paulgrostad's review against another edition
5.0
Impressive work of research on an impressive and unique personality
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
4.0
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Holy cats, I finished it! I do believe, at 982 pages, that this is the longest book I've undertaken except for textbooks.
I can't imagine being the author and sifting through the staggering amount of material Churchill left behind, because he always knew he'd take a part in British history so he saved all his correspondence. Lets not forget the 37 books and all the articles submitted to newspapers, plus his speeches. So pulling off a book of this magnitude without getting bogged down is a major undertaking.
For the most part Roberts succeeds. I did feel the book got a bit bogged down during Churchill's Wilderness Years which is why I couldn't give it 5 stars. I knew more about Churchill than most people before picking up this book, but I found myself amazed at just how many things Churchill accomplished in his lifetime. He should be considered the greatest person of the 20th century.
Give yourself a month to read this tome. I did it in 9 days because it was due back at the library, but I felt I could have enjoyed it even more had I not felt rushed.
Holy cats, I finished it! I do believe, at 982 pages, that this is the longest book I've undertaken except for textbooks.
I can't imagine being the author and sifting through the staggering amount of material Churchill left behind, because he always knew he'd take a part in British history so he saved all his correspondence. Lets not forget the 37 books and all the articles submitted to newspapers, plus his speeches. So pulling off a book of this magnitude without getting bogged down is a major undertaking.
For the most part Roberts succeeds. I did feel the book got a bit bogged down during Churchill's Wilderness Years which is why I couldn't give it 5 stars. I knew more about Churchill than most people before picking up this book, but I found myself amazed at just how many things Churchill accomplished in his lifetime. He should be considered the greatest person of the 20th century.
Give yourself a month to read this tome. I did it in 9 days because it was due back at the library, but I felt I could have enjoyed it even more had I not felt rushed.
ecoudenys's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
medium-paced
5.0
thomasgoddard's review against another edition
4.0
I decided on a book about Churchill because I view him as a sort of lodestone around which the iron filings of contemporary british history gather. A landmark of a person, which we can use to orient ourselves. So continues my efforts to learn a little more from the world.
I have spent four hours trying to write this review in a way that might avoid any social landmines. I have deleted about four thousand words and gotten nowhere. Best off to be forthright and damn the consequences.
Basically, I went into the book thinking that he was two things. (1) The personification of wartime propaganda bent on saving us from the threat of fascism, a man who did the impossibly difficult job of keeping the country together during a time of heavy threat. And (2) secondly as a man who was racist and cruel, who didn’t care for many of the subjects of the empire of the time. And persisted in propping up the empire long after it was shown to be the source of great misery.
I was left with a question, heading in: could a man be both?
After finishing the book, I realised that really he wasn’t either. People have just filled in gaps in their understanding with these broad strokes.
He was of his time, holding onto yesterday but at the same time way ahead in some respects as well. He was just a man though. Same as every evil man. Same as every saint.
By the end of the book I now know that a lot of things said about him are absolutely not true. And quite a lot of things he did, terrible things, aren’t really known about at all. But none of that outweighs the contribution his made to the modern world. You got to crack eggs, to put it crudely.
As always, I encourage you to learn about people who you ‘think’ you know. Get a better picture of things. My days of judging people I’ve never met based on other people’s ill-informed testimony are long behind me.
I have spent four hours trying to write this review in a way that might avoid any social landmines. I have deleted about four thousand words and gotten nowhere. Best off to be forthright and damn the consequences.
Basically, I went into the book thinking that he was two things. (1) The personification of wartime propaganda bent on saving us from the threat of fascism, a man who did the impossibly difficult job of keeping the country together during a time of heavy threat. And (2) secondly as a man who was racist and cruel, who didn’t care for many of the subjects of the empire of the time. And persisted in propping up the empire long after it was shown to be the source of great misery.
I was left with a question, heading in: could a man be both?
After finishing the book, I realised that really he wasn’t either. People have just filled in gaps in their understanding with these broad strokes.
He was of his time, holding onto yesterday but at the same time way ahead in some respects as well. He was just a man though. Same as every evil man. Same as every saint.
By the end of the book I now know that a lot of things said about him are absolutely not true. And quite a lot of things he did, terrible things, aren’t really known about at all. But none of that outweighs the contribution his made to the modern world. You got to crack eggs, to put it crudely.
As always, I encourage you to learn about people who you ‘think’ you know. Get a better picture of things. My days of judging people I’ve never met based on other people’s ill-informed testimony are long behind me.
indianajane's review against another edition
5.0
This was such and excellent, even-handed biography. It gave such a wonderful understanding of Churchill as a man, as well as of his unique place in the history of the 20th century. It was so interesting that in 50 1/2 hours of listening I never once wished that it would hurry up and end. And if you like audiobooks, the narration was very good.
gracelawrence_'s review against another edition
5.0
I read this on the beaches, on the landing grounds, in the fields and in the streets, and in the hills.
Pretty sure I could get at least a 3 on the AP Euro History test right now. V good book✌
Pretty sure I could get at least a 3 on the AP Euro History test right now. V good book✌
embchess's review against another edition
5.0
Masterful. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Churchill. Roberts has captured not only the man but the world around him and Churchill’s role in it across the decades. I was particularly impressed with the denouement, which spans the last decade or so of his remarkable life. Too often biographers leave reflections to a rushed last chapter. With many honors and accomplishments post WWII, Roberts describes and frames those in their historical and biographical context, really helping frame one’s understanding of Churchill life.