In 1904, Winston Churchill crossed the floor to join the Liberal party. This collection of speeches from 1906 to 1909 documents his dramatic shift toward a more progressive governing philosophy, containing his thoughts on some of the most important issues of the time, including a highly controversial new wealth distribution initiative.
Winston Churchill is renowned as a brilliant Conservative politician and statesman--but he wasn't always a Conservative. In 1904, he crossed over to join the Liberal party--becoming Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies when the Liberals took office, and later joining the Liberal Cabinet.
This collection of speeches documents Churchill's dramatic shift toward a more progressive governing philosophy. They contain his thoughts on some of the most important issues of the time, including the "People's Budget," a highly controversial new wealth distribution initiative. It led to the House of Lords' first attempt in two hundred years to challenge the power of the House of Commons, and ultimately to the Parliament Act of 1911, asserting the House of Commons' legislative powers.
This compilation is fascinating not only for its historical context, but for the keen political insight and strategy of one of the twentieth century's greatest political leaders.
Winston S. Churchill
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.
