great and easy read and highly educational too. Faults and all and plenty of the hilarious barbed Churchill wit. I also now feel so sorry for him as a child, how terrible it must be to be without parental love, we're lucky he survived to achieve what he did for us, despite all his faults.

Non seulement parce que que se déroule sous nos yeux la vie et carrière de Churchill, personnage complexe et homérique, mais également, peut êre surtout, parce que le long de cette vie, l'auteur nous fais comprendre les grands enjeux politiques du moment: l'Empire, le maintien de l'ordre en Inde, en Egypte, la guère des Boers, les enjeux, choix stratégiques de la Grande Guerre, la question irlandaise, la naissance et la montée du Labour après la guerre et le déclin des Libéraux (et des idées libérales en général). Ce premier tome se termine sur l'entrée en wilderness de Churchill, et l'arrivée de Hitler. Une petite pose après 800 pages avant d'attaquer le Tome II!