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When Churchill assumed office in , he intended to write a history of the war then beginning. He said several times: These were then stored at his home and Churchill wrote or dictated letters and memoranda with the intention of placing his views on the record, for later use as a historian. The arrangements became a source of controversy when The Second World War began appearing in Churchill was a politician not an academic historian and was Leader of the Opposition , intending to return to office, so Churchill's access to Cabinet , military and diplomatic records denied to other historians was questioned.
It was not known at the time that Churchill had done a deal with Clement Attlee and the Labour government which came to office in Attlee agreed to allow Churchill's research assistants access to all documents, provided that no official secrets were revealed, the documents were not used for party political purposes and the typescript was vetted by the Cabinet Secretary , Sir Norman Brook.
Brook took a close interest in the books and rewrote some sections to ensure that British interests were not harmed or the government embarrassed. The books had enormous sales in both Britain and the United States and made Churchill a rich man for the first time. After Churchill died and archives were opened, deficiencies of his work became apparent. Some of these were inherent in the position Churchill occupied as a former Prime Minister and a serving politician.
He could not reveal military secrets, such as the work of the code breakers at Bletchley Park , or the planning of the atomic bomb.
Michael Dobbs's Churchill's Triumph proves that Britain's war time leader makes a fine literary hero, says Edward Pearce. Churchill's Triumph has ratings and 47 reviews. Supratim said: The name of the author had attracted my attention at first. House of Cards is based on.
The descriptions of the fighting on the Eastern Front and to a lesser extent, of the Pacific War are sketchy. Although he is usually fair, some personal vendettas are aired, for example against Sir Stafford Cripps , at one time considered by some the "only possible alternative wartime Prime Minister" to Churchill. The Second World War can be read with profit by students of the period as a memoir by a leading participant rather than a comprehensive history by a professional and detached historian.
The Second World War, particularly the period from to when Britain fought with the support of the Empire and a few Allies, was the climax of Churchill's career and his inside story of those days is unique and invaluable.
The outlines of the story have long been known—Churchill wrote to put his own spin on the history of the war and give himself and his family financial security, and he wrote with a great deal of assistance. Callahan concluded that notwithstanding any changes to historians' understanding of the book, now that what Churchill wrote has been compared in detail to the released archives, Churchill "remains the arresting figure he has always been—dynamic, often wrong, but the indispensable leader" who led Britain to "its last, terribly costly, imperial victory.
John Keegan wrote in the introduction to the series that some deficiencies in the account stem from the secrecy of Ultra intelligence. Keegan held that Churchill's account was unique, since none of the other leaders Franklin D.
Roosevelt , Harry S. Churchill's books were written collaboratively, as he solicited others involved in the war for their papers and remembrances.
The Second World War has been issued in editions of six, twelve and four volumes, as well as a single-volume abridgment. As the events of the historic eight days unfold, however, Churchill finds that he must choose between making a deal with the Devil to help end the horrific war or keeping his word—and his soul—intact.
His anguish as he grapples with his decision is almost palpable and makes for enthralling reading. The author knows his subject intimately.
The Second World War can be read with profit by students of the period as a memoir by a leading participant rather than a comprehensive history by a professional and detached historian. For more control over what you subscribe to, head on over to our subscription page. But he is also a narrative mechanism. The epilogue contains a tremendous articulation of statesmanship and the complexities of decision making. I also found the dialogue to be solidly and wittingly constructed. The outlines of the story have long been known—Churchill wrote to put his own spin on the history of the war and give himself and his family financial security, and he wrote with a great deal of assistance.
Of course, with the hindsight of history, the reader knows that Stalin will ultimately gain the upper hand at Yalta and will then raise an Iron Curtain across a divided Germany and Eastern Europe. For Churchill understood that his place in history would be defined at Yalta, and the taste of defeat was bitter on his lips even as he raised his glass to toast Marshall Stalin and raised his pen to sign the final accord. This exceedingly well-crafted book will appeal to the history buff, the World War II aficionado and to the lover of great fiction alike. Despite the darkness that descended across Europe under Stalin, Churchill believed his Yalta gambit was the right course of action.
Reviewed by Alan J. Couture February 13, This article is not an endorsement, but a review.
The author of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the author for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love.