Rating: 
Summary: Best in the den with brandy and cigars
Review: Winston Churchill is one of those great characters in history who deserves multiple first class biographies. Here we have a magnificent companion piece to the Martin Gilbert biography of about a decade ago. Roy Jenkins brings to this work not only his own considerable skills as a historian, but the unique insights of a long time member of the House of Commons, Home Secretary, and Chancellor of the Exchequer, to cite a portion of his impressive personal resume. Jenkins has the added advantage of having entered British politics in 1948, at a time when Churchill himself was still a considerable presence.Although the emphasis in this work rests upon Churchill's remarkable political odyssey, the reader gradually comes to the realization that he or she has absorbed a considerable amount of the Churchill persona. Jenkins achieves this with numerous sidebars about such diverse topics as Churchill's preference for Mediterranean vacations because the variations of sunlight affected his painting, or his tortured relationship with his son, Randolph. Jenkins acknowledges that Churchill was an epicure and prodigious drinker but hesitates to brand his consumption as problematic. Churchill's true vice was neither brandy nor cigars, but hubris, mercifully tempered by an innate sense of decency, history, and loyalty to the kingdom in the best sense of the term. He truly believed in the inevitability of his destiny as his country's leader, a trait that made popular elections more precarious for him than need be. That he was self-centered cannot be denied, and Jenkins does not pretend that it was otherwise. After one thousand pages it is hard to say who, if anyone, enjoyed what one might call a friendship of equals with Churchill, who either dominated a dinner table or [rarely] said nothing. And yet, by the same token, Churchill was not a mean-spirited man, either, and it is hard to recall from this work incidents of particular cruelty or longstanding hatreds. He seemed to accept as the nature of things his own superiority to other men in government. The only Prime Minister who had the true measure of Churchill was Asquith, who exercised considerable patience with Churchill during the latter's controversial management of naval strategy during World War I. Jenkins brings home the reality of Churchill's suffering. Churchill's voracious need to lead, and the nervousness that his undisguised animal energy engendered in the councils of British government, kept him on the outside when critical decisions were made at places like Versailles and Munich. That moodiness and depression would afflict this man should come as no surprise. Churchill, a prodigious author and historian of no mean talent in his own right, did enjoy the talent of "seeing twenty moves ahead." His penetrating insight and unflagging confidence in his own judgment made exclusion all the more excruciating. But again, to his credit, Churchill hated the exlusion and scorned other judgments without the pathological anger that made future collaboration impossible. This is critical to English survival, when Churchill's rescusitation after Munich brought him into the enclave of many in British government who thought him dangerous and reckless, if not insufferably arrogant. Jenkins states that Churchill was a faithful husband, though that compliment must be narrowly interpreted to mean that his subject was monogamous. Clementine Churchill bore his children, campaigned for him with perhaps more enthusiasm than her husband with his sense of entitlement, and exercised some influence upon his thinking. But like everyone else in Churchill's life, she had to resign herself to his preoccupation with affairs of state and impulsive and autocratic decision making. Early on, it would seem, she must have sensed that while her husband loved her, his ego and sense of divine right would never let him need her or depend upon her. Jenkins notes without comment Mrs. Churchill's frequent and lengthy vacations without her husband. Having portrayed his subject thusly, Jenkins' description of Churchill's retirement from public life is intriguing and semi-tragic. Once again summoned for national leadership in 1951 in advanced age, Churchill found himself surrounded by "pharaohs who remembered not Joseph." His efforts to reenact World War II summitry, to bring Russia and the United States together for the purpose of nuclear disarmament, was seen universally as part anachronism, part utopianism, and part that cursed self aggrandisement. His physical, vocal, and mental capacities slipping, Churchill appeared more and more like a desperate old man hanging on frantically in what he certainly knew was his last hurrah. Here Jenkins captures the national ambivalence toward Churchill, his country's greatest leader-gratitude for past courageous leadership, muffled relief to see him go. I cannot quite find the proper adjective to describe the writer's syle. Although this work is a serious history, it has a coziness to it fostered by the author's inclusion of humorous sidebars, historical curiosities [for example, a footnote on page 427 makes note of Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt missing each other during the former's visit to New York in 1929], the author's own personal knowledge of his subject and his government, and his allusions to contemporary British government policy and personalities, such as Margaret Thatcher and John Major. This is a book that reflects its subject: best absorbed in leather seating, brandy and cigars at hand, good humor, and mental acuity.
Rating: 
Summary: A Hard Slog
Review: Lord Jenkins' "Churchill" is an extraordinary book. Anyone with a serious or scholarly interest in the subject simply must read it. That said, it is nonetheless the case that ordinary American readers (like me) must be prepared for considerable heavy lifting to follow Jenkins' narrative. Roy Jenkins received an excellent English education during the inter-war period, and his syntax shows it. This is not "Dick and Jane." The text itself is full of Briticisms and idiomatic formulations which the reader must hope that context will somehow unravel. A greater difficulty for Americans will be the assumptions the author makes about the reader's knowledge of British politics. (A brief "Glossary of Parliamentary Terms", added to the American edition, makes only the barest beginnings at explaining the political arcana to be found throughout the volume.) But still -- if you are enthralled by the Churchill legend, give Lord Jenkins a try. It isn't every literary season that an important politician writes the biography of a VERY important politician.
Rating:
Summary: Packed with Knowledge!
Review: Perhaps the greatest tribute to the work of author Roy Jenkins is that, at times, he seemed to know what Winston Churchill was actually thinking - and you're pretty sure he's right. When the mind you're reading about belongs to perhaps the greatest Prime Minister in the history of Great Britain, Nobel-prize winner Winston Churchill, that is a pretty impressive accomplishment. Jenkins' biography is essentially unsentimental, and reveals Churchill's idiosyncrasies and errors in an honest manner that serves only to elevate, rather than tarnish, the legacy of the man who rallied the free world to resist the tyranny of National Socialism. Jenkins has written an extraordinary volume which we highly recommend to any student of history.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: At risk of being the odd man out in this list of glowing reviews, I must say I found the book troubling in some respects. While it is certainly filled with the major events of Churchill's extraordinary life, it is also filled with too much editorialization by the author, and too many pendantic, complex sentences filled with too many sub-clauses and too many "ten dollar words". Furthermore, Jenkins adds far too many of his own opinions on Churchill's motives and actions and on those of others in the story for comfort. One gets the sense that Jenkins was somewhat jealous of Churchill and seems to try to speak from some level of superiority. His use of the Queen's English certainly suggests he is very proud of his obviously excellent command of the language. Jenkins also comes across as being quite cynical in his treatment of many issues, Churchill included. Perhaps these faults are to be expected from a long-serving politician and member of the House of Lords. While the above observations are mostly to do with style, there are other aspects which I found disturbing. For example Jenkins discusses the Sassoons but while pointing out that they were extremely wealthy, he doesn't point out from whence their wealth derived (from the Opium for Tea trade with China). He also discusses a white knight who came to the financial rescue when Churchill was in danger of losing his beloved estate, Chartwell. While mentioning that the benefactor was a wealthy international financier, he then jumps to the conclusion that his bail-out of Churchill appeared to be completely innocent, with no expectations of favours from Churchill in the future. Unfortunately the author doesn't bother to point out anything of substance about this mysterious benefactor or the scenario he sketches to allow the reader to come to the same conclusion. Jenkins also adds interesting insights such as that Roosevelt secretly tried to get Britain, in 1938, to collaborate with him in a plot to involve America and Britain in a war against Germany. He doesn't offer any references for this and many other startling revelations which, of course, does the serious scholar no good whatsoever. All in all this lengthy tome covers the major events in his life, adds some interesting insights (and some vexing ones too) but, in the end, I couldn't shake an uneasy feeling I have about the objectivity, frankness and thoroughness of the author.
Rating:
Summary: IF WE CAN'T HAVE MANCHESTER¿
Review: Like most students of the life of Winston S. Churchill I was anxiously awaiting the third volume in the Last Lion series on Churchill's life by William Manchester. Sadly Mr. Manchester has recently announced that, due to extreme health issues, his much-anticipated book would never be written. Having read the first two books I was absolutely stunned. After the shock wore off I immediately began the prospect of finding a biography that would complete the Churchill history and do it in a way that would complement my earlier study through the Manchester biographies. May I recommend Churchill by Roy Jenkins. This book, written by a man who has the unique perspective of actually having served in Parliament and in a variety of other important posts in British government, masterfully fills the void. Concise and well written, Churchill by Roy Jenkins is easily the finest single-volume biography of Britain's greatest leader.
Rating: 
Summary: too much churchill
Review: for a first time reader of churchill--this book was too much
the style of writing is detailed to the point where i lost interest
the author obviously adores the man but this reader had to put it down several times and struggle to the end
Rating:
Summary: Difficult to read, and overwhelms with tedious detail.
Review: I do agree with one reviewer, that this isn't an appropriate biography for "first time" Churchill students. I do know a hodgepodge of facts about Churchill, and have read some of his writings, but never "had a go" at a biography wholely dedicated to him. I'm sorry I selected this work for a starter. It is analagous to opening Pandora's box in regards to names, positions--details and more details which are impressive scholarship, but an extremely soupy read, frankly. Didn't enjoy it at all. Must be better biographies of Churchill!
Rating:
Summary: Not for a first time Biography
Review: I found the author's love of Churchill very evident in this biography, and the author's effort in writing this work is a quite amazing. However, I need to convey to potential readers that this might not be a good first time biography. It does not introduce people, places and events in a way that a first time reader on the life of Churchill would easily understand. It is written in a literary style that, for metaphor and flavor, sacrificed clarity. However, folks who are already students of Churchill may enjoy this flavorful as opposed to pragmatic writing style.
Rating: 
Summary: lets stop glorifying this criminal
Review: When Churchill was just a haughty First Lord of the Admiralty during the First World War he deliberately arranged the deaths of 126 Americans on the British ship Lusitania. By cancelling the Cruiser Rules Churchill knew what the results would be: The German sub force would be forced to give no warning (as they had been giving warnings til this point) before torpedoing ships carrying munitions to Britain and listed by the British Admiralty as an "armed auxillary cruiser," as the Lusitania was so listed. The torpedoing would enrage Americans and bring her into the war against Germany. This "maneuver," as Churchill freely stated in his "The World Crisis" was cold-blooded strategy by Churchill. Churchill, ever the clever politician, would be the arranger of American deaths and gain an ally and go down in history as a hero. Churchill was a murderer of Americans.
Criminal Law in America or Britain makes no distinction between a criminal who pulls a trigger and a criminal who arranges the murder. The only reason there has been so much silence on Churchill's high crimes is because he saved the British monarchy and contributed to the heavy financing of the American and British war machines. Therefor Her Majesty's government and the in-charge Western Intelligentsia will tolerate no condemnation of Churchill.
Rating:
Summary: A great and insightful study
Review: After Martin Gilbert's exhaustive study of Churchill's life, it would be difficult to imagine anyone being able to contribute anything new or revealing about the great man and his life...until Jenkins procuced this work. The late Roy Jenkins was uniquely placed to write this book. It is not a biogrpahy in the ordinary sense - it is actually a biographical commentary. Rather than attempting to painstakingly delve into the minutiae of Churchill's life, Jenkins set out to look at his life from a Parliamentary viewpoint. This inevitably means glossing over come of the more personal aspects, but delivers a telling and erudite study of a life which was more Parliamentary than anything else, and which produced one whom Jenkins described as the greatest man to inhabit No 10 Downing Street. Jenkins' work is unique becasue he approaches the Parliamentary side of Churchill's life as one who has been there, and knew many of the characters that flitted through Churchill's life. Moreover, he has a towering understanding of British politics - the theory and praxis - that is impossible to achieve without having actually been in it. This is a great an insightful study. It is not the complete Chruchill biography, but it may well be close to the best.
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