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Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years

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“It is my earnest hope that pondering upon the past may give guidance in days to come, enable a new generation to repair some of the errors of former years and thus govern, in accordance with the needs and glory of man, the awful unfolding scene of the future.”—Winston Spencer Churchill

From the miracle of Dunkirk to the rape of Warsaw, from the dark corridors of the Kremlin to the embattled heroes of Corregidor, here is the whole panorama of The Second World War. And here is the story of the man upon whose shoulders fell the deadly weight of leadership in the darkest days of the conflict. This is the narrative of Winston Churchill’s—and the Allies’—most valiant years.

Captured between these covers are all the exciting action and profound drama of mankind’s most awesome struggle. This concise yet comprehensive narrative encompasses the most vivid events of the War, as seen through the eyes of its greatest leader—and through the eyes of those who were led.

We listen to the secret conferences between Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill, peer through the rifle sight of an American infantryman, hear the skirl of the pipes at Alamein, learn how the great decisions were made, measure their cost in blood and courage.

Here are the tears and the laughter, the heroism, the glory and the senselessness of war, the pageantry, the black ruin, the excitement, the despair. Here is the palpable taste of war. Here, in dramatic, readable form, is the story of how Sir Winston Churchill achieved immortality in his own lifetime.

424 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

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About the author

Jack Le Vien

3 books

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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for GoldGato.
1,308 reviews38 followers
January 16, 2020
There are so many books about Winston Churchill, I sometimes lose track. While volunteering in a local book room where one recent donation had two boxes of titles just about Churchill, I remembered I had just enjoyed reading this volume about his travails during World War II.

While the six-volume set that Churchill himself wrote about the war is still the most detailed, this book does a very good encapsulation, using Churchill's memoirs and other sources. It also reads simply, meaning it isn't cluttered with footnotes and explanations. It is certainly one of the more enjoyable tomes about the great war leader that I have read and a good accounting of the war itself.

Without his leadership at a time of great crisis for mankind, it would have been impossible to publish this book or any other expression of free opinion.

Hear, hear.

Book Season = Winter (they gave their todays)
329 reviews2 followers
January 7, 2020
Very good made me think of my Father as he was in some of these battles, lost him when I was two weeks shy of 6.
Profile Image for Greg Taylor.
76 reviews
September 21, 2025
As a fan of Churchill it was a delight to open these pages and immerse myself in a pivotal moment in history, as told by Jack LeVien and John Lord. Loved it and would recommend for any fan of Churchill- lots of his quotes interspersed among the telling of this chapter of world history- lots of maps too, although I’d would prefer more detail in them.
Profile Image for Vic.
133 reviews
May 26, 2024
Excellent. The book covers WWII history more than anticipated from the "Biography" title.
The perspective of the book is closer to the time of the event as published in 1953 only five years after the end of WWII.
63 reviews4 followers
March 21, 2017
It was a great book talking not as much about Churchill as I thought it would, but explaining the situations he had to deal with the world problems. It went into depth about WWII. Through it all though, Churchill's character shined the way. Glad I read it.
579 reviews2 followers
April 26, 2016
This is an excellent book which covers Sir Winston during WWII. Each chapter uses direct quotes from his speeches or writings to emphasize what he was thinking and what he wanted to do. It gives the reader a great deal of insight into how the war was fought and won.
Profile Image for Christian J.
174 reviews
January 16, 2016
This book, while more involved with WW 2 than with Mr Churchill, allowed for some intriguing insights.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews

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