I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found the subject matter really interesting. The book was well written and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book.

I’ve read a lot about Franklin Roosevelt, so of course I’ve found out a bit about Winston Churchill in the process. I’m always eager to learn more, so a few years ago I read the 982-page biography Walking with Destiny and have watched several documentaries specifically about Churchill. NetGalley offered me a copy of Churchill: An Illustrated Life, a book originally published in 2013, which will be available on Kindle on June 14, 2021, in exchange for an honest opinion of the book.

I thought Churchill: An Illustrated Life was interesting. As suggested by the title, this book is heavy on photographs, interspersed with a biography, as well as frequent quotes from Winston throughout the book. There’s nothing here that I hadn’t read in Walking with Destiny, but that doesn’t mean the book wasn’t interesting. Winston Churchill led an amazing and interesting life, and if you don’t want to trudge through a thousand-page biography, this is an apt attempt. I’m a visual person, so the many pictures and captions helped tell the familiar story to me in a different way.

As a former journalist, I am always amazed at the output of Churchill’s writings. I’ve only read excerpts from various publications, and some are included in this book. Some time this year I intend to read Churchill’s history of Great Britain series of books. His biography of his ancestor, the original Duke of Marlborough, is also on my TBR list.

It amazes me every time I read or watch something about Churchill just how alone England was for more than two years fighting the Axis powers. And he held the country together when it seemed like there was no way they could win. I can not imagine what the people went through, being bombed every night, the war rations, everything. My mom and dad were born in 1936 in mining towns in Michigan’s upper peninsula, and they were poor, and the war only made it worse. They remember the lard sandwiches they were forced to eat during World War II, and I know Churchill’s England had it much worse. Churchill’s diplomacy with Roosevelt before America entered the war was masterful. Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease policy lent England aid when many people in the United States were isolationists.

I was curious to read more about the ousting of Churchill from the government as soon as the war was over. It seems incomprehensible, yet it happened. But luckily Winston returned for a few more years as PM. Unfortunately, a lifetime of not taking care of his health caught up to him and he retired when it was clear he could not go on as prime minister.

An amazing man who led and amazing life. Even though I’m trying to pare down my physical book collection, I was so impressed with the Kindle edition of this book that I bought a hard copy for my collection. I’ve got more Churchill books on my TBR, including the audiobook of Boris Johnson’s biography of Churchill, Stay tuned, I’ll be reviewing that book in the near future.

Few statesmen have received so many honours as he did over the course of his career. Although several have received the Nobel Peace Prize, none save Churchill have received the Nobel Prize for Literature. His was a career that had few parallels in British history for richness, range, length and achievement. The biography provides an interesting and informative account of Churchill's life - from his childhood, military service in India and the Sudan and his role as war correspondent during the Boer war to his rise in the world of politics, his leadership of Britain in World War II and his role in the post-war struggle of the Cold War years. Coverage of Churchill's personal life is woven into the narrative, including his marriage to Clementine Hozier, their children and Churchill's struggle with his 'Black Dog' depressions. The book gives an honest and accurate presentation of Churchill, including his mistakes and misjudgements as well as his successes. Like so many personalities of high achievement, the rules of ordinary, everyday life – politeness, diplomacy, toleration – did not always apply to Winston Churchill. Where he was eccentric or fanciful, pugnacious, obstinate, demanding and self-centred, this was the character and dynamism of a great man. Using many hundreds of extracts from his speeches and writings throughout his life, the book brings Churchill the man into focus.
I’ve always been interested in Churchill and thought I knew a lot about him from previous books and television documentaries and films but this book taught me even more. Would of preferred a copy that could be downloaded to kindle ? Or perhaps a hard copy. A throughly enjoyable read.