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The Last Titans: How Churchill and de Gaulle Saved Their Nations and Transformed the World
Not yet published
Expected 17 Mar 26A compelling dual biography of Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle that shines new light on two of the greatest figures of the 20th century.
Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle were thrown together by war. They incarnated the resistance of Britain and France to the existential threat from Nazi Germany, and their ultimate victory over Hitler has ensured their achievements will never be forgotten. But, as The Last Titans shows, that is only a part of a complex story. Both men influenced their countries, and the world around them, long after the war was won.
There was a paradox in the parallel and intertwined lives of these extraordinary men. De Gaulle—tall, gauche, and incorruptible—exhibited qualities often associated with the English. Churchill—short, charming, witty, and a bon vivant—resembled the quintessential politician of the French Third Republic. Their working relationship was rarely smooth, but they appreciated each other’s stature: de Gaulle said Churchill was “the great artist of a great history,” while Churchill recognized de Gaulle as “l'homme du destin.”
Richard Vinen explores what made these men exceptional and how profoundly they were influenced by their national cultures. Beyond personal intrigue, Vinen makes a wider point that Britain and France are both haunted by perceptions of past greatness. He retraces the paths of two leaders who once helmed superpowers but lived to see their nations weakened by two world wars and the loss of empires.
Written with extraordinary narrative verve, The Last Titans offers a fresh exploration into the lives of de Gaulle and Churchill. By bringing their two stories into one, each man is seen anew and we gain fresh insights into their achievements and their legacy today.
Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle were thrown together by war. They incarnated the resistance of Britain and France to the existential threat from Nazi Germany, and their ultimate victory over Hitler has ensured their achievements will never be forgotten. But, as The Last Titans shows, that is only a part of a complex story. Both men influenced their countries, and the world around them, long after the war was won.
There was a paradox in the parallel and intertwined lives of these extraordinary men. De Gaulle—tall, gauche, and incorruptible—exhibited qualities often associated with the English. Churchill—short, charming, witty, and a bon vivant—resembled the quintessential politician of the French Third Republic. Their working relationship was rarely smooth, but they appreciated each other’s stature: de Gaulle said Churchill was “the great artist of a great history,” while Churchill recognized de Gaulle as “l'homme du destin.”
Richard Vinen explores what made these men exceptional and how profoundly they were influenced by their national cultures. Beyond personal intrigue, Vinen makes a wider point that Britain and France are both haunted by perceptions of past greatness. He retraces the paths of two leaders who once helmed superpowers but lived to see their nations weakened by two world wars and the loss of empires.
Written with extraordinary narrative verve, The Last Titans offers a fresh exploration into the lives of de Gaulle and Churchill. By bringing their two stories into one, each man is seen anew and we gain fresh insights into their achievements and their legacy today.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 17, 2026
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127 people want to read
About the author
Richard Vinen
15 books10 followersRichard Vinen is a Professor in Modern European History at King's College, London. Prior to joining the department in 1991, he was a Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge and also lectured at Queen Mary (Westfield) College.
Richard Vinen is the author of the widely praised "A History in Fragments: Europe in the Twentieth Century". He writes regularly for The Independent, The Times Literary Supplement, the Boston Globe and the Nation.
Richard Vinen is the author of the widely praised "A History in Fragments: Europe in the Twentieth Century". He writes regularly for The Independent, The Times Literary Supplement, the Boston Globe and the Nation.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Outstanding book beautifully written, sourced, and excellent humour. They were indeed the last titans. It is certainly not a hagiography of either man which makes it all the more readable. There is no need to insult the intelligence of those who will read this review to go into the details of their lives but I have to say I learned new things about both men. One such is that de Gaulle's achievement in becoming the undisputed leader of the courageous French who escaped France is all the more impressive as in fact he was not a full general and was a brigadier general..there were others of equal rank to him in England at the same time.
The author says there were many differences between the two -- indeed they had their very bitter exchanges when often they begged to differ -- Churchill was largely always about himself whereas for de Gaulle, noble proboscis and all, it was France that mattered and gave very little away about himself in his books..as he and France were entwined.
Humour as I says there is aplenty an example is when the author cites Peter Fleming, who wrote a book when WC had retired called 'Invasion 1940' and said Churchill had given Britain a 'storybook leader', and whose younger brother was Ian Fleming. The latter's first Bond Casino Royale was published in 1953 and as Vinen observes was a very different type of adventure/war/espionage tale to those of GA Henty, CS Forrester and John Buchan adding dryly: "A line from Buchan's Greenmantle would surely win the prize for the words least likely to be spoken by James Bond. "I had never been in a motor-car with a lady before," says Richard Hannay.
Aside from that obviously there were the legends built up around both men not least in the account of de Gaulle's death on November 9, 1970, shortly before his 80th birthday -- the last of the leading political participants (Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill) of World War II to die. 'De Gaulle was playing patience (at home in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, he only visited Paris once after he resigned in 1969) waiting for the regional news to come on television. Suddenly, he said: "It hurts, there in my back".' However, his death was to be told publcly as quite another tale thanks to his son-in-law Alain de Boissieu, 'he asked a loyal journalist to tell one last lie -- that de Gaulle had been writing at the moment of his death.'
His successor as president Georges Pompidou did though capture the moment perfectly in declaring 'France is a widow'.
A cracking book which enlightens and surprises and is a sheer delight.
The author says there were many differences between the two -- indeed they had their very bitter exchanges when often they begged to differ -- Churchill was largely always about himself whereas for de Gaulle, noble proboscis and all, it was France that mattered and gave very little away about himself in his books..as he and France were entwined.
Humour as I says there is aplenty an example is when the author cites Peter Fleming, who wrote a book when WC had retired called 'Invasion 1940' and said Churchill had given Britain a 'storybook leader', and whose younger brother was Ian Fleming. The latter's first Bond Casino Royale was published in 1953 and as Vinen observes was a very different type of adventure/war/espionage tale to those of GA Henty, CS Forrester and John Buchan adding dryly: "A line from Buchan's Greenmantle would surely win the prize for the words least likely to be spoken by James Bond. "I had never been in a motor-car with a lady before," says Richard Hannay.
Aside from that obviously there were the legends built up around both men not least in the account of de Gaulle's death on November 9, 1970, shortly before his 80th birthday -- the last of the leading political participants (Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill) of World War II to die. 'De Gaulle was playing patience (at home in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, he only visited Paris once after he resigned in 1969) waiting for the regional news to come on television. Suddenly, he said: "It hurts, there in my back".' However, his death was to be told publcly as quite another tale thanks to his son-in-law Alain de Boissieu, 'he asked a loyal journalist to tell one last lie -- that de Gaulle had been writing at the moment of his death.'
His successor as president Georges Pompidou did though capture the moment perfectly in declaring 'France is a widow'.
A cracking book which enlightens and surprises and is a sheer delight.
November 2, 2025
An interesting contrast.
January 1, 2026
To write that Churchill “was not always a democrat” is a non starter.
Very biased book.
Very biased book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews