About this book
Andrew Roberts's biography covers the whole of Winston Churchill's long life: his childhood and army career, his early fame as a war correspondent, his changing party loyalties, his record in government during the First World War, his years out of power in the 1930s, his leadership through the Second World War and his later career.
Roberts draws on a wide range of sources to show how Churchill's experiences prepared him for 1940, and he is candid about his misjudgements and failures as well as his achievements. The book pays attention to Churchill's family, his writing, his health and the people who worked closest to him, and it explains the politics of each era clearly enough for readers new to British history.
It stands out as a balanced, comprehensive portrait in one volume, with a strong narrative line running through a crowded life. Readers who want a close-up of the darkest year of the war should also try The Splendid and the Vile.
Who it’s for
Ideal for readers who want one definitive Churchill book; long and detailed, but fluent and engaging throughout.
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