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.
A vibrant account of the people who shaped Britain's early history, The Birth of Britain is the first of Churchill's popular and accessible four-volume A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. Here, Churchill guides the reader through the establishment of the constitutional monarchy, the parliamentary system, and the people who played lead roles in creating democracy in England.Based on the research of modern historians as well as a wealth of primary source material, this history was respected by scholars as well as the public in its day-a testament both to its integrity as a work of historical nonfiction and its accessibility to laypeople. Churchill used primary sources to masterful effect in this work-quoting directly from ancient and medieval documents to provide valuable insights into the characters of many ancient and medieval figures who played a lead role in early British history.
In the early years of the 20th Century, Winston Churchill served as Undersecretary of State for the Colonies. During this time, he lobbied for permission to tour and inspect Britain's holdings in East Africa. This book is a travelogue of sorts, documenting Churchill's trip, the people he met, and his thoughts on how Britain might work to improve the lives of East African people under her rule.
This book is a vivid and compelling account of Churchill's travels--and some of the thoughts and suggestions he raises will prove to be prescient. It's fascinating reading for Churchill enthusiasts and those interested in the historical relationship between Britain and its colonies toward the end of the Colonial Era.
The first volume of Winston Churchill's six-volume memoirs as a statesman and leader during World War II, The Gathering Storm begins with his thoughts on World War I--and how its ending laid the foundations for the next global conflict. As a military and political leader during both wars, Churchill was well placed to give readers a behind-the-scenes tour of history as it was being created, by a man who had a definitive part in shaping it. The volume continues with contemporary letters and memoranda from the British government documenting the country's terrifying descent into war. As Prime Minister during World War II, Churchill possessed a unique understanding of these documents' connection to historical events--and guides the reader through them with vivid narrative skill.
