Rating: 
Summary: A Good Supplemental Source
Review: This book is a valuable supplement to readers who wish to broaden their knowledge of Churchill. If you were to read only one biography however you should make it Martin Gilbert's, Churchill: A Life. Jenkins' book gives more detailed information about the events that were happening around Churchill while Gilbert's tells history strictly as it involved Churchill. Oddly Jenkins' book gives more detail about his personal life. Neither however seems at all complete in that respect. In order to get that you might have to read Gilbert's full eight volume treatment which is available through used book dealers (try ABE.com to find a dealer - no, I am not affiliated).Jenkins' book offers valuable insight into the causes of the resentment and animosity which Churchill aroused in others. These were basically that Churchill was not a good listener and was too successful at polemics. Probably the most controversial part of Churchill's life was his role in the Dardanelles campaign during W.W.I. For those who want fuller information on those events I strongly recommend they supplement their reading with David Fromkin's, A Peace to End All Peace. Where Jenkins' book most fails the reader is that it gives little hint to how Churchill became a lasting inspirational figure. Gilbert puts Churchill in a much wider perspective and helps you appreciate what was unique about his role in world events. Churchill combined not only great courage and intellect, which Jenkins acknowledges, but also compassion and foresight to a degree that he was not only a great Englishman, but also a great human being and citizen of the world. His memory inspires people of all nations who dream of a better, more peaceful future for mankind.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the worst biographies I have ever read
Review: I have read many biographies, both about Churchill and other figures, and this is easily the worst I have ever read. For such an intriguing character as Churchill, this book does a magnificent job of making him dull and boring. The writing style is so labored and dry that it is almost painful to read. My advice: read a different biography of Churchill - they are all better than this one.
Rating:
Summary: Forget about it!
Review: I bought this biography after reading several reviews and seeing that it was on several best seller lists. I enjoy reading biographies and have read several on Churchill, so I can this is the worst. The author is a British politician and currently a member of the House of Lords. His righting style is that of a politician, in other words he can't stay on the topic at hand and will not answere questions. If you want to learn everything about British Politics during Churchill's times then spend the [money] otherwise save your money and forget about it!
Rating: 
Summary: The subject is better than the biography
Review: The book succeeds because of its subject and in spite of its writing. Churchill is such an intriguing subject that it would be difficult to write any well-researched biography (and this one is well researched) that is not interesting. But the pleasure of reading this book comes from its subject rather than the stilted writing. The book focuses on Churchill's political intrigues more than anything else. The biographer's obvious familiarity with British politics brings occasional insight at the expense of both narrative flow and insight about Churchill's personal qualities. Where are Churchill's bon mots? Where is any serious discussion or analysis of his family life? Most troubling is the self-centeredness of the writing. For instance, the book ends with Jenkins' admission that he started the biography--having previously written an acclaimed biography of Gladstone--believing that Gladstone was the more impressive of the two biography subjects, but upon conclusion of this work now believes that Churchill was the more impressive of the two. Jenkins should know that those reading the book do not care about him as much as they do Churchill. A broad statement of Churchill's importance to the world would have been a more appropriate ending than Jenkins telling us that he now has changed his personal view of Churchill. And it is somewhat shocking that Jenkins, having lived through the World War II, should finally come around to appreciate Churchill as a savior of Europe. He even adds a question mark to the section of his book entitled: "The Saviour of His Country and the Light of the World?" The author's lack of enthusiasm for and appreciation of his subject makes one believe that he was amongst the rabble that supported voting Churchill out of office a few days before the end of World War II. The more than occasional references to Jenkins himself and at least one to his father are too jolting and should have been edited out. Whatever happened to a more distant narrator? At times Jenkins even pauses to point out to the reader that the comment that he just made is witty. Mr. Jenkins please do not so intrude. Alas, those interested in the "clear writing" movement can use this as an example of how not to write clearly. The Latinate form of a word is too often preferred over a simple word. Jenkins is the type of author that clings to "quotidian" when "daily" will do. The writing style is archaic. Oh, and remember to bring your French dictionary. All this being said, the "insider" nature of the biography makes it a valuable contribution to the study of this great man. But the value is specialized (Churchill's political intrigues and machinations) rather than general. There are any number of other biographies about Churchill that one could choose. Choose one of those. Or read Churchill's own history of World War II.
Rating: 
Summary: Jenkin's Folly
Review: Roy Jenkins was not only a member of the opposition party (opposite to Churchill), a frustated old man, but most importantly a bigot who seeks to aggrandize himself with foolish footnotes and greedy references to his un-stellar parliamentary career, while criticizing the work of the great biographer - William Manchester. In my opinion, this was a difficult read because every so often Mr. Jenkins had to remind the reader of his personal connection to the Great Churchill. Save yourself the suffering, read William Manchester's Masterpieces, and pray that Manchester will be able to finish his third book on Churchill.
Rating:
Summary: A Fine Insider Look at the Great Man
Review: Roy Jenkins, an MP since 1948, gives us an insider look at the great man and his tempestuous times. Once past the British syntax, we are reveling in a truly pulsating biography. The dramatic moments are rife -- improbable escape from a Transvaal prison; Indian military and correspondent adventures; crossing the floor of Parliament to sit next to Lloyd George; truly mad ideas for military victories in both wars; genius ideas for the same. The masterful speeches in Parliament and to the British people. The grand relationships with contemporaries from the early 1900s to the mid '50s are rich with the times and glimpses at them all -- from royalty, PMs, to Eisenhower, many far from flattering. (He avoided FDR's funeral, regarded Stalin highly for some time, and recoiled at off-color remarks by Ike). His one love - power - to the exclusion of all else, including Clementine (or was it vice-versa?), and Randolph. Churchilll's courage in battle and in government, his arrogance, charm, generosity, prescience of the world scene, and masterful use of the English language. All are here and reported with gusto. A quick read (for 914 pages) with many rare photos. Well worth the journey with the admirable Jenkins.
Rating: 
Summary: A Superb Achievement
Review: This is a massive volume and yet (perhaps inevitably) incomplete which suggests the epic nature and scope of its subject. As a single-volume source of information and analysis, I rate this just behind Sir Gilbert's biography but it is a superb achievement nonetheless. At least to some extent, this is a memoir of Jenkins' own experiences during "The Churchill Years" during which he (Jenkins) was centrally involved in the British government. The material is carefully organized within six Parts: A Brash Young Man (1874-1908); The Glow Worm Glows: The Morning Was Golden (1908-1914); The Noontide Was Bronze (1914-1918); Hesitant Afternoon Sunshine (1919-1939); The Saviour of the Country and the Light of the World? (1039-1945); and Was the Evening Leaden? (1945-1965) The metaphor of a 24-hour cycle works generally well, correctly suggesting significant and revealing correlations between British (indeed global) history and Churchill's own life and career during the same 91-year period. Obviously, Jenkins greatly admires Churchill but does not hesitate to acknowledge his subject's human imperfections, notably his vanity, self-indulgent extravagances (e.g. cigars and champagne) and his sometimes volcanic irascibility. For me, two of Churchill's most interesting relationships analyzed skillfully by Jenkins are those with wife Clementine and with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She adored him even as she never hesitated to suggest (with exquisite tact) his need to improve his "people skills." How much I would enjoy being the proverbial fly on the wall if she and Lady Bird Johnson were able to discuss their husbands over a cup of tea. With regard to FDR, there were limits on what he could do for both Churchill and Great Britain prior to World War Two but, as Jenkins suggests, FDR was throughout the relationship a true friend and ally, but always the politician (if not always the statesman) until his health began to deteriorate. It is inconceivable to me that a world figure such as Churchill would take up residence in the White House for several months, especially at the time when he did. This single-volume biography makes its own important contributions to our understanding of one of the most important persons throughout the 20th century. However, if you intend to read only one biography of Churchill, my recommendation would still be Sir Martin Gilbert's. I also highly recommend James C. Hume's The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill: A Treasury of More than 1,000 Quotations and Anecdotes.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting But Flawed Biography Of Churchill!
Review: Few figures so capture the public imagination as does Winston Churchill. In many ways he is remembered as being larger than life, a man of great scope, wit, and imagination, and a very complicated human being indeed. I may be in the minority here, but I didn't find this biographical work by English historian and sometime politician Roy Jenkins particularly compelling. Jenkins' writing style is at times more than a bit stuffy, and he has an unfortunate tendency to lapse into very formal English, as one might expect someone with the author's impeccable academic pedigree would be prone to do. This stylistic approach hampers the exposition of a very long, convoluted, and often tediously selective set of recollections about Churchill, as often as not based on incidents witnessed by the author. While having the capability to recall such personal experiences with one of the most famous figures of the 20th century sometimes makes for fascinating reading (and sometimes not), it does not necessarily make for a comprehensive or balanced biographical picture of the subject at hand. Therein lies my problem with the book. Yet it would be unfair and inaccurate to dismiss this massive, well-researched, and occasionally quite brilliant treatment of Mr. Churchill as a personal memoir. Had I not already read a number of other authors' efforts (most notably Sir Martin Gilbert) regarding Churchill, I might not be so critical of the present effort by Mr. Jenkins. Of course, Sir Gilbert is the single most acknowledged Churchill scholar, and his output in this regard borders on the unbelievable. However, he is an incredibly prolific writer, and the list of his books boggles the mind of the average reader (including yours truly). And there have been others who have offered the reader a much more comprehensive, balanced, and coherent portrait of Winston Churchill. Moreover, one can always turn to the mammoth works penned by Churchill himself, which while of questionable objectivity, certainly represent an authoritative interpretation of his experiences, especially during the conduct of the Second World War. In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that this is the first book that I have read by Mr. Jenkins. If it is indeed representative of his style and approach, it will likely also be the last. Once again, This is not to say that there is not a lot of substantive work here, but rather to caution the reader that this is more often a set of personal recollections about his personal experiences in the vicinity of Churchill, or during the times of Churchill, than it is a balanced, comprehensive, and objective biography of Churchill or an accurate history of his times. Taken for what it is, it is a good, if long and tiring, read. I can recommend it with these qualifications. But if you are looking for a more conventional, approachable, and readable biography of Churchill, look for my review of Sir Martin Gilbert's biography of Winston Churchill. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Read it.
Review: Most of the reviewers of the book seem to be Churchill experts. The forget that the vast majority of the people who will read the book are Churchill-uninformed.
It is true that there are other extraordinary biographies, especially Gilbert's multivolume one. But for the uninitiated this one is among the best. The average reader will be fascinated by the life of the "Great Man" and will not even notice the small subtleites that the "experts" mention.
If you are interested in History, Biography, Leadership, Life, Greatness, then read this book. You will learn much, enjoy much and greatly enhance your knowledge of more than one topic.
Leave the minutiae for the connoisseurs (even if you want to be one, this is the place to start!).
Rating:
Summary: A Matter Of Style
Review: Prior to the appearance of this biography, by Whitbread Award winning author Roy Jenkins, the only single volume work that I would have recommended to people would have been Sir Martin Gilbert's one volume biography. Gilbert has spent the better part of his life creating the definitive biography originally started by Churchill's son Randolph, and he continues to add 1,000 page companion volumes of documents that supplement the massive primary work. If a reader were to select this work by Jenkins they would not gain a complete insight into the legendary figure that Sir Winston Spencer Churchill is. That a new biography approaching 1,000 pages made the NYT Bestseller's List is a testimony to Churchill's place in history. I doubt there is a politician that is more quoted than Sir Winston. The primary differences between the two books I mention are of style and completeness. Martin Gilbert in an accomplished historian, while Mr. Jenkins writes from a perspective of a man who sat in the House of Commons, witnessed Churchill in action, and documents his life primarily as a politician. There are formative episodes that are not included at all, which in the end prevents this very fine work from being a well-rounded documentary. A young Churchill spent time in Ireland, but this was never mentioned. The downfall of his father was much more complicated than the space allotted in this work, and his mother too is not represented enough. The book also lacks extended time with the Churchill who was an amazing raconteur at dining tables from a very young age. Many of the great quotes from Churchill are not in this book, and many others are given short shrift. Mr. Jenkins style also takes a bit more effort than many may choose to expend. William F. Buckley Jr. could certainly breeze through some of the extremely arcane English that is used, but most would be well advised to have a dictionary handy. The author is also given to liberal uses of the French Language, often illustrating how Churchill's poor French was easily misinterpreted. A foreign language that is not footnoted or translated in place is presumptuous and harmful to a work, expecting readers to not only be fluent but competent enough to manage error prone French is just a bad way to present a book. This is really a memoir of Churchill as remembered by Mr. Jenkins, and, as such it is a worthwhile read. For anyone starting out on his or her education on Churchill this is most certainly not the place to start. The official biography of Gilbert's is the best, but the multiple volumes, 10,000+ page works is much more than most would wish to tackle. The work is very readable; so if you are inclined do not hesitate. Sir Martin Gilbert's single volume work remains the standard, and William Manchester has produced two of what was to be a three-volume work. His health has prevented its completion, but his two completed volumes are excellent on their own. There are dozens of single volume works on Churchill that have a narrower focus and better serve the reader. This book is very worthwhile for those who are great admirers of Churchill and have read many, or perhaps dozens of others. As a stand-alone work it does not give enough information and the style can lack clarity. Eventually worth a read, but should not be at or near the top of a reading list on Churchill.
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