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Churchill's Shadow

Audiobook
Nonfiction: Biography
Unabridged   24 hour(s)
Publication date: 10/12/2021


A New York Times Notable Book of the Year

Churchill's Shadow

The Life and Afterlife of Winston Churchill

Available from major retailers or BUY FROM AMAZON
Digital Download ISBN:9781696607063

Summary

A major reassessment of Winston Churchill that examines his lasting influence in politics and culture.

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Product Description

Winston Churchill is generally considered one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century, revered for his opposition to appeasement, his defiance in the face of German bombing of England, his political prowess, and his memorable speeches. He became the savior of his country, as prime minister during the most perilous period in British history, World War II, and is now perhaps even more beloved in America than in England.

And yet Churchill was also very often in the wrong: he brazenly contradicted his own previous political stances, was a disastrous military strategist, and inspired dislike and distrust through much of his life. Before 1939 he doubted the efficacy of tank and submarine warfare, opposed the bombing of cities only to reverse his position, shamelessly exploited the researchers and ghostwriters who wrote much of the journalism and the books published under his name, and had an inordinate fondness for alcohol that once found him drinking whiskey before breakfast. When he was appointed to the cabinet for the first time in 1908, a perceptive journalist called him "the most interesting problem of personal speculation in English politics."

This revelatory book takes on Churchill in his entirety, separating the man from the myth that he so carefully cultivated, and scrutinizing his legacy on both sides of the Atlantic.

Reviews/Praise

“Keeble's deep voice and excellent enunciation, combined with his exquisite pacing, make this a splendid listening experience.” ---AudioFile

"Few have argued the case as powerfully as Wheatcroft.... [He] is a skilled prosecutor with a rapier pen.... Wheatcroft’s could be the best single-volume indictment of Churchill yet written." ― Peter Baker, New York Times Book Review

"Invigorating.... An exhilarating reassessment that will appeal to Churchill buffs and newcomers alike." ― Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Authoritative.... Wheatcroft brings superior scholarship, controlled, intermittently witty prose, and warts-and-all admiration.... A lively and rigorous deep dive into the ambiguous, still-relevant geopolitical odyssey that Churchill represents." ―Kirkus, Starred Review

"A provocative reevaluation of an iconic figure." ― Booklist Starred Review

"Fans of history will find much value in this readable work." ― Library Journal

Author Bio

Geoffrey Wheatcroft is a former literary editor of the Spectator, and the author of several books, including the prize-winning The Controversy of Zion. He writes frequently for the New York Review of Books, the New York Times, and the New Republic. He and his wife, Sally, live in Bath, England, with their two whippets.