This biography of Winston Churchill covers the war years of World War II. It is a Tour DE Force and an eloquent testimony of the greatest statesman of the 20th century. There are some depressing statistics at the end of the book telling of the ignorance of the present generation thinking that Churchill was a mythical character - that most young people believe that he did not exist because his many accomplishments were far too many to fathom in one person! In an age that tends to stress identity politics Churchill is often dismissed as a white imperialist fascist. (During the Obama Administration his bust, a gift from England was removed from display and cast to the basement unceremoniously.) The truth is so far beyond such drivel. Churchill was demonstrative in an age and society of the stiff upper lip, a Philo-Semite and Zionist in a culture of gentile Antisemitism and pro Arab-ism. He was loyal to his friends, did not hold grudges against his political adversaries and was magnanimous in victory. He overcame parental neglect and surpassed all expectations of them. He had a very successful marriage. And although he was indeed a proud imperialist and believed in the mission of the British Empire to bring the rule of law to the outstretches of the world, he nevertheless stood tall for the value of freedom and fought against Nazi tyranny single-handedly until he was able to convince the world of its absolute menace.
Although this volume is over 900 pages, it is well worth the effort. Churchill was multifaceted: an artist, bricklayer, writer, journalist, historian, politician, raconteur. He absorbed the English language such that it is no wonder that he earned the Nobel Prize for literature for he captured the beautiful rhythm of the language. The author, Mr. Roberts writes similarly, almost taking Churchill as his writer's guide, constructing clear sentences making reading this magnum opus a pleasure.
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