William Raymond Manchester

Winston Spencer Churchill. Visions of glory : 1874-1932

The Last Lion

William Manchester

Paul Reid

The long-awaited final volume of William Manchester's legendary biography of Winston Churchill. Spanning the years of 1940-1965, THE LAST LION picks up shortly after Winston Churchill became Prime Minister-when his tiny island nation stood alone against the overwhelming might of Nazi Germany. The Churchill conjured up by William Manchester and Paul Reid is a man of indomitable courage, lightning fast intellect, and an irresistible will to action. THE LAST LION brilliantly recounts how Churchill organized his nation's military response and defense; compelled FDR into supporting America's beleaguered cousins, and personified the "never surrender" ethos that helped the Allies win the war, while at the same time adapting himself and his country to the inevitable shift of world power from the British Empire to the United States. More than twenty years in the making, THE LAST LION presents a revelatory and unparalleled portrait of this brilliant, flawed, and dynamic leader. This is popular history at its most stirring.

Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965

Jeni Enjaian

This is an excellent conclusion to a magnum opus biography. The only thing that I wish that Reid had done differently was to spend more time on Churchill's final years. (Disclaimer: I was missing several tracks from this volume and they may have been from to be post-war period. I also wish that the narrator hadn't changed. This one had inflection problems. 
I will also say that I wish more of the wartime narrative had been focused on Churchill than the actual events but it was fascinating to listen to a narration from the British point of view. I also found the author's portrayal of FDR's attempts to bypass Churchill regarding Stalin incredibly intriguing. In an FDR biography I read last year FDR's actions in this realm were cunning and strategic. According to Manchester/Reid those same actions were naive. 
The imagery is also absolutely brilliant. For example, at one point Manchester/Reid portrayed Churchill as an "inept prestidigitator. He put peas under shells, moved them about. Hitler and Hirohito made them disappear."
Again, I cannot recommend this book (all 3 volumes) strongly enough. They are brilliant.

The Last Lion Winston Spencer Churchill. Visions of glory : 1874-1932

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