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Churchill, Master and Commander: Winston Churchill at War 1895–1945
An engaging and detailed study of Winston Churchill's career as a military commander, from his early experiences in Britain's colonial wars, through his battlefield experience in World War I to his strategic command in World War II. This book examines how in high office he got it both right and wrong.
From his earliest days Winston Churchill was an extreme risk taker and he carried this into adulthood. Today he is widely hailed as Britain's greatest wartime leader and politician. Deep down though, he was foremost a warlord. Just like his ally Stalin, and his arch enemies Hitler and Mussolini, Churchill could not help himself and insisted on personally directing the strategic conduct of World War II. For better or worse he insisted on being political master and military commander. Again like his wartime contemporaries, he had a habit of not heeding the advice of his generals. The results of this were disasters in Norway, North Africa, Greece, and Crete during 1940–41. His fruitless Dodecanese campaign in 1943 also ended in defeat. Churchill's pig-headedness over supporting the Italian campaign in defiance of the Riviera landings culminated in him threatening to resign and bring down the British Government. Yet on occasions he got it just right, his refusal to surrender in 1940, the British miracle at Dunkirk and victory in the Battle of Britain, showed that he was a much-needed decisive leader. Nor did he shy away from difficult decisions, such as the destruction of the French Fleet to prevent it falling into German hands and his subsequent war against Vichy France.
In this fascinating new book, acclaimed historian Anthony Tucker-Jones explores the record of Winston Churchill as a military commander, assessing how the military experiences of his formative years shaped him for the difficult military decisions he took in office. This book assesses his choices in the some of the most controversial and high-profile campaigns of World War II, and how in high office his decision making was both right and wrong.
From his earliest days Winston Churchill was an extreme risk taker and he carried this into adulthood. Today he is widely hailed as Britain's greatest wartime leader and politician. Deep down though, he was foremost a warlord. Just like his ally Stalin, and his arch enemies Hitler and Mussolini, Churchill could not help himself and insisted on personally directing the strategic conduct of World War II. For better or worse he insisted on being political master and military commander. Again like his wartime contemporaries, he had a habit of not heeding the advice of his generals. The results of this were disasters in Norway, North Africa, Greece, and Crete during 1940–41. His fruitless Dodecanese campaign in 1943 also ended in defeat. Churchill's pig-headedness over supporting the Italian campaign in defiance of the Riviera landings culminated in him threatening to resign and bring down the British Government. Yet on occasions he got it just right, his refusal to surrender in 1940, the British miracle at Dunkirk and victory in the Battle of Britain, showed that he was a much-needed decisive leader. Nor did he shy away from difficult decisions, such as the destruction of the French Fleet to prevent it falling into German hands and his subsequent war against Vichy France.
In this fascinating new book, acclaimed historian Anthony Tucker-Jones explores the record of Winston Churchill as a military commander, assessing how the military experiences of his formative years shaped him for the difficult military decisions he took in office. This book assesses his choices in the some of the most controversial and high-profile campaigns of World War II, and how in high office his decision making was both right and wrong.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published November 23, 2021
25 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Tucker-Jones
76 books29 followersDefence analyst Anthony Tucker-Jones spent nearly 20 years in the British Intelligence Community before establishing himself as a defence writer and historian: commenting on regional conflicts, counter-terrorism, intelligence and military affairs.
He is a highly experienced expert with particular strengths in editing, feature writing, report writing, communicating to specialists and non-specialists alike.
Anthony Tucker-Jones has been extensively published in numerous titles and on various news websites. He has also written a number of books.
He is widely travelled with assignments in Africa, Europe, the Far East, Latin America and the Middle East. He lived for a time in Bahrain.
Anthony holds an MA in International Relations & Strategic Studies from Lancaster University.
(Taken from official website.)
He is a highly experienced expert with particular strengths in editing, feature writing, report writing, communicating to specialists and non-specialists alike.
Anthony Tucker-Jones has been extensively published in numerous titles and on various news websites. He has also written a number of books.
He is widely travelled with assignments in Africa, Europe, the Far East, Latin America and the Middle East. He lived for a time in Bahrain.
Anthony holds an MA in International Relations & Strategic Studies from Lancaster University.
(Taken from official website.)
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 2, 2022
Author & historian Anthony Tucker-Jones https://www.atuckerjones.com published the book Churchill, Master and Commander: Winston Churchill at War 1895–1945 at the end of November 2021. He has published more than 50 military history books.
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘G’. As the title implies, Winston Churchill is the focus of this book.
The author dedicates the first few chapters to Churchill’s military and journalist career during the late 19th century. He saw service in India, Sudan, and South Africa. Much of what he wrote as a journalist irritated the military. He also had difficulty refraining from slipping into a military role when serving as a journalist.
He struggled with his political career at first. He was eventually was elected as an MP and served in different government positions. He was appointed as First Lord of the Admiralty before WWI. He ended up with much of the blame for the failed ANZAC campaign at Gallipoli on his shoulders.
He was in and out of office from 1917 until he was finally asked to form a government as Prime Minister in 1939 after Germany had invaded Poland and Norway. He led the British Empire through WWII until just after victory in Europe.
I enjoyed the 12+ hours I spent reading this 510-page biography and WWII history. Churchill was undoubtedly a charismatic leader. Many credit him with stirring the British people to resist the Nazis' onslaught. He was the Prime Minister and also filled the position of Minister of Defense, which he had created. This gave him a large influence over the British conduct of the war. His interference in military matters was not always appreciated by the British or the Americans. While he and President Roosevelt generally got along well, Churchill’s desire to save the British Empire was upsetting.
To Churchill’s credit, he recognized the Nazi threat early and spoke out against it. While he saw Stalin and the Russians as an ally to win the war, He did not trust them. He feared they would eventually become an enemy. The author does a good job of looking at Churchill from every angle. While the book is about Churchill, there is a good narrative documenting what is happening in the world around him. I like the selected cover art. If you are interested in the history of WWII you will enjoy this book. I rate the book as a 4 out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘G’. As the title implies, Winston Churchill is the focus of this book.
The author dedicates the first few chapters to Churchill’s military and journalist career during the late 19th century. He saw service in India, Sudan, and South Africa. Much of what he wrote as a journalist irritated the military. He also had difficulty refraining from slipping into a military role when serving as a journalist.
He struggled with his political career at first. He was eventually was elected as an MP and served in different government positions. He was appointed as First Lord of the Admiralty before WWI. He ended up with much of the blame for the failed ANZAC campaign at Gallipoli on his shoulders.
He was in and out of office from 1917 until he was finally asked to form a government as Prime Minister in 1939 after Germany had invaded Poland and Norway. He led the British Empire through WWII until just after victory in Europe.
I enjoyed the 12+ hours I spent reading this 510-page biography and WWII history. Churchill was undoubtedly a charismatic leader. Many credit him with stirring the British people to resist the Nazis' onslaught. He was the Prime Minister and also filled the position of Minister of Defense, which he had created. This gave him a large influence over the British conduct of the war. His interference in military matters was not always appreciated by the British or the Americans. While he and President Roosevelt generally got along well, Churchill’s desire to save the British Empire was upsetting.
To Churchill’s credit, he recognized the Nazi threat early and spoke out against it. While he saw Stalin and the Russians as an ally to win the war, He did not trust them. He feared they would eventually become an enemy. The author does a good job of looking at Churchill from every angle. While the book is about Churchill, there is a good narrative documenting what is happening in the world around him. I like the selected cover art. If you are interested in the history of WWII you will enjoy this book. I rate the book as a 4 out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
November 24, 2021
What an indefatigable fellow Winston Chuchill had been! He certainly had not let grass grow under his feet; constantly on the move from an early age. Wars, newspaper reporter, authoring books, and politics were among his favorite activites; war seemingly at the top of the list, as seen in this biography by Anthony Tucker-Jones. I was much surprized by all I learned about this "Master and Commander". Had no idea. I was always under the impression he'd kind of come up out of the blue to mastermind Hitler's defeat during WWII. Reading of his life's activities and seeing all he'd been into, gave me pause to see Churchill in a more comprehensive light and gain better understanding of the man, warrior, politication, and so on. Brilliant man and one instrumental in helping win a war against a tyrant was/is to be applauded despite some of the not so great things he had engaged in.
Those readers who like strategies of war will like this 'play by play' of the numerous wars Churchill had embroiled himself in, in his younger years. One can't help but to admire the strength, fortitude, hope and courage he emanated out to his people to persevere and strive together especially during that WWII crisis against many odds. All the lessons he'd learned and mined from, from a full life already lived, served him well at the crucial climax of time. When all's said and done, I do concur with author Tucker-Jones that Churchill was indeed a "Master and Commander" and that, par excellence.
This book will also offers maps and the dates of various wars in which Churchill fought and a sequenced list thereof. There are also other references to Online Churchill Resources for those who seek further information.
~Eunice R., Reviewer/Blogger~
October 2021
Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by the publisher.
Those readers who like strategies of war will like this 'play by play' of the numerous wars Churchill had embroiled himself in, in his younger years. One can't help but to admire the strength, fortitude, hope and courage he emanated out to his people to persevere and strive together especially during that WWII crisis against many odds. All the lessons he'd learned and mined from, from a full life already lived, served him well at the crucial climax of time. When all's said and done, I do concur with author Tucker-Jones that Churchill was indeed a "Master and Commander" and that, par excellence.
This book will also offers maps and the dates of various wars in which Churchill fought and a sequenced list thereof. There are also other references to Online Churchill Resources for those who seek further information.
~Eunice R., Reviewer/Blogger~
October 2021
Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by the publisher.
December 20, 2024
WINSTON CHURCHILL WAS ABOVE ALL A WARLORD, THIS BIOGRAPHY SHOWS
You might expect, if you’ve read a little about Winston Churchill, that only during World War II did he become deeply engaged with the military. But that’s far from true. From the time he enlisted in the British Army as a second lieutenant in 1895, Churchill was almost continuously engaged in military affairs, directly or indirectly, from 1895 to 1945. In his 20s, he fought in Britain’s colonial wars on three continents, in Cuba, India, Sudan, and South Africa. And as Anthony Tucker-Jones so ably shows in Churchill, Master and Commander, the then-future prime minister inserted himself in military decision-making almost without a pause, sometimes as a member of the Cabinet, sometimes sniping from the sidelines. For Winston Churchill was a warlord above all. He saw himself that way. And he acted that way during the fateful years from 1940 to 1945, holding forth from 10 Downing Street.
CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS, SOMETIMES FATALLY FLAWED
Of course, if you’re fairly well versed in the story of Churchill’s life, you may well be aware that he fought in the Boer War in 1899 as a civilian-soldier and served as First Lord of the Admiralty in World War I. It was in that office that he directed the ill-conceived Gallipoli campaign that led to more than 200,000 British casualties and the withdrawal of British and Commonwealth troops from the region. Churchill’s shame for the tragic losses in that campaign lasted throughout his lifetime. But, as Tucker-Jones (and many other authors) demonstrate, Churchill’s strategic sense was equally flawed on many occasions during the Word War II as well.
THE WARLORD STUMBLED ON MANY OCCASIONS
There are several occasions when Churchill’s high opinion of himself as a military strategic proved to be hollow:
NORWAY
In April 1940, before his appointment the following month as prime minister, Churchill was serving again as First Lord of the Admiralty. He used that position to direct the invasion of northern Norway in hopes of dislodging Nazi troops from the area. The effort utterly failed, and Britain withdrew its troops in June. While he was not solely or even primarily responsible for the loss, he was identified as the plan’s author. It was only because Neville Chamberlain took responsibility for the disaster that Churchill escaped censure by Parliament.
ITALY
Before the United States had entered the war in Europe in full force, Churchill played the role of senior partner in the Anglo-American alliance. Exerting his leverage, he insisted on the invasion of Italy in the belief that the campaign would be quick and easy, allowing Allied forces to drive the Germans north of the Alps and threaten the German homeland. But nothing of the sort happened. The fighting lasted for two years and resulted in more than 300,000 Allied casualties.
BALKANS
As the number of US troops in Europe and North African continued to grow, becoming far more numerous than the British, FDR and his generals gained the upper hand in negotiations with Winston Churchill. Still, the British Prime Minister continued to argue forcefully and without a break for Allied forces to attack the Balkans before opening a second front in France. It was only with difficulty that FDR and George Marshall managed to persuade Churchill and his general staff to accede to the Normandy Invasion. And he continued to fight just as doggedly to send troops eastward instead of invading southern France in conjunction with Operation Overlord.
JAPAN
Although Britain might play only a minor role in the runup to the invasion of Japan, Churchill insisted that the Americans include British warships in the island-hopping campaign across the Pacific. He believed the Japanese were overrated and could easily be subdued. The Allies learned to their chagrin that proved to be a fantasy.
In the final analysis, however, Churchill’s heroic performance in 1940, when he rallied the British people to resist Nazi Germany, was proof positive that he possessed a strategic sense that historians would be likely to recognize as brilliant for centuries to come. And this was his true legacy as a warlord.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
According to Wikipedia, “Anthony Tucker-Jones is a British former defence intelligence officer and a widely published military expert on regional conflicts, counter-terrorism and armoured and aerial warfare.” Born in 1964, he holds a BA in from the University of Portsmouth in Historical Studies and an MA in international relations from the University of Lancaster. He pursued a 13-year career in defence analysis capped by two years as a Counter-Terrorism Coordinator in charge of Defence Intelligence. Since then he has pursued a career as a freelance writer and commentator on related issues. He is the author of at least 16 books.
You might expect, if you’ve read a little about Winston Churchill, that only during World War II did he become deeply engaged with the military. But that’s far from true. From the time he enlisted in the British Army as a second lieutenant in 1895, Churchill was almost continuously engaged in military affairs, directly or indirectly, from 1895 to 1945. In his 20s, he fought in Britain’s colonial wars on three continents, in Cuba, India, Sudan, and South Africa. And as Anthony Tucker-Jones so ably shows in Churchill, Master and Commander, the then-future prime minister inserted himself in military decision-making almost without a pause, sometimes as a member of the Cabinet, sometimes sniping from the sidelines. For Winston Churchill was a warlord above all. He saw himself that way. And he acted that way during the fateful years from 1940 to 1945, holding forth from 10 Downing Street.
CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS, SOMETIMES FATALLY FLAWED
Of course, if you’re fairly well versed in the story of Churchill’s life, you may well be aware that he fought in the Boer War in 1899 as a civilian-soldier and served as First Lord of the Admiralty in World War I. It was in that office that he directed the ill-conceived Gallipoli campaign that led to more than 200,000 British casualties and the withdrawal of British and Commonwealth troops from the region. Churchill’s shame for the tragic losses in that campaign lasted throughout his lifetime. But, as Tucker-Jones (and many other authors) demonstrate, Churchill’s strategic sense was equally flawed on many occasions during the Word War II as well.
THE WARLORD STUMBLED ON MANY OCCASIONS
There are several occasions when Churchill’s high opinion of himself as a military strategic proved to be hollow:
NORWAY
In April 1940, before his appointment the following month as prime minister, Churchill was serving again as First Lord of the Admiralty. He used that position to direct the invasion of northern Norway in hopes of dislodging Nazi troops from the area. The effort utterly failed, and Britain withdrew its troops in June. While he was not solely or even primarily responsible for the loss, he was identified as the plan’s author. It was only because Neville Chamberlain took responsibility for the disaster that Churchill escaped censure by Parliament.
ITALY
Before the United States had entered the war in Europe in full force, Churchill played the role of senior partner in the Anglo-American alliance. Exerting his leverage, he insisted on the invasion of Italy in the belief that the campaign would be quick and easy, allowing Allied forces to drive the Germans north of the Alps and threaten the German homeland. But nothing of the sort happened. The fighting lasted for two years and resulted in more than 300,000 Allied casualties.
BALKANS
As the number of US troops in Europe and North African continued to grow, becoming far more numerous than the British, FDR and his generals gained the upper hand in negotiations with Winston Churchill. Still, the British Prime Minister continued to argue forcefully and without a break for Allied forces to attack the Balkans before opening a second front in France. It was only with difficulty that FDR and George Marshall managed to persuade Churchill and his general staff to accede to the Normandy Invasion. And he continued to fight just as doggedly to send troops eastward instead of invading southern France in conjunction with Operation Overlord.
JAPAN
Although Britain might play only a minor role in the runup to the invasion of Japan, Churchill insisted that the Americans include British warships in the island-hopping campaign across the Pacific. He believed the Japanese were overrated and could easily be subdued. The Allies learned to their chagrin that proved to be a fantasy.
In the final analysis, however, Churchill’s heroic performance in 1940, when he rallied the British people to resist Nazi Germany, was proof positive that he possessed a strategic sense that historians would be likely to recognize as brilliant for centuries to come. And this was his true legacy as a warlord.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
According to Wikipedia, “Anthony Tucker-Jones is a British former defence intelligence officer and a widely published military expert on regional conflicts, counter-terrorism and armoured and aerial warfare.” Born in 1964, he holds a BA in from the University of Portsmouth in Historical Studies and an MA in international relations from the University of Lancaster. He pursued a 13-year career in defence analysis capped by two years as a Counter-Terrorism Coordinator in charge of Defence Intelligence. Since then he has pursued a career as a freelance writer and commentator on related issues. He is the author of at least 16 books.
July 6, 2021
Anthony Tucker-Jones explores the early experiences that shaped Winston Churchill as an eager military commander, and how his tenure as Prime Minister during and after World War II was just as significant for its mistakes as its triumphs. As the author of several well-regarded books on military hardware, you know the subject is in safe hands.
Eager for glory and excitement, it’s was at the Battle of Omdurman in 1898 that his chance author paints an almost comical of Wc and his gung Ho spirit
heroic charge, the point where Churchill became an “adrenaline junkie”
this become the story of wc life - a risky gamble that paid off, this time. This event gave Churchill the taste for adventure and the sight of the British army in full flow “had a lasting effect on him”.
The many battlefields in Churchill’s life are vividly and compellingly brought to life by the author. This book really chimes with my view of Churchill and is written in a very accessible, non-stuffy way. I believe books such as this one that re-examine one of our most celebrated statesmen are important, and Anthony Tucker-Jones’ work is a fine example of that. It was a joy to read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Osprey Publishing for allowing me to view an advanced reading copy.
Link to Amazon review to follow.
Eager for glory and excitement, it’s was at the Battle of Omdurman in 1898 that his chance author paints an almost comical of Wc and his gung Ho spirit
heroic charge, the point where Churchill became an “adrenaline junkie”
this become the story of wc life - a risky gamble that paid off, this time. This event gave Churchill the taste for adventure and the sight of the British army in full flow “had a lasting effect on him”.
The many battlefields in Churchill’s life are vividly and compellingly brought to life by the author. This book really chimes with my view of Churchill and is written in a very accessible, non-stuffy way. I believe books such as this one that re-examine one of our most celebrated statesmen are important, and Anthony Tucker-Jones’ work is a fine example of that. It was a joy to read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Osprey Publishing for allowing me to view an advanced reading copy.
Link to Amazon review to follow.
October 17, 2023
Unfortunately this book was a bit of a let-down.
I read it primarily in preparation for my dissertation, the subject of the book being exactly what I needed (impact of military service on Churchill’s life and politics). Unfortunately this was not actually the focus of the book. In fact, the book didn’t really have a focus. It was essentially a whistle stop tour of Churchill’s life, not really delving into any section of that life enough to really be a deep study. Whilst the book did provide with me with some useful material for my studies, it was unfortunately very half-baked and the utility of this book as a source was limited.
Really, this book should be read as a supplement to traditional Churchill biographies; If you want to read a comprehensive study, read Robert’s biography or the work by the man himself. If you just want a quick and easy read about Churchill’s life focusing on his sense of adventure, this is a good book for that. Unfortunately, that is not exactly what I was looking for and therefore it was relatively disappointing.
Nevertheless, it’s relatively well written and does well in exposing Churchill’s weaknesses as well as demonstrating his very real strengths.
3/5*
I read it primarily in preparation for my dissertation, the subject of the book being exactly what I needed (impact of military service on Churchill’s life and politics). Unfortunately this was not actually the focus of the book. In fact, the book didn’t really have a focus. It was essentially a whistle stop tour of Churchill’s life, not really delving into any section of that life enough to really be a deep study. Whilst the book did provide with me with some useful material for my studies, it was unfortunately very half-baked and the utility of this book as a source was limited.
Really, this book should be read as a supplement to traditional Churchill biographies; If you want to read a comprehensive study, read Robert’s biography or the work by the man himself. If you just want a quick and easy read about Churchill’s life focusing on his sense of adventure, this is a good book for that. Unfortunately, that is not exactly what I was looking for and therefore it was relatively disappointing.
Nevertheless, it’s relatively well written and does well in exposing Churchill’s weaknesses as well as demonstrating his very real strengths.
3/5*
January 6, 2022
Taking Churchill from 1895 to 1945 as a soldier and leader was brilliant, as it provides great insight into the experiences and perspectives of not only Churchill, but others with whom he served and led. It provides a balanced narrative on the Great Man (full disclosure of bias) with negative, as well as positive and well reasoned and explained background to the views of the author as well as those who lived through the events with Churchill. As examples, Tucker-Jones stated that "Churchill had only himself to blame." for the sinking of the Prince of Wales and Repulse (maybe a bit harsh), but later quoted Field Marshal Montgomery "[n]ever has any land found any leader who so matched the hour as did Sir Winston Churchill." About the Boer War, one of his fellow soldiers said Churchill "...was a very brave man, but a damned fool." I have read a great deal about Sir Winston, but this book did provide nuances and new information which provides the reader with the idea that the author was diligent in his research (41 pages of footnotes) and willing to be critical, but ultimately found the Indispensable Man of the twentieth century to be just that.
August 10, 2021
I wish to thank NetGalley and Osprey Publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a very highly detailed book about the military life of Winston Churchill from his early years in 1895 until after World War II ended in 1945. It highlights and explains his achievements and his failures in a way that is very easy to understand. I must admit that I knew very little of his background and now have a much better view of all he endured while in public service to his country and our world. The book is very descriptive of all these things. The book is most definitely a text book on all the happenings of the world at that time.
Since I am usually a fiction reader this is a little outside my normal choices but I did learn a lot.
This is a very highly detailed book about the military life of Winston Churchill from his early years in 1895 until after World War II ended in 1945. It highlights and explains his achievements and his failures in a way that is very easy to understand. I must admit that I knew very little of his background and now have a much better view of all he endured while in public service to his country and our world. The book is very descriptive of all these things. The book is most definitely a text book on all the happenings of the world at that time.
Since I am usually a fiction reader this is a little outside my normal choices but I did learn a lot.
August 26, 2021
Another very well written book on a complicated man during an very difficult time. The author did a wonderful job building the biography and engaging the reader. I have read a number of books on WW2 and Churchill, but still learned from this book. The pace is fast and writing is entertaining. The book will also be a good read for a person who has not read much on Churchill. The length is just right and enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews