Sir Winston S. Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."
Over a 64-year span, Churchill published over 40 books, many multi-volume definitive accounts of historical events to which he was a witness and participant. All are beautifully written and as accessible and relevant today as when first published.
During his fifty-year political career, Churchill served twice as Prime Minister in addition to other prominent positions—including President of the Board of Trade, First Lord of the Admiralty, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Home Secretary. In the 1930s, Churchill was one of the first to recognize the danger of the rising Nazi power in Germany and to campaign for rearmament in Britain. His leadership and inspired broadcasts and speeches during World War II helped strengthen British resistance to Adolf Hitler—and played an important part in the Allies’ eventual triumph.
One of the most inspiring wartime leaders of modern history, Churchill was also an orator, a historian, a journalist, and an artist. All of these aspects of Churchill are fully represented in this collection of his works.
The first volume of Churchill’s two-volume biography of his father was an ambitious project. Lord Randolph Churchill had been a much-maligned character toward the middle and end of his life, and part of the purpose of this biography was to lift the haze of scandal surrounding his name.
This first volume deals with early events in Lord Randolph Churchill’s life, including his upbringing, his education, and his quarrel with the Prince of Wales over a woman being courted by his brother. This episode resulted in a temporary exile from society that would serve as a prequel to Randolph’s later disgrace. While Churchill is clearly a supporter of his father’s, he is not afraid to be honest about the mistakes and failures of his career and personal life.
In the early years of the 20th Century, Winston Churchill served as Undersecretary of State for the Colonies. During this time, he lobbied for permission to tour and inspect Britain's holdings in East Africa. This book is a travelogue of sorts, documenting Churchill's trip, the people he met, and his thoughts on how Britain might work to improve the lives of East African people under her rule.
This book is a vivid and compelling account of Churchill's travels--and some of the thoughts and suggestions he raises will prove to be prescient. It's fascinating reading for Churchill enthusiasts and those interested in the historical relationship between Britain and its colonies toward the end of the Colonial Era.
In 1931, Britain's Conservative Party proposed the India Bill--a piece of proposed legislation that made significant changes to the way India governed itself under British rule. Winston Churchill, with a distinguished history of military service and war correspondence in India behind him, took a position on this bill independent of the party line--and fought for it with characteristic conviction and oratory brilliance.
This book contains seven speeches and three important addresses on the subject, printed originally to generate popular support for Churchill's opinion. It should be noted that Churchill's opposition to Indian home rule is one of his more controversial political positions. Despite the strength of his oration, his attempt failed--and the India Bill was approved by Parliament in 1935. Documenting a rare loss for Churchill, these speeches provide an important insight into his mind and strategy as a political leader.
