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.
At the onset of the fourth volume of Churchill's masterful eyewitness history of World War II, prospects are bleak for the Allies. The Japanese have captured Singapore and Burma in a series of bold offensives; meanwhile, aggressive U-boat attacks in the Atlantic were preventing American, British, and Dutch shipping vessels from supplying the war effort. Rommel was turning the tide toward Axis forces in North Africa. Meanwhile, Hitler was pushing inexorably toward Stalingrad. Churchill faced challenges in the field--and considerable criticism at home. The Hinge of Fate details his success in regaining the upper hand in military endeavors--while bolstering the mood of a pessimistic British public. In addition to broad and deep insight into historical events, this volume documents Churchill's personal relationships with other wartime leaders, including FDR and Stalin, in fascinating detail.
With the entry of US forces into the conflict, the fortunes of war are turning in favor of the Allies. This period saw President Roosevelt's proposal of the "unconditional surrender" policy; the defeat of Mussolini and Rommel; Russia's dominance over Axis forces at Stalingrad; and a powerful new bombing campaign bringing the air conflict to the heart of Germany.During this period, Winston Churchill began to perceive victory as a real possibility-even a likely one. In this, the fourth volume of Churchill's famous wartime speeches, the tone is decidedly more optimistic-and his words still have the power to inspire.
The rarest of his post-war speech compilations, The Unwritten Alliance was the last of Churchill’s books published during his lifetime. Most of these speeches took place during the end of his second Premiership—when the illustrious politician and statesman was in his eighties.
Churchill had experienced several strokes by this time, and his health was failing.However, these speeches show that his mind was still clear—and he was still a master of speechcraft. This collection contains his addresses at banquets, award ceremonies, and to the Primrose League—where he had given his first political speech many decades before, in 1897. These speeches demonstrate Churchill’s mental vigor even in his declining years, filled as much with awards and accolades as with continued personal challenge.
