How Winston saved Briton.
347656
Easy to read. Best chapters were the earlier years, especially his combat experience in India, South Africa and Europe.
3081385
The "Hinge" refers to the direction of continuous defeats changing into winning. Just before the hinge point people in Britain had gotten so fed up with bad news that a motion of censure was presented in parliament. If it had passed Churchill would have had to leave. The motion was presented by important members of parliament. To survive Churchill faced the challenge of making a speech to turn the tide. One of the many interesting aspects of his speech is, that it was built around the concept of responsibility. He started with the responsibility of Parliament and ending with his own responsibility as Prime Minister, Chairman of the War Cabinet and Minister of Defense. He said that parliament should be the basis of stability in the country. The members of parliament were probably flattered by that idea , even though in parliament the members of the opposition try to bring the government down. Of course the situation was unusual in that the government was a coalition government with members of the conservative and labour party. Churchill presented in a very clear way which organizations carried what kind of responsibilities, the role of the war cabinet , of the central military staffs staffs, of the commanders in the field. Lincoln won the vote on the censure overwhelmingly.
Churchill's book is especially interesting because he describes in equal detail the political action and the military action and how these interact.
4744046
I've taken to reading books about World War II lately. I just finished Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship by Jon Meacham and wanted to know more about not just the relationship between these two great men but also of the relationship between our two countries at a time when so much of the world depended upon that relationship. What I read in this very well written book both amazed me and to extent, embarrassed me. Three very different men were the main focus of the author: the ambassador to Britain, Winant; the major American journalist of that time, Ed Murrow, and a very arrogant businessman-dash-wantabe diplomat Averell Harriman. They all were in London at the beginning of the War, and went through the Blitz with British. They saw the incredible courage with which the British handle the onslaught of the Germans, the constant bombing, the way the U-boats drew such a tight net around the British Isles that no food or supplies could get into the ports so the people were on starvation rations throughout the war (and afterwards thanks to Truman's canceling of the Lend Lease program). Winant and Murrow found their second homes in London and became good friends with not just Churchhill but many of the other British with whom they worked. They risked their lives, and they risked their livelihoods too, standing up to their bosses when it wasn't 'convenient' to do the right thing. That was part of the problem, not with this book, but with what the author wrote of Franklin and other Americans at that time period...I was embarrased at their behavior, embarrased that we waited so long to come into the war, appalled at the isolationists, appalled at the 'know-nothing' attitudes of people who chose not to pay attention to the Jewish problem in Europe. Roosevelt was an excellent president for the U.S. in many ways during the Great Depression...but as a man he left much to be desired. He was vain, and wanted attention on himself. As he got older, his problems got worse. They can be forgiven in the last couple of years of his life to an extent because he was so sick (and you have to wonder if new drugs for high blood pressure and heart problems could have made him less miserable and saved his life)...but at the same time, his behavior in his fourth term cost lives and led to permanent problems with the French because of his treatment of DeGaulle.

One specific incident in the book really bothered me. One young American in England was being smart-mouth to a young British woman serving him in their women's military servce back then. She was asking him how he liked things over there. His friend was polite, but he wasn't and disparaged their food and other things. They found out later that he had said those things to the future Queen Elizabeth. I'm sure there were many young men who went over there and did the right things and said the right things, and behaved themselves. But I'm also sure there were many who didn't. My grandfather was a commander in the Pacific in WWII, my father served in WWII and in Korea. I'm very proud of both of them for what they did. I know they handled themselves well. We lost a lot of men in all the theatres of Europe, but the British lost many more than we did, and they lost civilians...we never did. We had it easy in comparison to Europe in both World Wars, and we seem to forget that. The British were so admirable through this war...and this book shows that while many American in London did the right thing, and eventually America did come to the rescue of the world...we did it too late and with way too many strings attached, and oftentimes for the wrong reasons. Not just because it was the right thing to do.
2359854
He did a very good job of showing what they went thru.  I would never have been able to do his job as it was so similar to what a B17 went thru in WW2.  Like him, I also kept staying till I was sent home during the draw downs.  I am sure that he and the others in his job may have saved my life.  It was also being able to see the enlisted side compared to it he other Spectre book done by an Officer.
227348
Like Winston Churchill in the 1930's, John Kerry seems to have recognized the impending danger ahead of time, but no one listened.  Now, again like Churchill, he looks like may be callled upon to save his country.
1552612
I have read a lot about Winston Churchill, but knew very little about his wife.  This book was well written as well as a very interesting read.  Clementine Churchill did many good things socially, and politically for England as well as helping her husband in his work and difficult times.  Good read!
4553124
As a colombian, I had no hope on the future of the country until Uribe got elected. No one could even imagine that one leader could save the country the way that he did. It was a miracle achieved only by his love for the country and his capabilities. The reason I bought this book, was to discover the way this great man approaches this great challenges and surpass them with excellent results. Even though this book has a political approach, you could still learn a lot from one of the colombian greatest leaders of all time. Very recommended.
2641478
Max was very mature for his age and overcame personal adversity to achieve the mind boggling feats.  His father sent him away to school and did not allow Max to have any contact with his mother.  His father was a controlling hateful man, who was a Nazi sympathizer.  Max was taught by his tutor and the priests to be a self sufficient young man.  These skills were responsible for his ability as a spy. Max was captured and tortured, which took some time to heal. Partisans from several groups got him out of prison and back to England.  Apparently, he was Mr. Churchill's "fixer".  He was very skilled in making a determination on how to achieve a specific task.  Mr. Churchill sent him on numerous missions, which he carried out successfully. The times he was with Mr. Churchill, were apparently some of his happiest times, as Churchill acted as a father figure.  I loved this book and feel Max is an inspiration for all of us.  This book is a valuable piece of history and accomplishment.
3189775
Capt Phillips was a very brave man and was very helpful in his own rescue. The seals wqere fantastic. Great.
2177798
This book is exaplains how the British won the Battle of Britain -- a battle which went on for several months in 1940 and culminated in the three-day air battle over London. It examines the thinking, planning and foresight of a single stubborn RAF commander (Hugh Dowding,RAF Fighter Command)who bucked the conventional wisdom and laid the groundwork for a successful defense of Britain piece by piece. Dowding championed the fighter jet when other military leaders on both sides in the war put their faith in the long-rang bomber. He realized that it would not be possible for the British to prevail against the Nazis in an all-out battle, that a "death by a thousand cuts" strategy, if successful, could stave off the Germans until the end of September 1940 at which point bad weather -- storms and high waves -- would make invading the island by crossing the English Channel so risky that the Germans would have to abandon the effort. He bought Britain time. He calculated the number of Spitfighters Britain would have to manufacture before the bombing began, and the number needed to stave off the Nazis from spring to September 1940. He managed to implement his strategy despite all sorts of bureaucratic in-fighting, and his strategy worked. The book provides a classic example of someone thinking outside the box, seeing possibilities no one else saw, and implementing them successfully. And the descriptions of the air battles, the factors affecting the life span of the young pilots and their ground support make for riviting reading.
300709
Saved the U.S. a fortune in R&D. Cost him his life in the end.
3947299
The more Winston Churchill I read the more I am inclined to believe his works should be given prominence in history curriculum. This book may not rank as his greatest work, but it is nothing short of a remarkable accomplishment when it is remembered that the book was written at the age of 22. The book recounts military operations in what is part of modern day Pakistan. It is a story of mostly local soldiers led by mostly British officers against violent religious fanatics. In that regard the book bears a striking similarity to Churchill's subsequent book The River War. However the setting, pace, manner, and scope of the action are quite different in both. Churchill provides a pleasant read, or as close to one as can be had on the subject of war, by his willingness to heap praise on friend & foe alike for bravery and gallant action. The book is an informative read about a part of the world that still commands the military attention of nations thousands of miles away.
483403
Boris Johnson's book THE CHURCHILL FACTOR: HOW ONE MAN MADE HISTORY is one that should be required reading for anyone interested in Winston Churchill and his place in both British and world history. (The book was given to me by a friend who is appalled that the younger generation-- or many of them-- has no idea who the gentleman was.) Mr. Johnson reminds us that according to a recent survey many young people think Churchill is a dog in a British insurance advertisement. That of course was not always the case. Many of my generation understand his greatness.

Mr. Johnson's premise is simple and to the point: "Churchill matters today because he saved our civilization. And the important point is that only he could have done it." The author in three hundred pages or so sets out to prove his point and does it admirably. Although he is obviously besotted with Churchill--as am I--he in no way tries to sugar-coat the man and his frailties. He discusses at length Churchill's mistakes throughout his career--and there were many--but he says that Mr. Churchill was an honest politician. (What politician today on either side of the Atlantic could boast of that description I ask?)

Though short in stature, Churchill was a giant of a man and complex individual and of course a master of the English language. Mr. Johnson reminds us that Churchill, who had a library of 60,000 books, wrote more words than Shakespeare and Charles Dickens combined and is the man who coined the phrases "Iron Curtain" and "Middle East."  And I had forgotten that he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. Mr. Johnson paints a complex portrait of Mr. Churchill: a statesman, astute politician, patriot, devoted husband, artist, lover of fine alcohol and fine cigars but someone who also suffered from the "black dog" of depression. You name it. And his mother was an American so we on this side of the Atlantic get to claim him as at least one/half American too.

What the only critic I read of this book found so distasteful is one of the things that endeared it to me: Mr. Johnson's insistence of elbowing himself into the narrative. The book is not your standard dull history of chronological events. It is more of his little praise song for a man he respects and adores. Then there is Mr. Johnson's colorful wondrously descriptive language. (I was reminded once again that the English language that we Americans have done strange things to at times did start with the English and not with us.) There is something to catch your fancy on practically every page. Mr. Johnson, who is in no way timid, peppers his narrative with words like "malarky," "over-egging," "weedily," "whacko" and "wobbly."  Ambassador Joe Kennedy is a "crook." And the author states that in "May and June of 1940. . . there were some senators in the United States who did not exactly [bust a gut] to help; and certainly not immediately." (The brackets are mine.) Sent away to school at seven, Churchill was in the hands of someone Johnson describes as a "sadistic whacker" and "high Anglican old perv." How about this sentence? "He [Churchill] was by now sixty-one, and he looked obsolete, washed up, a great Edwardian sea creature flapping helplessly on the shingle and spouting empty nothings from his blowhole." But there is this one too: "Today we think of him as the incarnation of moral rectitude--a man who had the courage to stand up to tyranny and yet to remain good natured, humane, democratic, rubicund, fundamentally benign and English in his moderation."

Mr. Churchill's famous words as the new Prime Minister when others wanted to appease Hitler will put chills on your spine: "If this long island story of ours is to end at last, let it end only when each one of us lies choking in his own blood upon the ground." And Mr. Johnson's final summation of why we remember and honor Winston Churchill may make you tear up. THE CHURCHILL FACTOR is quite simply one of the best books I read in 2014.
2766711
The third volume in the abridged collection of Churchills history of the Second World War (confusingly the third volume in the unabridged series goes by the same title) follows Great Britain out of the time of their isolation in the war. From 1939 until the Germans turned their sights on Russia in 1942, England was the sole force providing continual harassment to Hitlers swelling dominion. While many other countries were friendly and supportive to the cause, there had yet to be formed an allied front against the Axis countries  except in the Atlantic where the US had already committed to help clear shipping lanes near their own shores. With grit and ferocity of will, England stood the onslaught of the Germans might and lasted. There indomitableness was rewarded when, in 1942, both Russia and the US finally entered the war as full allies. In this, Churchill knew that the war was won.

You will never read a war history quite like Churchills retelling of these six, almost seven, long years of struggle. No man at the top as it were has written about the minutiae of what it takes from day to day to keep a country focussed toward a common goal. Churchill is both witty and serious about his responsibilities. The reader always feels as if the Prime Minister has a sincere empathy with the men that lay down their lives for freedoms sake. And yet, Churchill was a shrewd if relatively straightforward politician. He pulls and cajoles the Russians to come to the aid of the Western powers. Stalin is supremely concerned about his own nation, yet this warmhearted Brit maneuvers the cold steely Russian into joint operations. The United States military see themselves as foremost in the world, but Churchill guides them to his points of attack. With an unbelievable aplomb, we get to look in on how a historical giant orders the players of worldwide strategy into a successful defense against Hitlers schemes.

As a good American schoolboy, I was taught how the US came to save Britains bacon when we finally entered the European field. This is true  to an extent. What I never knew was how much had been prepared by the continual strategy of the British Army, Navy, and Royal Air Force. The had the ideas; they needed manpower. And the USA could not provide this at first. It took much longer for the war effort stateside to gear up than one might think. Even though America essentially entered into the war on Pearl Harbor day in 1941. The main focus was toward naval operations against Japan. It was only a small percentage of US troops that made it into the European theater before D-Day in June of 1944. Once the US became an active participant, hardly a defeat was handed to the Allied forces in the west, but this was due to the exceedingly important battle plan developed for years by Great Britain.

My grandfather served in North Africa  where the majority of the action of this book takes place. I don't know a lot about his service as he passed away in my youth. He was an mechanic in support of air based action. Its amazing that so many operations of vital importance happened off the continent where the supposed heart of the struggle lay. Its as if Olympian engineers of war decided to fight somewhere that wouldnt mess up their civilization. But it did, hundreds of thousands of men lost their lives in North Africa. The many battles of Tobruk and Benghazi, the struggle for Egypt, the swift offensive on Tunis. These are magnificent and costly battlefields that most will never walk because they are so far from our cultured world. Churchill does his best to humanize every campaign, but the scars of the war were greater than most perceive. There may not be a finer set of histories for this time, but come knowing its not the view that the average man had.

6.5 stars out of 10
814610
"Winston's War", by Michael Dobbs was a pleasure to read. The first chapter documents the history of mans inhumanity over the centuries and millennium and its causes during the 1930's and 1940's.
Today, the "one world" crowd is in full throat and howling against any attempt to erect barricades to slow the dismantling of the solitary deterrent to aspiring tyrants. The anti gun, anti police, anti military and anti family campaigns have made it a crime to use the "wrong word" but  encourage severe castigation and name calling of anyone who - smokes cigarettes (But not pot) , thinks life starts in the womb, owns a gun, or still thinks kids should have a father that lives in the home. We are setting ourselves up for the next round of "One World" utopia that has fuelled the "necessity" of horrendous inhumanity to rid the Utopia of "Undesirable" rabble. Just like Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mow, Ben Laden and now ISIL. Dobbs novel helps understand what is needed to keep the human tendency toward inhumanity in check. Certainly not "Peace at any price"
4105268
This book is fantastic. I found it superb. Joseph Chamberlain was one of the giants of 19th Century English politics - the family owned a business now known as GKN Plc.

In the Conservative Party his great rival was Lord Randolph Churchill, father of Winston who started out as a Conservative, became a Liberal, and switched back to Conservative.

Chamberlain's eldest son Austen [his mother died 2 days after his birth] once dined with Bismarck and won the Nobel Peace Prize as Foreign Secretary. He died just as his younger half-brother, Neville became Prime Minister after a superb track record of social reform but inspired by his brother's work he found a very different Germany and dreams of peace became delusions
1870903
This is the memoir of then Brigadier John Hackett, later General Sir John Hackett, NATO army commander and senior British army general in the sixties. During World War II, Hackett was a very young Brigadier in the British 1st Parachute Division, commanding the 4th Parachute Brigade. In the latter stages of the Battle for Arnhem, he was gravely wounded, and left behind when the British forces retreated because moving him might have been fatal.

Instead, he was left in a hospital, where the Germans allowed British medical personnel to look after him without knowing how senior he was. After a week or so, he was spirited out of the hospital, and spent the next five months hiding in German-occupied Holland with various families, but mostly with one, the de Nooij clan. These were relatively well-to-do business owners who had no real business hiding someone like Hackett, but saw it as their Christian duty to do so, and followed that. Eventually he escaped to the south and the safety of the British lines, once he'd recuperated enough.

The main difficulty of the book is that for the five months or so of his sojourn in enemy occupied Holland, he essentially didn't do much. So we get an account of the books he read, exercises he did (he chopped and sawed a lot of wood) and the occasional person he or the family met. When he does escape the Germans, the action picks up a bit, but there's much about the journey that exhaustion apparently erased.

I enjoyed this book a fair bit, but it does drag some in the middle. Hackett is so very very British it's wonderful (perhaps the best part of the book). He has to have his silver pen and cigarette case to jump into combat, and when some German soldiers want to surrender, he must first find his walking stick! The whole thing is told modestly, with more than a bit of that British pluck which is so famous. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject.