Winston Churchill: The Era and The Man

by Virginia Cowles

Winston Churchill had to fight for everything he got.

No man has aroused more heated opposition, or been more bitterly hated in his time, whilst also becoming a patriotic symbol of Britain’s wartime steadfastness.

A descendant of the first Duke of Marlborough, Winston Churchill was not only an icon of British political history but a man of great contradictions:

One of the great orators of the era, he actually lost more elections than any other politician …

Having spent most of his life fighting its leaders, he went on to lead the Conservative party himself.

And even having gone through periods of distrust with each party in turn, they still entrusted him with all their hopes in 1940.

Yet behind this exterior lay another man that the public never knew existed.

Churchill, ever knowledgeable of the moment, nevertheless liked to escape: he enjoyed painting, and delighted in animals and his children.

Despite Churchill’s confidence that there was nothing left to plough in this field, Virginia Cowles cast an unwavering eye over the most colourful of lives.

Through his many incarnations as a soldier, correspondent, author, politician and Prime Minister, Cowles illustrates just what impact the man and the era had on one another.

Praise for Virginia Cowles

’The history of the Rothschilds is every bit as rich and remarkable as their wealth.’ — The Times

’Splendidly readable.’ — Sunday Times

‘One of the most delightful books I have read. Miss Cowles has given us a tour-de-force, well researched, comprehensive, frank … [it] abounds in amazing stories of extraordinary personalities.’ — Books & Bookmen

‘Recounted at great speed, and with splendid life, vigour and readability’ – Evening Standard

Virginia Cowles (1910-1983) was an author and journalist. Born in Vermont, USA she became a well-known journalist in the 1930s with her columns appearing on both sides of the Atlantic. During the Second World War she covered the Italian campaign, the liberation of Paris, and the Allied invasion of Germany. In 1945 she married the politician and writer Aidan Crawley. She wrote many biographies including The Rothchilds.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Ebooks, Military Fiction

411 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2007

About the author

(Harriet) Virginia Spencer Cowles OBE was a noted American journalist, biographer, and travel writer. During her long career, Cowles went from covering fashion, to covering the Spanish Civil War, the turbulent period in Europe leading up to World War II, and the entire war. Her service as a correspondent was recognized by the British government with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1947. After the war, she published a number of critically acclaimed biographies of historical figures. In 1983, while traveling with her husband in France, she was killed in an automobile accident near Biarritz.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cowles was a journalist and friend of the family during much of the latter part of Churchill's career and offers an interesting perspective on the man. She was present in the home during several significant periods and also on location in other more remote places. This is a very interesting read even though it bogs down in a few places. If you are new to Churchill or a fan, either group will benefit from this contribution to the many books written about him. Recommend

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

great history on a man who saved Europe during WWII. This is a book that is filled with anecdotal stories.

[F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Very readable. There are parts which are not as interesting as others but they are necessary to get a fuller picture of the man Churchill. Churchill was loved and hated, reviled and praised, sought after and ignored and this book gives you a good understanding of the complexities that made him what he was and why people reacted to him how they did.
There are areas not covered extensively and that makes perfect sense considering the ground which was covered. He was a great man and it is hard to fit the full lives of great people into one volume.

[Stef · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Worthy Account of One of the Great Statesmen of the 20th Century

Although the author's intense admiration for Winston Churchill is immediately apparent, the lack of neutrality did not prevent the depiction of the man's blemishes as well. A well written and fascinating account of the man and his time.

[Henry Percy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pub in 1953, she knew WC. It contains interesting personal details, such his obtaining of a mason's union card. But there are some strange gaps (very little on Clemmie, only the public life of his parents, none of the scandals). There are a number of extracts from his most important parliamentary speeches. This is nothing like a comprehensive biography but a good introduction to the man.

[David Sprague · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to know as much as I could of the personality of Churchill and this book delivered. Many anecdotes were a plus. I wanted to know his parts in the big news of his day and I got that. The only thing I did not enjoy was the political details Churchill was involved in. That part was too boring. I would have been happy with just an overview of the parliamentary squabbles.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1953, Virginia Cowles’ Biography of Winston Churchill focuses on his political career, substantiated by numerous quotes from political speeches (both his and his opponents’) ...this readable account benefits from the fact that many of its principals were still alive and available for comment ... perhaps too close to events to appreciate their importance ...

[Al Lock · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not uncommon for the authors of biographies to be in love with the subject on which they are writing. In this case, it is more like hero worship. Curchill's faults are dismissed, his mistakes blamed on others or claimed to be not mistakes at all, and the author fails to realize how her tale of Churchill's experiences makes those mistakes more egregious.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read!

A very enjoyable book about an amazing man. His love of England and freedom was tremendous. This is a personal story of the ups and downs of a man who may have saved civilization, at least for a little while.

[Daniel Deitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Churchill biographies

Written by someone who knew one of the worlds most famous statesman this is still the best biography and should be read by all who want to learn about Britain in the twentieth century.

[Mary Alyse Capron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding story of Churchill

A wonderful biography of the greatest Britain of all time. Written by a colleague of Churchill; Virginia Cowles dogs deep into Sir Winston 's characteristics like no other book I have read.

[Daniel Serrao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. I did't really know much about Churchill's early life, nor many details of his later life. This biography was detailed and informative. Winston Churchill was an amazing human being. I wish we had leaders like him in today's world. It would be a much safer place to live.

[Debbie Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wealth of Information and Insite!

This book gives an honest look at Winston Churchill from the time of his parent’s courtship to his second time being Prime Minister of England. The author captures his follies as well as his virtues. I learned a lot!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remarkable

A well written tale by one who knew him. An unusual biography that is refreshing in its approach. There were times that I felt like I was wading in deep water, but they pass and the story resumes with passion. Recommend

[dignsnowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

I enjoy reading nonfiction and British history so this was the perfect match for me. After reading this I feel I have a much better view of the inner workings of Winston Churchill and the British political system.

[Dan A. Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winston Churchill

Than author gives a down to earth look at one of the premier statesmen of world. While I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the writing, the book provides an interesting look at the personal and political life of Mr. Churchill. A good read.

[Wesley Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Churchill

I really enjoyed reading about the early years of Winston Churchill. It provided a perspective on the times that Churchill lived.

[Mary Gaynor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected.

[Bob Heady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth the read if you haven’t read anything about Churchill. If you have it fills in a couple of areas. This guy is endlessly fascinating.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read. I feel the book had more information about the era than Winston Churchill himself.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as an ebook, and because it had been scanned (OCR'd)and mistakes not rectified from the scanning process, it made reading the book very difficult. Hence only 3*. For example, 'the' always came out as 'die', and many other words were just indecipherable. Nevertheless it was a book I couldn't put down, and really enjoyed. Gave an insight of Churchill that many readers would otherwise not have known about. To know more you should read the book!