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Churchill's Legacy: Two Speeches to Save the World
Churchill's Legacy describes how Winston Churchill wielded his influence in post-war politics to enable the restoration of Europe through two key speeches in 1946. Having first helped bring victory to the Allies in 1945, Churchill went on to preserve the freedom of the world by gaining the support of the United States in the restoration of Europe.
In Fulton Missouri, Churchill alerted America to the reality of 'Uncle Joe'--a tyrant determined to dominate Europe at any cost. Churchill called for an Anglo-American alliance based on their shared values and the deterrent of America's possession of the atomic bomb. Churchill also urged the Americans to recognize the debt they owed Britain for opposing Hitler in 1940. In doing so, he contributed to the US thinking behind the Marshall Plan.
In Zurich, Churchill boldly proposed a partnership between France and Germany: a United States of Europe. The hatred stirred up by the war had to be replaced by partnership for Europe to recover its economic vitality and regain its moral stature. Together, the Anglo-American Alliance and a United States of Europe led by France and Germany would have the power to 'smite the crocodile' of Soviet ambition.
The daring of Churchill's imagination and the scale of his architecture for a new Western Alliance was extraordinary. At the time, not many recognized the symmetry of what was proposed. At Churchill's funeral in 1965, commentators bemoaned the end of an era. In truth, Churchill was the catalyst of a new era--one built upon effective defense, economic revival, and European unity. His speeches have been awarded UNESCO heritage status.
In Fulton Missouri, Churchill alerted America to the reality of 'Uncle Joe'--a tyrant determined to dominate Europe at any cost. Churchill called for an Anglo-American alliance based on their shared values and the deterrent of America's possession of the atomic bomb. Churchill also urged the Americans to recognize the debt they owed Britain for opposing Hitler in 1940. In doing so, he contributed to the US thinking behind the Marshall Plan.
In Zurich, Churchill boldly proposed a partnership between France and Germany: a United States of Europe. The hatred stirred up by the war had to be replaced by partnership for Europe to recover its economic vitality and regain its moral stature. Together, the Anglo-American Alliance and a United States of Europe led by France and Germany would have the power to 'smite the crocodile' of Soviet ambition.
The daring of Churchill's imagination and the scale of his architecture for a new Western Alliance was extraordinary. At the time, not many recognized the symmetry of what was proposed. At Churchill's funeral in 1965, commentators bemoaned the end of an era. In truth, Churchill was the catalyst of a new era--one built upon effective defense, economic revival, and European unity. His speeches have been awarded UNESCO heritage status.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published June 16, 2016
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September 28, 2018
Winston Churchill Song We Shall Never Surrender
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj61v...
To the Author :D
ARC Received via GR AUTHOR for honest opinion
https://coyoteuglyswaggerbookblog.wor...
Time for that reading glasses
A BIG Thank you to the author! :D
December 26, 2022
След края на Втората световна война, през 1946 г., вече загубил властта във Великобритания, Уинстън Чърчил изнася две речи с огромно значение за бъдещето на Европа. Първата той определя като най-значимата в живота си. Състои се на пети март в уиверситета Уестминистър в град Фултън, щата Мисури. Поканата е придружена с лична препоръка от действащия президент Труман, който е роден в същия щат. Най-важната част от речта въвежда нов термин в геополитиката, използван и до днес - "От Шчечин на Балтийско море до Триест на Адриатическо над континента се е спуснала желязна завеса". Страните зад завесата са изложени на съветски контрол, а правата и свободите на гражданите са погазени. Мнозина историци смятат, че именно речта във Фултън дава началото на Студената война и е основен двигател за важни последващи събития - доктрината "Труман", планът Маршъл, отделянето на Федерална република Германия и формирането на НАТО през 1949 г.
Втората реч е далеч по-малко позната на широката публика. Тя се състои през септември в университета в Цюрих. Още с първите думи Чърчил предупреждава, че ще изненада слушателите. И го постига с предложението си Германия отново да бъде приета в семейството на европейските народи въпреки ужасите на отминалата война. Предлага забрава и опрощение в името на демократичните ценности и спирането на комунизма. Говори за "съединени европейски щати", в които Великобритания няма да членува. Водещата роля трябва да се поеме от старите врагове Франция и Германия - шокиращо предложение за времето си. С речта в Цюрих се дава гласност на идеята, която ще прерастне в Европейска общност за въглища и стомана - предшественик на Европейския съюз. Демократичните държави в Европа трябва да бъдат възстановени икономически като преграда срещу експанзията на тоталитаризма.
Думите на Чърчил имат огромно отражение върху световната история. Приживе той написва над петдесет книги и печели Нобеловата награда за литература. Президентът Кенеди казва, че "Чърчил мобилизира английския език и го изстрелва в битка". Макар Чърчил да е бил противник на България, не можем да отречем историческия му принос за утвърждаване на демокрацията и яростна съпротива срещу комунизма.
Втората реч е далеч по-малко позната на широката публика. Тя се състои през септември в университета в Цюрих. Още с първите думи Чърчил предупреждава, че ще изненада слушателите. И го постига с предложението си Германия отново да бъде приета в семейството на европейските народи въпреки ужасите на отминалата война. Предлага забрава и опрощение в името на демократичните ценности и спирането на комунизма. Говори за "съединени европейски щати", в които Великобритания няма да членува. Водещата роля трябва да се поеме от старите врагове Франция и Германия - шокиращо предложение за времето си. С речта в Цюрих се дава гласност на идеята, която ще прерастне в Европейска общност за въглища и стомана - предшественик на Европейския съюз. Демократичните държави в Европа трябва да бъдат възстановени икономически като преграда срещу експанзията на тоталитаризма.
Думите на Чърчил имат огромно отражение върху световната история. Приживе той написва над петдесет книги и печели Нобеловата награда за литература. Президентът Кенеди казва, че "Чърчил мобилизира английския език и го изстрелва в битка". Макар Чърчил да е бил противник на България, не можем да отречем историческия му принос за утвърждаване на демокрацията и яростна съпротива срещу комунизма.
August 4, 2017
This book was provided as an ARC from NetGalley, but my views on the work are reflective of my personal thoughts, and in no way are influenced by NetGalley, the publishing company, or the author.
A fantastic exploration of of two pivotal and often overlooked speeches from Churchill. These speeches helped influence and shape a post WWII world, and without them, the United States and Europe very likely would have taken a decidedly different course than the ones we know today. For course the US and Europe chose, Churchill should be applauded and thanked; this book serves as a substantial tool in this appreciation. However, this book also serves as a great reminder of what was at stake in 1946, and offers parallels to today's global climate. Many of the ideals offered by Churchill in 1946 are still relevant today, and as such, should be relied upon for knowledge and reassurance as we move forward into 2016 and beyond.
A fantastic exploration of of two pivotal and often overlooked speeches from Churchill. These speeches helped influence and shape a post WWII world, and without them, the United States and Europe very likely would have taken a decidedly different course than the ones we know today. For course the US and Europe chose, Churchill should be applauded and thanked; this book serves as a substantial tool in this appreciation. However, this book also serves as a great reminder of what was at stake in 1946, and offers parallels to today's global climate. Many of the ideals offered by Churchill in 1946 are still relevant today, and as such, should be relied upon for knowledge and reassurance as we move forward into 2016 and beyond.
August 24, 2016
Churchill's Legacy describes how Winston Churchill wielded his influence in post-war politics to enable the restoration and defence of Europe through two key speeches in 1946. Having first helped bring victory to the Allies in 1945, Churchill went on to preserve the freedom of the world by gaining the trust and support of the United States.
In Fulton, Missouri, Churchill apprised America to the reality of ‘Uncle Joe’ Stalin - a tyrant determined to dominate Europe at any cost. Churchill called for an Anglo-American alliance based on their shared values and the deterrent of America's possession of the atomic bomb. Churchill also urged the Americans to recognise the debt they owed Britain for opposing Hitler in 1940. In doing so, he reinforced the special relationship that had developed during the war, contributed to United States thinking behind the need for the Marshall Plan, and ultimately laid the ground for the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
In Zurich, Churchill boldly proposed a partnership between France and Germany: a United States of Europe. The hatred stirred up by the war had to be replaced by partnership for Europe to recover its economic vitality and regain its moral stature. Together, the Anglo-American Alliance and a United States of Europe led by France and Germany would have the power to ‘smite the crocodile’ of Soviet ambition. In doing so, he sowed the seeds for the European Community and European Union.
Although the speeches were attacked and denounced at the time, they created the political architecture for the post-war period. To a very great degree, the geostrategic world we inhabit today sprung from the words Churchill spoke at Fulton, Missouri and Zurich, Switzerland.
To understand what Churchill intended with these two speeches requires perspective. The daring of his imagination and the scale of his architecture for a new Western Alliance was extraordinary. At the time, not many recognized the vision and symmetry of what was proposed. Alan Watson's well-researched, penetrating and well-written analysis tells the story of how that came about.
U.S. General George S. Patton was also a high profile and vocal critic of the ‘Bolsheviks’ – albeit less eloquently than Churchill. Patton once remarked: “I have no particular desire to understand them except to ascertain how much lead or iron it takes to kill them … the Russian has no regard for human life and they are all out sons-of-bitches, barbarians, and chronic drunks.” After the meeting of the ‘Big Three’ at Yalta, Patton observed: “We promised the Europeans freedom. It would be worse than dishonourable not to see that they have it. This might mean war with the Russians, but what of it?” If it was not for Patton’s car accident and subsequent death in January 1946, Churchill might have had a useful American ally.
Alan Watson is a broadcaster, author, High Steward of Cambridge University, former President of the Liberal Party, public relations consultant and Peer. An accomplished public speaker, presenter, campaigner and consultant, his fascination with Churchill has been lifelong. His enthusiasm for Britain at the interface of Churchill's three circles – Europe, America, and the English-speaking world – remains unmatched.
Churchill's Legacy includes and introduction by Randolph Churchill, Winston’s great-grandson, 16 pages of images, notes, bibliography and index. At Churchill's funeral in 1965, commentators bemoaned the end of an era. In truth, Churchill was the catalyst of a new era – one built upon effective defence, economic revival, and European unity. His legacy, indeed, was long and significant. Churchill’s Legacy is recommended to students of history and politics.
Marcus Fielding
In Fulton, Missouri, Churchill apprised America to the reality of ‘Uncle Joe’ Stalin - a tyrant determined to dominate Europe at any cost. Churchill called for an Anglo-American alliance based on their shared values and the deterrent of America's possession of the atomic bomb. Churchill also urged the Americans to recognise the debt they owed Britain for opposing Hitler in 1940. In doing so, he reinforced the special relationship that had developed during the war, contributed to United States thinking behind the need for the Marshall Plan, and ultimately laid the ground for the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
In Zurich, Churchill boldly proposed a partnership between France and Germany: a United States of Europe. The hatred stirred up by the war had to be replaced by partnership for Europe to recover its economic vitality and regain its moral stature. Together, the Anglo-American Alliance and a United States of Europe led by France and Germany would have the power to ‘smite the crocodile’ of Soviet ambition. In doing so, he sowed the seeds for the European Community and European Union.
Although the speeches were attacked and denounced at the time, they created the political architecture for the post-war period. To a very great degree, the geostrategic world we inhabit today sprung from the words Churchill spoke at Fulton, Missouri and Zurich, Switzerland.
To understand what Churchill intended with these two speeches requires perspective. The daring of his imagination and the scale of his architecture for a new Western Alliance was extraordinary. At the time, not many recognized the vision and symmetry of what was proposed. Alan Watson's well-researched, penetrating and well-written analysis tells the story of how that came about.
U.S. General George S. Patton was also a high profile and vocal critic of the ‘Bolsheviks’ – albeit less eloquently than Churchill. Patton once remarked: “I have no particular desire to understand them except to ascertain how much lead or iron it takes to kill them … the Russian has no regard for human life and they are all out sons-of-bitches, barbarians, and chronic drunks.” After the meeting of the ‘Big Three’ at Yalta, Patton observed: “We promised the Europeans freedom. It would be worse than dishonourable not to see that they have it. This might mean war with the Russians, but what of it?” If it was not for Patton’s car accident and subsequent death in January 1946, Churchill might have had a useful American ally.
Alan Watson is a broadcaster, author, High Steward of Cambridge University, former President of the Liberal Party, public relations consultant and Peer. An accomplished public speaker, presenter, campaigner and consultant, his fascination with Churchill has been lifelong. His enthusiasm for Britain at the interface of Churchill's three circles – Europe, America, and the English-speaking world – remains unmatched.
Churchill's Legacy includes and introduction by Randolph Churchill, Winston’s great-grandson, 16 pages of images, notes, bibliography and index. At Churchill's funeral in 1965, commentators bemoaned the end of an era. In truth, Churchill was the catalyst of a new era – one built upon effective defence, economic revival, and European unity. His legacy, indeed, was long and significant. Churchill’s Legacy is recommended to students of history and politics.
Marcus Fielding
October 29, 2017
Hey guys, so I actually had to read Churchill's Legacy: Two Speeches to Save the World
by Alan Watson for a college class, so yeah, it was a school book. But it wasn't horrible,for the most part. It was alright I suppose, I wasnt suffering through every single page of it, lol. Anyway, here is the paper that I had to write on it, just cause I am lazy and busy, thus not wanting to write one of my normal reviews. :P
P.S, this paper just hones in on the impact of his speeches on AMerica,no one else. And it doesn't focus in on a lot of the other details in this book,like the chapter where Churchill was psychoanalyzed. So if you guys are interested, read the actual book. XD
The Impact of Ink
It all started with a letter. Tiny scrawls on a bottom of a page from the United States President Harry Truman was what spurred former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to compose what are now arguably known as the most important speeches in the World War Two era. Churchill had already been a prominent figure during these testing times, but his speeches in 1946 raised his name to a higher atmosphere. These speeches resonated throughout the entire world, eliciting a wide range of responses. Churchill’s moving words conjured up both negative and positive feedback from countries all across the globe. In Alan Watson nonfiction historical novel, Churchill's Legacy: Two Speeches to Save the World, he included insights on how Churchill’s speeches in Fulton and Zurich influenced the United States. More precisely, he detailed the way the former British Prime Minister’s speeches shaped American attitude.
Missouri, the home state of the 33rd United States President, was where the shifting of the tides all began. Various motives, including political, economical and personal, surrounded the former Prime Minister when he entered The United States territory. Even so, the audience at Westminster College were entirely unsuspecting when Churchill rolled out his famous Iron Curtain speech. With some of the most influential people in America part of the crowd, Churchill proclaimed his solitary opinions on the future of the world. With the knowledge that his words of wisdom were going to be plastered on every American news outlet, Churchill definitely made sure that his voice heard.
It is an understatement to say that Churchill’s roaring words rattled America. Among the variety of ideals embedded in his speech, his desire for an American/British alliance rose above the blaring noise. Churchill laid out the claim that America should aid Great Britain in every way possible because Britain had more than earned it. Moreover, Churchill said that the United States were almost required to help Britain recover from all the devastation from the war because they were the ones that shouldered most of the warfare until the United States finally bothered to participate. Another shock to Americans was when Churchill warned them of Russia’s ulterior, darker, more dominating, intentions behind their involvement in the war. Practically, he was remarking that the phrase “the enemy of my enemy is thy friend” only stretches so far, for so long. Overall, he tied it back to the central idea that America should support England in efforts to restrain potential Russian power.
Needless to say, in the beginning, none of this settled well with the leaders of America. They were so frazzled by Churchill’s speech, that they just flat-out lied about having known about the contents of the speech beforehand. Further resistance of Churchill’s initial claims resulted from wanting to deny the accusation that America’s ally, Joseph “Good Ole Uncle Joe” Stalin, would harbor an ill intentions. Also, America seemed to view Churchill’s desire for an alliance with America, as a gateway into tightly kept American secrets; such as one’s revolving around a certain type of bomb. Not only that, but also American pride and ego possibly played a factor in their hostile portrayals and misconceptions of Churchill’s real ideologies. Basically, America believed that Churchill wanted to pull them into another war, when in actuality, he just wanted peace.
Anticipating America’s less than friendly mindset, Churchill already had and was strategizing and preparing for his second legendary speech that took place in Zurich, Switzerland. Churchill knew that in order to gain American support, he needed to show America that England and Europe were worth fighting for. In other words, he recognized that American commitment would only be solidified if America knew that their time and energy would not be spent in vain. Basically, Churchill understood that America would only back winners, not losers. Therefore, his Zurich speech honed in on the aspect that in order to obtain an American alliance that brought support and helped contain the power-hungry Russia, Europe had to unite as well. More specifically, Churchill called for a pact between France and Germany. Then, and only then, with European countries helping one another become stable again, the United States would pitch in with the relief and containment efforts as well.
There was a flurry of reactions back in the States in regards to Churchill’s proposed “United States of Europe” (Watson, 2016). That being said, there were two largely important ordeals that triggered America to put more stock into Churchill’s earlier messages. One thing that eventually altered America’s stance was evidence of Russia’s true intentions of dominion near the end of World War Two and into the beginnings of what is now known as the Cold War. Another notion that was demonstrated was how crippled England and Europe truly were when facing the enemy that was now known as the Soviets. With Churchill’s claims being supported by world events, America finally stepped into its role as a leader of the free world. In order to prevent the “two giant marauders, war and tyranny” from further corrupting the countries of the world, the United States put forth a few important legislations(Watson, 2016).
The main legal movements that attempted to combat the threat of Russia, were the Marshall plan and the Truman Doctrine. The Marshall plan focused on giving aid, mostly economically, to European countries that were impacted by the war, including England, France and Germany. Now, the Truman Doctrine outlined the President’s policy that desired to “support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures” (Watson, 2016). Basically, Truman was saying that he wished to extend American rights drafted in America’s founding documents to other countries, because those are their rights as well. All in all, both of these measures to aid Europe and control Russian western advancement, were correlated with, if not caused by, Churchill’s extraordinary speeches. Subsequently, if it had not been for Truman’s scribbled note that offered to introduce Churchill at an invited event, the formerly depressed man might have never been gripped with the urgency to pen those world shattering speeches. Thus, one could admittedly say that the two speeches that strived to save the world, all started with a simple letter.
by Alan Watson for a college class, so yeah, it was a school book. But it wasn't horrible,for the most part. It was alright I suppose, I wasnt suffering through every single page of it, lol. Anyway, here is the paper that I had to write on it, just cause I am lazy and busy, thus not wanting to write one of my normal reviews. :P
P.S, this paper just hones in on the impact of his speeches on AMerica,no one else. And it doesn't focus in on a lot of the other details in this book,like the chapter where Churchill was psychoanalyzed. So if you guys are interested, read the actual book. XD
The Impact of Ink
It all started with a letter. Tiny scrawls on a bottom of a page from the United States President Harry Truman was what spurred former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to compose what are now arguably known as the most important speeches in the World War Two era. Churchill had already been a prominent figure during these testing times, but his speeches in 1946 raised his name to a higher atmosphere. These speeches resonated throughout the entire world, eliciting a wide range of responses. Churchill’s moving words conjured up both negative and positive feedback from countries all across the globe. In Alan Watson nonfiction historical novel, Churchill's Legacy: Two Speeches to Save the World, he included insights on how Churchill’s speeches in Fulton and Zurich influenced the United States. More precisely, he detailed the way the former British Prime Minister’s speeches shaped American attitude.
Missouri, the home state of the 33rd United States President, was where the shifting of the tides all began. Various motives, including political, economical and personal, surrounded the former Prime Minister when he entered The United States territory. Even so, the audience at Westminster College were entirely unsuspecting when Churchill rolled out his famous Iron Curtain speech. With some of the most influential people in America part of the crowd, Churchill proclaimed his solitary opinions on the future of the world. With the knowledge that his words of wisdom were going to be plastered on every American news outlet, Churchill definitely made sure that his voice heard.
It is an understatement to say that Churchill’s roaring words rattled America. Among the variety of ideals embedded in his speech, his desire for an American/British alliance rose above the blaring noise. Churchill laid out the claim that America should aid Great Britain in every way possible because Britain had more than earned it. Moreover, Churchill said that the United States were almost required to help Britain recover from all the devastation from the war because they were the ones that shouldered most of the warfare until the United States finally bothered to participate. Another shock to Americans was when Churchill warned them of Russia’s ulterior, darker, more dominating, intentions behind their involvement in the war. Practically, he was remarking that the phrase “the enemy of my enemy is thy friend” only stretches so far, for so long. Overall, he tied it back to the central idea that America should support England in efforts to restrain potential Russian power.
Needless to say, in the beginning, none of this settled well with the leaders of America. They were so frazzled by Churchill’s speech, that they just flat-out lied about having known about the contents of the speech beforehand. Further resistance of Churchill’s initial claims resulted from wanting to deny the accusation that America’s ally, Joseph “Good Ole Uncle Joe” Stalin, would harbor an ill intentions. Also, America seemed to view Churchill’s desire for an alliance with America, as a gateway into tightly kept American secrets; such as one’s revolving around a certain type of bomb. Not only that, but also American pride and ego possibly played a factor in their hostile portrayals and misconceptions of Churchill’s real ideologies. Basically, America believed that Churchill wanted to pull them into another war, when in actuality, he just wanted peace.
Anticipating America’s less than friendly mindset, Churchill already had and was strategizing and preparing for his second legendary speech that took place in Zurich, Switzerland. Churchill knew that in order to gain American support, he needed to show America that England and Europe were worth fighting for. In other words, he recognized that American commitment would only be solidified if America knew that their time and energy would not be spent in vain. Basically, Churchill understood that America would only back winners, not losers. Therefore, his Zurich speech honed in on the aspect that in order to obtain an American alliance that brought support and helped contain the power-hungry Russia, Europe had to unite as well. More specifically, Churchill called for a pact between France and Germany. Then, and only then, with European countries helping one another become stable again, the United States would pitch in with the relief and containment efforts as well.
There was a flurry of reactions back in the States in regards to Churchill’s proposed “United States of Europe” (Watson, 2016). That being said, there were two largely important ordeals that triggered America to put more stock into Churchill’s earlier messages. One thing that eventually altered America’s stance was evidence of Russia’s true intentions of dominion near the end of World War Two and into the beginnings of what is now known as the Cold War. Another notion that was demonstrated was how crippled England and Europe truly were when facing the enemy that was now known as the Soviets. With Churchill’s claims being supported by world events, America finally stepped into its role as a leader of the free world. In order to prevent the “two giant marauders, war and tyranny” from further corrupting the countries of the world, the United States put forth a few important legislations(Watson, 2016).
The main legal movements that attempted to combat the threat of Russia, were the Marshall plan and the Truman Doctrine. The Marshall plan focused on giving aid, mostly economically, to European countries that were impacted by the war, including England, France and Germany. Now, the Truman Doctrine outlined the President’s policy that desired to “support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures” (Watson, 2016). Basically, Truman was saying that he wished to extend American rights drafted in America’s founding documents to other countries, because those are their rights as well. All in all, both of these measures to aid Europe and control Russian western advancement, were correlated with, if not caused by, Churchill’s extraordinary speeches. Subsequently, if it had not been for Truman’s scribbled note that offered to introduce Churchill at an invited event, the formerly depressed man might have never been gripped with the urgency to pen those world shattering speeches. Thus, one could admittedly say that the two speeches that strived to save the world, all started with a simple letter.
September 14, 2016
Churchill´s outstanding mesmerizing fascinating life has been the subject of countless books, essays, movies, documentaries, to such an extent that i found myself thinking the other day...what more can be said and in what way?
well here´s the answer - this excellent book shows just how truly ahead of his time this man was!
Alan Watson brilliantly shows how Churchill used all his influence in the post WW2 scenario to enable the restoration and future defense of Europe - all this by two major speeches he did in 1946 (in the USA and in Switzerland).
i wont bore you with a prolonged description of his speeches, the author is far more qualified for it , but i do however end this book with a few ideas i would like to share:
i think its safe to say that these 2 speeches were in good measure the seeds for a few very interesting bits of history, namely the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the marshall plan, the special relationship between Britain and the USA and the European Union.
all these originate up to an extent from his capacity to foresee the post ww2 scenario in Europe and his determination in planting the right ideas in people´s minds to avoid soviet domination for one, and aid Europe on the long road to economical and moral recovery.
there is for me a certain sadness and a sense of the profound irony in all this - he made strong efforts towards promoting a united Europe and erasing the bad feelings of WW2, yet to an extent i see some of those bad feelings still linger in the way certain European countries view their neighbors..but that is a story for another day.
Churchill´s vision, planning and determination to spread the word on what he believed was needed for the future of Europe was truly remarkable, and it only shows, given what came to be, how brilliant and ahead of his time he was, and how much he continues to influence the modern world.
this was a very good read, tremendously well researched, which shouldn't surprise me given the author´s lifelong fascination with Winston C ( i did a little research on the side of the reading!).
can not recommend it enough!
i got this one thanks to netgalley in exchange for a free review but that in no way influences my opinion on the book.
well here´s the answer - this excellent book shows just how truly ahead of his time this man was!
Alan Watson brilliantly shows how Churchill used all his influence in the post WW2 scenario to enable the restoration and future defense of Europe - all this by two major speeches he did in 1946 (in the USA and in Switzerland).
i wont bore you with a prolonged description of his speeches, the author is far more qualified for it , but i do however end this book with a few ideas i would like to share:
i think its safe to say that these 2 speeches were in good measure the seeds for a few very interesting bits of history, namely the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the marshall plan, the special relationship between Britain and the USA and the European Union.
all these originate up to an extent from his capacity to foresee the post ww2 scenario in Europe and his determination in planting the right ideas in people´s minds to avoid soviet domination for one, and aid Europe on the long road to economical and moral recovery.
there is for me a certain sadness and a sense of the profound irony in all this - he made strong efforts towards promoting a united Europe and erasing the bad feelings of WW2, yet to an extent i see some of those bad feelings still linger in the way certain European countries view their neighbors..but that is a story for another day.
Churchill´s vision, planning and determination to spread the word on what he believed was needed for the future of Europe was truly remarkable, and it only shows, given what came to be, how brilliant and ahead of his time he was, and how much he continues to influence the modern world.
this was a very good read, tremendously well researched, which shouldn't surprise me given the author´s lifelong fascination with Winston C ( i did a little research on the side of the reading!).
can not recommend it enough!
i got this one thanks to netgalley in exchange for a free review but that in no way influences my opinion on the book.
May 10, 2020
Slightly over the top admiration for Winston Churchill notwithstanding, this short book highlights the power of ideas and communications in the world of politics. As an Indian, I always found Churchill very insensitive towards the non-whites but there is no taking away from his great achievements during and post Second World War in shaping the politics of the Western world away from tyranny and towards genuine democracy and liberal progress. This book does a good job of explaining a couple of key path breaking steps he took in 1946 to make it happen.
March 21, 2018
Чудесно представяне и анализ на двете най-ключови и емблематични речи на Чърчил от лорд Уотсън. Преводът на Ирина Васева също е добър. Само една фрапираща грешка срещнах при него (превода) - на стр. 106: "В магистърската си теза за желязната завеса Ан Епълбаум твърди, че...".Т.нар. от преводачката "магистърска теза" е всъщност фундаменталното изследване на Епълбаум за Гулаг (издадено и на български от "Лик") и определено не е магистърската теза на авторката.
September 2, 2016
Excellent Read! Churchill's speeches were powerful.
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