Winston Churchill: Statesman of the Century

by Robin Neillands

This is the story of Winston Spencer Churchill, a man who a huge majority in England believe to be 'The Greatest Briton of Them All.' Churchill was a soldier, journalist, author, public speaker, Member of Parliament and Cabinet minister in a variety of posts, including two stints as prime minister. His fame comes primarily from his role as wartime leader of Great Britain during World War II, but the roots of his courage, statesmanship, and breadth of vision can be found in a long life of service to his country and to the ideals of western liberty and democracy. Historian Robin H. Neillands traces the remarkable journey of a man who raised the alarm and rallied the Allies to victory over evil.

Genres: Biography

216 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2003

About the author

Robin Hunter Neillands was a British writer known for his works on travel and military history. A former Royal Marine who served in Cyprus and the Middle East, he later became a prolific author, publishing under multiple pen names. His military histories, often featuring firsthand accounts from veterans, challenged revisionist narratives, particularly regarding Bernard Montgomery, the Dieppe Raid, and the Allied bombing campaign in World War II. Neillands also authored numerous travel books inspired by his extensive journeys across Europe. His works, both popular and scholarly, earned him a nomination for the Royal United Services Institute’s Military Literature Award.

Reviews

[JohnC Crossin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been interested in the history of Winston Churchill. This book caught my eye because it was an extremely small biography about the life of Winston Churchill. I’ve read many biographies about Churchill but never this short. (216 pages to be exact). The author, Robin H. Neillands constructs a very brief biography that pertains to almost all readers. The author illustrates the personal life of Churchill that leads to his political career. The only thing that didn’t seem accurate in the authors writing was his bias attitude toward Churchill. Sometimes, the author glorified Churchill too much. During one of Churchills darker moments in WWI, he was in charge of developing the Gallipoli campaign. The author provided a brief reason for the failure but really didn’t provide a deeper insight that Churchill was one of the reasons for the failed allied attack. Other than the authors bias and brief summarizing, Churchill was characterized according to the author as, “ One of the greatest Britons of them all”. As peachy as that may seem, Churchill was a very important man in Britain’s history. The author shows how Churchill’s maturity increases as his life goes on, from a soldier to a successful statesmen. The tone of the author seemed very exuberant due to Churchill’s tremendous contributions to the people of Britain. If you’re beginning to understand about Churchill’s life, this is a book for you. However, if you’re knowledgeable about Churchill, this book may be too brief.

[Maxine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and concise, but it definitely glosses over some parts of history and romanticizes his life and accomplishments a wee bit - the author's bias shines through.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A basic book about Churchill. Good for the basics. Way to much time on WWII strategy that really had little to do him other than a couple of strategies he wanted that weren’t done.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. David McKillop, a favorite history professor of mine in college, used to have a saying that he would use when we didn't have as much time to spend on a subject as he would have preferred. He would say that we were "going on a motorcycle ride through a museum." This book brought that saying back to my mind. Robin Neillands spends the first 12 pages of this book apologizing in the foreword for its brevity and then less than 200 pages describing in the barest detail the major events in the life of the man he describes as THE most important statesman of the 20th century and possibly ever. This book almost reads like it was written for junior readers, so bereft of details and insight is it. Neillands makes clear that this is not intended to be a definitive work on the life of Churchill and that it is the first in what is intended to be a series of books on great leaders. But Geez - 12 pages in total on Churchill's World War II years? Add in the fact that Neillands is an unabashed and unapologetic imperialist - attributing nearly of the U.K.'s modern problems and that of much of the rest of the world to the rapid dismantling of the British Empire following World War II. For a VERY brief look at the events of the life of Winston Churchill, this book is not a bad jumping off point to a fuller biography elsewhere. Just don't go into this expecting much.