Sir Winston S. Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."
Over a 64-year span, Churchill published over 40 books, many multi-volume definitive accounts of historical events to which he was a witness and participant. All are beautifully written and as accessible and relevant today as when first published.
During his fifty-year political career, Churchill served twice as Prime Minister in addition to other prominent positions—including President of the Board of Trade, First Lord of the Admiralty, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Home Secretary. In the 1930s, Churchill was one of the first to recognize the danger of the rising Nazi power in Germany and to campaign for rearmament in Britain. His leadership and inspired broadcasts and speeches during World War II helped strengthen British resistance to Adolf Hitler—and played an important part in the Allies’ eventual triumph.
One of the most inspiring wartime leaders of modern history, Churchill was also an orator, a historian, a journalist, and an artist. All of these aspects of Churchill are fully represented in this collection of his works.
After guiding his country with a sure and confident hand through the darkest times of World War II, Winston Churchill was defeated in the General Election of 1945—once again becoming Prime Minister in 1951. This collection features Churchill’s speeches, addresses, and other public communications in his period between terms, in which Churchill’s speaking engagements took him far and wide—including to Brussels, Strasbourg, Boston, Copenhagen, and New York.
Major events during this period of history include the beginning of the Korean War, the devaluation of the British Pound Sterling, the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the United States’ rearmament program. Through these turbulent times, Churchill preached unity among European nations and English-speaking peoples worldwide.
Sir Winston Churchill crossed the political divide to join the Liberal Party in 1904. Conservatives saw him as a traitor to his former political party; liberals, as a strong champion for progressive views.
The People's Rights was originally published in 1909, as part of Winston Churchill's campaign efforts in response to the House of Lords' rejection of the Liberal budget. It contains several impassioned speeches delivered by Churchill during a nine-day campaign period offering scathing criticism of the House of Lords' decision and supporting causes such as free trade and liberal tax positions. Ultimately, Churchill's efforts would contribute to a Liberal majority and successful budget passage.
The rarest of his post-war speech compilations, The Unwritten Alliance was the last of Churchill’s books published during his lifetime. Most of these speeches took place during the end of his second Premiership—when the illustrious politician and statesman was in his eighties.
Churchill had experienced several strokes by this time, and his health was failing.However, these speeches show that his mind was still clear—and he was still a master of speechcraft. This collection contains his addresses at banquets, award ceremonies, and to the Primrose League—where he had given his first political speech many decades before, in 1897. These speeches demonstrate Churchill’s mental vigor even in his declining years, filled as much with awards and accolades as with continued personal challenge.
