About the book
The third volume of William Manchester's Churchill trilogy spans 1940 to 1965 and begins soon after Churchill became prime minister, with Britain standing alone against Nazi Germany. It follows how he organized the nation's military response and defense, persuaded FDR to back the cause, and later, driven from office, warned the world about the Soviet threat. After his return to 10 Downing Street, the narrative tracks his last policy goal, a summit with Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet leaders, and then his final years. Strokes left Manchester unable to finish the work after writing about 100,000 words, so he chose Paul Reid, a former Cox Newspapers feature writer, to complete the 1,232-page volume.
Ryan Holiday began Manchester's three-volume Churchill set after the Caro series and said the best long reads teach every subject that crosses their path, from British peerage and the Victorian era to modern warfare.
We hope you love the books people recommend! Just so you know, The CEO Library may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.
This book has 1 recommendation
Ryan Holiday (Founder/Brass Check)
After the Caro series, I started William Manchester’s equally epic three volume set on Winston Churchill (Visions of Glory, Alone, Defender of the Realm) which Robert Greene gave me as a wedding present last year. Like all truly great long reads, you learn not just about the subject but every intersecting one: the history of British peerage, the Victorian era, the British Empire, Colonialism, modern warfare, international relations, evil, the nature of genius, the effects of absent parents. The book is masterfully written about a masterful man—Churchill was a soldier, a writer, a politician, a statesman, a strategist and a true great man of history. Each book in the series is equally distinct and interesting. The first is Churchill as a young, ambitious man. The second is his time in the political wilderness, when his ego has driven him from power and into writing and thinking. The third is his time back on the world’s stage, in what was perhaps the finest hour of any empire in any era. The last book is probably the best. It features the famous bulldog version of Churchill: rescuing the troops at Dunkirk, persevering through the Blitz, vowing to fight on the landing grounds and the beaches and in the streets, whatever the cost may be. The sheer determination of this man, to take an entire country on your back and defy a horde which had overrun the European continent in a matter of months…it’s almost breathtaking to think about.
Get this book on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books