Churchill

Critically acclaimed historian Paul Johnson explores the complex and fascinating character of Winston Churchill—the soldier, orator, and statesman who shined brightest during Britain’s darkest hours.

From his forays into the far-flung corners of the empire as cavalry officer and correspondent to his warnings of impending crisis as historian and Parliamentarian, Churchill faced the winds and tides of change with remarkable versatility and tenacity. One of his strategies strengthened moderate Muslims and successfully marginalized extremist Wahhabis of the House of Saud until Standard Oil’s life-giving infusions revived jihadism. His Operation Archangel could have toppled the Russian Bolsheviks, preempted Mussolini and Hitler, and saved the lives of millions. And but for Churchill’s vision and determination, there would have been no beefed-up British air power or modern state of Israel.

Illuminated with telling anecdotes and quotations, this compelling account of Churchill’s tragedies and triumphs illustrates the courage, resilience, and humor of this giant of 20th-century statesmanship.