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Title details for Churchill's Shadow by Geoffrey Wheatcroft - Available

Churchill's Shadow

The Life and Afterlife of Winston Churchill

by Geoffrey Wheatcroft
Jonathan Keeble
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
Winston Churchill is generally considered one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century, revered for his opposition to appeasement, his defiance in the face of German bombing of England, his political prowess, and his memorable speeches. He became the savior of his country, as prime minister during the most perilous period in British history, World War II, and is now perhaps even more beloved in America than in England. And yet Churchill was also very often in the wrong: he brazenly contradicted his own previous political stances, was a disastrous military strategist, and inspired dislike and distrust through much of his life. Before 1939 he doubted the efficacy of tank and submarine warfare, opposed the bombing of cities only to reverse his position, shamelessly exploited the researchers and ghostwriters who wrote much of the journalism and the books published under his name, and had an inordinate fondness for alcohol that once found him drinking whiskey before breakfast. When he was appointed to the cabinet for the first time in 1908, a perceptive journalist called him "the most interesting problem of personal speculation in English politics." This revelatory book takes on Churchill in his entirety, separating the man from the myth that he so carefully cultivated, and scrutinizing his legacy on both sides of the Atlantic.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 12, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781696607063
      • File size: 685819 KB
      • Duration: 23:48:47

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Winston Churchill led a life that would be hard to believe in a fictional account. Churchill's lineage--he was descended from John Churchill, the bane of Louis XIV--all but assured that he would be a character of legend--a politician and a warrior, or so it seems. His career in politics, which covered a span of more than a half-century, is enough to demand notice. Jonathan Keeble's stentorian British accent is the perfect vehicle to bring this long work to the listener. Wheatcroft is unafraid to show Churchill in all his follies as well as his feats. Keeble's deep voice and excellent enunciation, combined with his exquisite pacing, make this a splendid listening experience. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from August 23, 2021
      Journalist Wheatcroft (The Strange Death of Tory England) delivers a fresh take on Winston Churchill’s life and legacy in this invigorating biography. Claiming that Churchill was both “the saviour of his country” and “far too often in the wrong,” Wheatcroft succeeds in separating the myth (much of it created by Churchill himself in his histories and memoirs of WWII) from the reality. The most damaging and durable myths, according to Wheatcroft, include a misreading of prime minister Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement with Nazi Germany that has been used to justify disastrous wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq, and a misleading British national pride that “sustain the country with beguiling illusions of greatness, of standing unique and alone, while preventing the British from coming to terms with their true place in the world.” Wheatcroft doesn’t shy away from Churchill’s racism and imperialism, which “were already retrograde by the standards of his age,” or his support for the merciless bombing offensive against German cities and civilians that culminated in the destruction of Dresden, while expressing sincere admiration for his eloquence and ability to inspire strength and action. The result is an exhilarating reassessment that will appeal to Churchill buffs and newcomers alike.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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