What do you think?
Rate this book
Winston Churchill #1
Winston's War
WINSTON'S WAR is a masterful blending of imagination and compelling fact that places the reader at the right hand of the most momentous events in our history.
Saturday 1 October 1938. Two men meet. One is elderly, the other in his twenties. One will become the most revered man of his time, and the other known as the greatest of traitors.
Winston Churchill met Guy Burgess at a moment when the world was about to explode. Now in his astonishing new novel, Michael Dobbs throws brilliant fresh light upon Churchill's relationship with the Soviet spy and the twenty months of conspiracy, chance and outright treachery that were to propel Churchill from outcast to messiah and change the course of history.
Saturday 1 October 1938. Two men meet. One is elderly, the other in his twenties. One will become the most revered man of his time, and the other known as the greatest of traitors.
Winston Churchill met Guy Burgess at a moment when the world was about to explode. Now in his astonishing new novel, Michael Dobbs throws brilliant fresh light upon Churchill's relationship with the Soviet spy and the twenty months of conspiracy, chance and outright treachery that were to propel Churchill from outcast to messiah and change the course of history.
690 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2002
151 people are currently reading
1782 people want to read
About the author
Michael Dobbs
101 books371 followersMichael Dobbs was born on the same day, in the same hour as Prince Charles in 1948.
He is the son of nurseryman Eric and his wife Eileen Dobbs and was educated at Hertford Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford University. After graduating in 1971 he moved to the United States.
In the USA he attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, which he funded by a job as feature writer for the Boston Globe, where he worked as an editorial assistant and political feature writer from 1971 to 1975.
He graduated in 1975 with an M.A., M.A.L.D., and PhD in nuclear defence studies. His doctoral thesis was published as SALT on the Dragon's Tail. In 2007 he returned to Tufts where he gave the Alumni Salutation.
After gaining his PhD he returned to England and began working in London for the Conservative Party. He was an advisor to the then leader of the Opposition, Margaret Thatcher, from 1977 to 1979 and from 1979 to 1981 he was a Conservative MP speechwriter.
He served as a Government Special Advisor from 1981 to 1986 and he survived the Brighton Bombing in 1984 at the Conservative Party Conference. He was the Conservative Party Chief of Staff from 1986 to 1987.
He was considered a masterful political operator and was called "Westminster’s baby-faced hit man", by The Guardian in 1987. In the John Major government, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1994 to 1995, after which he retired from politics.
Outside of politics, he worked at Saatchi & Saatchi as Deputy Advertising Chairman from 1983 to 1986 and was Director of Worldwide Corporate Communications at the company from 1987 to 1988. He became Deputy Chairman, working directly under Maurice Saatchi from 1988 to 1991.
From 1991 to 1998 he was a columnist for The Mail on Sunday and also wrote column for the Daily Express. From 1998 to 2001 he hosted the current affairs program Despatch Box on BBC television and has also been a radio presenter.
Nowadays he is best known as the bestselling author of 17 novels (up to 2010), such as 'The Turning Point', about Winston Churchill and Guy Burgess, and 'A Family Affair', about the last days of Margaret Thatcher in Downing Street, and also a number of non-fiction works.
His writing career began in 1989 with the publication of 'House of Cards', the first in what would become a trilogy of political thrillers with Francis Urquhart as the central character. 'House of Cards' was followed by 'To Play the King' in 1992 and 'The Final Cut' in 1994.
Each of the three novels was adapted by the BBC into a miniseries and, with Ian Richardson playiing a starring role, the trilogy received a combined 14 BAFTA nominations and two BAFTA wins and was voted the 84th Best British Show in History.
His 2004 novel 'Winston’s War' was shortlisted for the Channel 4 Political Book of the Year Award. He was the winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award for best historical novel in 2008 and in 2001 was shortlisted for the C4 Political Novel of the Year. He has also been a judge of the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and lectures at dozens of literary and fundraising events each year.
Anthony Howard of The Times said “Dobbs is following in a respectable tradition. Shakespeare, Walter Scott, even Tolstoy, all used historical events as the framework for their writings. And, unlike some of their distinguished works, Dobbs's novel is, in fact, astonishingly historically accurate."
He is now a full time writer and divides his time between London and Wiltshire, where he says that he lives near a church and a pub! He is married with four children.
Gerry Wolstenholme
October 2010
He is sometimes confused with American author Michael Dobbs, who is a distant relative of his and also an author of historical books (e.g. "Saboteurs - The Nazi Raid on America").
He is the son of nurseryman Eric and his wife Eileen Dobbs and was educated at Hertford Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford University. After graduating in 1971 he moved to the United States.
In the USA he attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, which he funded by a job as feature writer for the Boston Globe, where he worked as an editorial assistant and political feature writer from 1971 to 1975.
He graduated in 1975 with an M.A., M.A.L.D., and PhD in nuclear defence studies. His doctoral thesis was published as SALT on the Dragon's Tail. In 2007 he returned to Tufts where he gave the Alumni Salutation.
After gaining his PhD he returned to England and began working in London for the Conservative Party. He was an advisor to the then leader of the Opposition, Margaret Thatcher, from 1977 to 1979 and from 1979 to 1981 he was a Conservative MP speechwriter.
He served as a Government Special Advisor from 1981 to 1986 and he survived the Brighton Bombing in 1984 at the Conservative Party Conference. He was the Conservative Party Chief of Staff from 1986 to 1987.
He was considered a masterful political operator and was called "Westminster’s baby-faced hit man", by The Guardian in 1987. In the John Major government, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1994 to 1995, after which he retired from politics.
Outside of politics, he worked at Saatchi & Saatchi as Deputy Advertising Chairman from 1983 to 1986 and was Director of Worldwide Corporate Communications at the company from 1987 to 1988. He became Deputy Chairman, working directly under Maurice Saatchi from 1988 to 1991.
From 1991 to 1998 he was a columnist for The Mail on Sunday and also wrote column for the Daily Express. From 1998 to 2001 he hosted the current affairs program Despatch Box on BBC television and has also been a radio presenter.
Nowadays he is best known as the bestselling author of 17 novels (up to 2010), such as 'The Turning Point', about Winston Churchill and Guy Burgess, and 'A Family Affair', about the last days of Margaret Thatcher in Downing Street, and also a number of non-fiction works.
His writing career began in 1989 with the publication of 'House of Cards', the first in what would become a trilogy of political thrillers with Francis Urquhart as the central character. 'House of Cards' was followed by 'To Play the King' in 1992 and 'The Final Cut' in 1994.
Each of the three novels was adapted by the BBC into a miniseries and, with Ian Richardson playiing a starring role, the trilogy received a combined 14 BAFTA nominations and two BAFTA wins and was voted the 84th Best British Show in History.
His 2004 novel 'Winston’s War' was shortlisted for the Channel 4 Political Book of the Year Award. He was the winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award for best historical novel in 2008 and in 2001 was shortlisted for the C4 Political Novel of the Year. He has also been a judge of the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and lectures at dozens of literary and fundraising events each year.
Anthony Howard of The Times said “Dobbs is following in a respectable tradition. Shakespeare, Walter Scott, even Tolstoy, all used historical events as the framework for their writings. And, unlike some of their distinguished works, Dobbs's novel is, in fact, astonishingly historically accurate."
He is now a full time writer and divides his time between London and Wiltshire, where he says that he lives near a church and a pub! He is married with four children.
Gerry Wolstenholme
October 2010
He is sometimes confused with American author Michael Dobbs, who is a distant relative of his and also an author of historical books (e.g. "Saboteurs - The Nazi Raid on America").
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
July 30, 2015
This is a spectacular historical novel. Anyone who has read or seen the British version of "House of Cards" will recognize a similarly fast-paced interaction of multiple plots, with important people doing important things and little people feeling the impact of those momentous events on their more plebeian lives.
Dobbs' control of this material is superb, reflecting his own experience in the Halls of Parliament over several decades. He must also have known some of those not-so-famous since many of the most poignant scenes involve people who are either fictional or so minor that history has not had much to say about them. But Churchill knew them, and about them, and he knew they were the reason Britain needed to survive,
Of course, the ultimate message is 'Thank God Winston got to be PM' no matter what dirty tricks were used to accomplish that result. The world would have been a horrid place but for his almost singular ability to resist Hitler long enough to get FDR into the fight.
Dobbs' control of this material is superb, reflecting his own experience in the Halls of Parliament over several decades. He must also have known some of those not-so-famous since many of the most poignant scenes involve people who are either fictional or so minor that history has not had much to say about them. But Churchill knew them, and about them, and he knew they were the reason Britain needed to survive,
Of course, the ultimate message is 'Thank God Winston got to be PM' no matter what dirty tricks were used to accomplish that result. The world would have been a horrid place but for his almost singular ability to resist Hitler long enough to get FDR into the fight.
December 5, 2016
This is a wonderful premise for a book and it should have been totally engrossing.
However, there were several things that detracted from my enjoyment. As ever, the book was far too long at 690 pages. I seem to find this more and more now, that authors are rambling on, and their publishers and agents, to whom they always give their undying thanks, are too scared to tell them to cut 300 pages.
The other main issue is that the central storyline in the blurb is described as the relationship between Churchill and Burgess. However, there are actually lots of relationships between the six to eight main protagonists, and that was too many for the story.
I did learn a lot about the immediate prelude to war, which history has sort of skipped over. I really felt this book could have been so much better if it focused on the relationship between Churchill and Burgess, with the secondary storyline focusing on Churchill and Chamberlain's hate / hate relationship.
However, there were several things that detracted from my enjoyment. As ever, the book was far too long at 690 pages. I seem to find this more and more now, that authors are rambling on, and their publishers and agents, to whom they always give their undying thanks, are too scared to tell them to cut 300 pages.
The other main issue is that the central storyline in the blurb is described as the relationship between Churchill and Burgess. However, there are actually lots of relationships between the six to eight main protagonists, and that was too many for the story.
I did learn a lot about the immediate prelude to war, which history has sort of skipped over. I really felt this book could have been so much better if it focused on the relationship between Churchill and Burgess, with the secondary storyline focusing on Churchill and Chamberlain's hate / hate relationship.
December 17, 2016
Intriguing story but very difficult to follow with the constant going back and forth between numerous characters and their stories. Disappointed.
September 14, 2017
A post-modern take on history. An engaging, entertaining text which leaves the reader wondering what is fact and what fiction. Focuses on the eighteen month period from Munich to the Nazi invasion of France—mostly telling how everyone in England (including the king) were trying to do everything possible to keep Churchill from becoming Prime Minister, and Churchill was unwittingly helping them.
Today’s readers may be surprised that faction and the press were as divisive and untrue then as now. Shouldn’t be, that’s been true since the Greek city-states.
The mechanics of the story impede enjoyment. Dobbs alters past and present tenses. His awkward, idiosyncratic paragraphing often leaves the reader wondering who is talking.
Except that many of the named characters were historical, one could complain about the confusing array of Burgess, Bracken, Beaverbrook, Ball and Boothbys; not to mention Mac, Max and Macmillian.
The Gathering Storm meets Downton Abbey.
A good read.
Today’s readers may be surprised that faction and the press were as divisive and untrue then as now. Shouldn’t be, that’s been true since the Greek city-states.
The mechanics of the story impede enjoyment. Dobbs alters past and present tenses. His awkward, idiosyncratic paragraphing often leaves the reader wondering who is talking.
Except that many of the named characters were historical, one could complain about the confusing array of Burgess, Bracken, Beaverbrook, Ball and Boothbys; not to mention Mac, Max and Macmillian.
The Gathering Storm meets Downton Abbey.
A good read.
October 15, 2021
**Should Read as 4.5 Stars!**
Read this book in 2006, and its the 1st of a 4 part series featuring Winston Churchill.
The historical details concerning this period of history has been very well researched by the auhtor, and used within this story of war, power and conspiracy.
Set in 1938 and Winston Churchill is at his lowest point, mocked and reviled by his enemies, and defeated by Neville Chamberlain who has done a deal with the Nazis of Adolf Hitler.
All of a sudden Winston Churchill is visited by a journalist from the BBC, a man named Guy Burgess, but unknown to Churchill this man will later become known as a Soviet spy, and that visit will turn out to be a turning point in Churchill's life and a reason to fight, and in the end win his personal war.
What will follow is a story about conspiracy, chance and treachery that will turn Churchill from a pariah into a messiah for the British people, after the fall of Chamberlain and his elevation to Prime Minister.
Highly recommended, for this is an amazing begin of Churchill as a politician and human being, a life with a lot of ups and downs, and it tells of political intrigue and faults of the highest personal calibre, and that's why I like to call this first episode: "A Compelling Churchill's Clash"!
Read this book in 2006, and its the 1st of a 4 part series featuring Winston Churchill.
The historical details concerning this period of history has been very well researched by the auhtor, and used within this story of war, power and conspiracy.
Set in 1938 and Winston Churchill is at his lowest point, mocked and reviled by his enemies, and defeated by Neville Chamberlain who has done a deal with the Nazis of Adolf Hitler.
All of a sudden Winston Churchill is visited by a journalist from the BBC, a man named Guy Burgess, but unknown to Churchill this man will later become known as a Soviet spy, and that visit will turn out to be a turning point in Churchill's life and a reason to fight, and in the end win his personal war.
What will follow is a story about conspiracy, chance and treachery that will turn Churchill from a pariah into a messiah for the British people, after the fall of Chamberlain and his elevation to Prime Minister.
Highly recommended, for this is an amazing begin of Churchill as a politician and human being, a life with a lot of ups and downs, and it tells of political intrigue and faults of the highest personal calibre, and that's why I like to call this first episode: "A Compelling Churchill's Clash"!
June 19, 2012
A work of historical fiction with a great cast of characters. The great war leader Churchill, Neville Chamberlain, the great appeaser to Nazi demands, and the notorious Russian spy Guy Burgess all coming together in one novel. The book is fun to read but jumps around a lot making it difficult to track the action.
March 21, 2012
Interesting account as to how Winston Churchill came to be Prime Minister of England. It is amazing how long Neville Chamberlain was duped by Hitler. Chamberlain could not accept the fact that there were evil people leading Germany and Italy that were not gentlemen of honor, is there a parallel with President Obama? To be an effective leader in difficult times you have to be willing to make the tough decisions and place the interests of your country above the interests of your political party. Churchill was the right man at the right time, Chamberlain was not.
A few highlights of the book that I found worth the read all by themselves:
The dialogue between Ian and Dickie, two members of parliament from the privileged class,is just plain hilarious
Joe Kennedy was a scoundrel who placed his business interests above his countries interests
The shenanigans going on in England during 1938 - 1940 make Nixon's dirty tricks group look like rank amateurs
I don't know enough history to know if the action that happened in the last chapter is based on reality or if it is fiction but this book has encouraged me to find out more about this most important time in the history of the world.
A few highlights of the book that I found worth the read all by themselves:
The dialogue between Ian and Dickie, two members of parliament from the privileged class,is just plain hilarious
Joe Kennedy was a scoundrel who placed his business interests above his countries interests
The shenanigans going on in England during 1938 - 1940 make Nixon's dirty tricks group look like rank amateurs
I don't know enough history to know if the action that happened in the last chapter is based on reality or if it is fiction but this book has encouraged me to find out more about this most important time in the history of the world.
May 5, 2015
Great read. Really enjoyed this one and looking forward to the next. Mostly fictional but based on facts and really could have happen as described !!!
April 15, 2016
As a fan of Michael Dobbs' work and of Winston Churchill it was a pleasant surprise to come across this historical novel that meets the two worlds.
The book is the first of a series, that takes it under itself to speculate as to Churchill's inner world, conflicts and conversations, while portraying very accurate historical set of events, through parallel plot lines of "common" people and their small part in the daily events
Thus we learn about Mac the barber (who hears all the Whitehall gossip as a fly on the wall) and his affair with the Westminster prostitute Carol, we also hear of army Sergeant Jerry White who partakes in the so called "phony" war the early years of WW2 with the British doomed campaign in the Scandinavians, and his relationship with postmistress Sue, who will play a prominent role later with Churchill's rise to power.
We also get a glimpse of the household of Joe Kennedy, american ambassador and great appeaser, his niece's fictional affair with Churchill's most loyal guy Bracken, and even get a glimpse to the inner court of George VI.
The major story-line is of course Churchill and his rise from political exile to greatness, through the unlikely help of one Guy Burgess, the MI5 agent and newsmen, to be known later as a notorious spy to the soviet union (as far as i know this is a fictional bit)
The story is written very well, and without spoiling too much of the action, i was very much taken by the political conversation, even more than by the fiction story-line of the "common" people.. at first i thought the connection of Burgess/Churchill was too much, but it grows on you, and you actually learn to like Burgess and even relate to his motives, which in retrospective, I still don't understand why Dobbs had done this ... maybe just to spice things a bit.
in all fairness, this is not Dobbs' greatest novel but it's good, especially if you like political novels and are a WWII freak like me. The dialogues are well written and merge with the day to day and the historical events.
The reasons i gave it only 3 stars are: (a) If you are not an history freak, this might prove tedious at times, with the story dragging over an icky period of time known as Britain's phony war against Germany. (b) At times it seems as if Dobbs' personal take on people and events places more weight than what you'd expect in an historical novel: the appeasers are portrayed as sheer evil & Churchill is almost a Jesus-like figure, born to carry the (western) world's burden while nailed to the cross. I sense that if you want to write a fiction novel on the edge of non-fiction, these views needs to be slightly more subtle.
At the end of the day the book is a good read or a great one for history (especially WWII) lovers. which is much more than what i can say on the 2nd book in the serious "Never surrender"
if you like Dobbs + history, dont think twice though and read it.
The book is the first of a series, that takes it under itself to speculate as to Churchill's inner world, conflicts and conversations, while portraying very accurate historical set of events, through parallel plot lines of "common" people and their small part in the daily events
Thus we learn about Mac the barber (who hears all the Whitehall gossip as a fly on the wall) and his affair with the Westminster prostitute Carol, we also hear of army Sergeant Jerry White who partakes in the so called "phony" war the early years of WW2 with the British doomed campaign in the Scandinavians, and his relationship with postmistress Sue, who will play a prominent role later with Churchill's rise to power.
We also get a glimpse of the household of Joe Kennedy, american ambassador and great appeaser, his niece's fictional affair with Churchill's most loyal guy Bracken, and even get a glimpse to the inner court of George VI.
The major story-line is of course Churchill and his rise from political exile to greatness, through the unlikely help of one Guy Burgess, the MI5 agent and newsmen, to be known later as a notorious spy to the soviet union (as far as i know this is a fictional bit)
The story is written very well, and without spoiling too much of the action, i was very much taken by the political conversation, even more than by the fiction story-line of the "common" people.. at first i thought the connection of Burgess/Churchill was too much, but it grows on you, and you actually learn to like Burgess and even relate to his motives, which in retrospective, I still don't understand why Dobbs had done this ... maybe just to spice things a bit.
in all fairness, this is not Dobbs' greatest novel but it's good, especially if you like political novels and are a WWII freak like me. The dialogues are well written and merge with the day to day and the historical events.
The reasons i gave it only 3 stars are: (a) If you are not an history freak, this might prove tedious at times, with the story dragging over an icky period of time known as Britain's phony war against Germany. (b) At times it seems as if Dobbs' personal take on people and events places more weight than what you'd expect in an historical novel: the appeasers are portrayed as sheer evil & Churchill is almost a Jesus-like figure, born to carry the (western) world's burden while nailed to the cross. I sense that if you want to write a fiction novel on the edge of non-fiction, these views needs to be slightly more subtle.
At the end of the day the book is a good read or a great one for history (especially WWII) lovers. which is much more than what i can say on the 2nd book in the serious "Never surrender"
if you like Dobbs + history, dont think twice though and read it.
March 6, 2012
"You might very well think that; I couldn't possibly comment..." Francis Urquhart's memorable quote from "House of Cards" was particularly useful in public relations career. Thank you, Michael Dobbs. And, thank you for "Winston's War," another look at British political infighting.
"Winston's War" has little enough to do with World War II, per se. It is all about the run-up to, and earliest days of the war, when Churchill's primary battle was with Neville Chamberlain and his Tory minions about appeasement, war preparedness, and political power. This is historical fiction, and so doesn't pretend to know exactly what was said to who by whom. And Dobbs creates British everyman and everywoman as embodiments of British character: Ian and Dickie, the Statler and Waldorf (for Muppet fans) of parliament; Jerry and Sue, the starcrossed lovers on the eve of war; Carol and Mac, the hooker and the Jewish refugee from a Russian gulag. But there are searing portraits of historical figures: Churchill himself, suffering the black dog of depression and generational competitiveness of his ancestors; Chamberlain, intent on clinging to power while deluding himself, his party, and the nation that he has brought peace - if not to Poland and Czechoslovakia - than at least to Britain; publisher Max Beaverbrook, supporting whichever politician can improve his political and financial ambitions; the craven, common, and crude U.S. Ambassador Joe Kennedy and his duplicitous niece Anna; Churchill's allies Boothby and Bracken; and Soviet mole Guy Burgess, a tortured soul attempting to meld his flamboyant homosexuality, anti-fascism, alcoholism, and journalistic talents as a means of propelling Churchill into 10 Downing St.
I thought that Burgess' character was a bit overly dramatic, but that's the only drawback in this fine political novel.
"Winston's War" has little enough to do with World War II, per se. It is all about the run-up to, and earliest days of the war, when Churchill's primary battle was with Neville Chamberlain and his Tory minions about appeasement, war preparedness, and political power. This is historical fiction, and so doesn't pretend to know exactly what was said to who by whom. And Dobbs creates British everyman and everywoman as embodiments of British character: Ian and Dickie, the Statler and Waldorf (for Muppet fans) of parliament; Jerry and Sue, the starcrossed lovers on the eve of war; Carol and Mac, the hooker and the Jewish refugee from a Russian gulag. But there are searing portraits of historical figures: Churchill himself, suffering the black dog of depression and generational competitiveness of his ancestors; Chamberlain, intent on clinging to power while deluding himself, his party, and the nation that he has brought peace - if not to Poland and Czechoslovakia - than at least to Britain; publisher Max Beaverbrook, supporting whichever politician can improve his political and financial ambitions; the craven, common, and crude U.S. Ambassador Joe Kennedy and his duplicitous niece Anna; Churchill's allies Boothby and Bracken; and Soviet mole Guy Burgess, a tortured soul attempting to meld his flamboyant homosexuality, anti-fascism, alcoholism, and journalistic talents as a means of propelling Churchill into 10 Downing St.
I thought that Burgess' character was a bit overly dramatic, but that's the only drawback in this fine political novel.
July 26, 2016
What a surprisingly good read! I suppose I didn't expect much from this book, despite reading an interesting blurb on it, because Barnes & Noble was giving it away for free, as one of their Free Fridays offerings. Yes, I realize that such things are supposed to build interest in the author or in similar works. Still, many of the giveaways are worth what I pay for them. In this case, that view was in error.
Winston's War is an historical novel, focused on the run-up to World War II, as Neville Chamberlain was trying to buy peace from Hitler through appeasement, while Winston Churchill was certain that this policy would only incite a tyrant. Of course, we know how that turned out. What makes this book interesting is the interplay between the characters and the political maneuvering in this very rocky time.
A well-written historical novel requires a good grasp of history. Being a student of history myself, many authors lose me through their lack of real historical grounding. That's not the case here. Mr. Dobbs did an admirable job of maintaining historical believability while throwing in a backstory that holds up and adds to the reader's interest. Overall, this is an excellent book!
Winston's War is an historical novel, focused on the run-up to World War II, as Neville Chamberlain was trying to buy peace from Hitler through appeasement, while Winston Churchill was certain that this policy would only incite a tyrant. Of course, we know how that turned out. What makes this book interesting is the interplay between the characters and the political maneuvering in this very rocky time.
A well-written historical novel requires a good grasp of history. Being a student of history myself, many authors lose me through their lack of real historical grounding. That's not the case here. Mr. Dobbs did an admirable job of maintaining historical believability while throwing in a backstory that holds up and adds to the reader's interest. Overall, this is an excellent book!
April 2, 2012
I had my doubts about this book but was very glad that I stuck it through to the end. There is a cast of characters that's hard to track who appear seemingly at random. While it took some time to sort them out, it was one of the pleasures of sticking with the book as their role in the story all came to light as the end neared. This writer gives flesh to the beginning of England's involvement in World War II and to the characters involved in England's slow move towards war. Chamberlain reads like a reluctant warrior who's trying everything he can to keep England out of the war. Churchill reads like somsone trying to show both himself and his nay sayers that he's not an old washed warrior who can't lead his country out of a paper bag. We all know the end of the story, that Churchill is Prime Minister and England joins the war well in advance of being taken over by the German machine. What we don't know is the subterfuge that took place leading up to those changes. This book is a work of fiction and a pretty darned good one at that. Actually, 3.5 stars is a better rating but that's only allowed in the averages so I'll stick with my 3.
April 27, 2015
I was intrigued by the premise of this book: that Guy Burgess played a key role in Churchill's assumption of the Prime Ministership of GB in 1940. Dobbs has built a fictional account around the facts and this makes for a fascinating but at the same time frustrating read. For a lot of the time I was asking myself, is this incident one of the true bits or is it made up? (I can't be too negative about this because one of the criticisms of my book No Mean Affair is that the reader doesn't know where truth ends and supposition begins.)
Dobbs mixes a few 'ordinary lives' into the mix and they don't sit comfortably alongside the historical characters. It's difficult to see the justification for including them other than to change the scene away from the corridors of power. Dobbs gives them moments in which their actions (or inactions) affect history's outcome but these incidents feel contrived.
The writing was a bit Jeffrey Archer-ish at times and I had expected a more literary style given my recollection of House of Cards.
Dobbs mixes a few 'ordinary lives' into the mix and they don't sit comfortably alongside the historical characters. It's difficult to see the justification for including them other than to change the scene away from the corridors of power. Dobbs gives them moments in which their actions (or inactions) affect history's outcome but these incidents feel contrived.
The writing was a bit Jeffrey Archer-ish at times and I had expected a more literary style given my recollection of House of Cards.
June 14, 2015
Winston’s War was a gripping and intelligent historical novel. The well-written layers of sub-plots, the many plot twists, the numerous characters (both historical and fictional), and the historic settings (10 Downing Street, Whitehall, Parliament, Chartwell, and so on) made this an enjoyable read. The many historical and political events (the meeting between Churchill and Burgess, the Munich Conference, the invasion of Poland, the German invasion of Norway, and Chamberlain’s resignation, among others) were entertainly explored through the viewpoints and opinions of the large cast of characters. Michael Dobbs really captured Churchill’s colorful personality and character by describing Churchill vividly and in detail.
March 27, 2012
I've been on a British royalty kick lately so I thought it would be cool to read about Winston Churchill since he was QEII's first Prime Minister. This was so hard to get through. I don't know if it was because I was reading it on my nook, or because I don't really understand British politics or because I wasn't familiar with the subject matter, but it was tough. I've been reading this for well over three weeks. I actually had to stop halfway through and give my mind a break because I just COULD NOT slog through any more.
January 8, 2015
I'm a real sucker for historical fiction, and this book about the political machinations in Great Britain during the run up to WWII really had me captivated. I don't know how much of what was presented is fictional and how much actually happened, but I was really impressed at how the author maintained suspense and drama with a plot where the final outcome is already known! Now I really want to get to the Churchill biographies on my list!
October 3, 2017
Michael Dobbs makes it very clear at the beginning that this is a NOVEL, so I spent a certain amount of time wondering what was fact and what was fiction. Not sure that it matters; it would seem that the historical facts are true, but some of the minor characters were invented as well as thoughts and dialogue. It's a very long book about a relatively short period of time. Interesting to hear about the parliament and the raucous debates.
October 12, 2009
Excellent work of fiction in which the principal characters and most of the supporting cast are real historical personages. The prose style is light and well-polished, making for easy and pleasant reading--perhaps a little too much so when the events covered are worthy of a touch of pomp and grandeur, for example in the House of Commons scenes. Still, it was probably wise of the author (a former advertising copywriter and PR man for the British Conservative Party) to stick to his last and not strain too hard for stylistic effects.
The plot deals with Winston Churchill's return from obscurity to power in time to save Britain and the world from the Nazis. Implicated in his revival is Guy Burgess, the Oxford intellectual and Soviet spy, who has his own conflicted reasons for wanting Churchill back in the saddle. Despite their obvious differences, Dobbs presents the two men as having many traits in common, among them fervent patriotism and a weakness for the bottle.
Burgess is the protagonist, though more often than not the action and viewpoint cut away from him to scenes involving Churchill or some of the many other characters (mostly enemies of the great man) who are involved in the action. Churchill's predecssor and foe, Neville Chamberlain, is sporadically treated as a viewpoint character, yet we never really understand what drives him and his character never quite comes to life. I think this is partly because Dobbs tries to use the antics of Chamberlain and his cronies to exemplify the misfortunes that befell the Tories during his own association with them in the post-Thather era. He does not succeed. This is the only complaint I have the book--and since I am not a conservative in either the big or small C sense, it matters little to me.
I recommend this novel to anyone who likes accurate and exhaustively-researched historical fiction, political dramas or the legend of Winston Churchill. Personally, I read it eagerly and rapidly. A real page-turner.
The plot deals with Winston Churchill's return from obscurity to power in time to save Britain and the world from the Nazis. Implicated in his revival is Guy Burgess, the Oxford intellectual and Soviet spy, who has his own conflicted reasons for wanting Churchill back in the saddle. Despite their obvious differences, Dobbs presents the two men as having many traits in common, among them fervent patriotism and a weakness for the bottle.
Burgess is the protagonist, though more often than not the action and viewpoint cut away from him to scenes involving Churchill or some of the many other characters (mostly enemies of the great man) who are involved in the action. Churchill's predecssor and foe, Neville Chamberlain, is sporadically treated as a viewpoint character, yet we never really understand what drives him and his character never quite comes to life. I think this is partly because Dobbs tries to use the antics of Chamberlain and his cronies to exemplify the misfortunes that befell the Tories during his own association with them in the post-Thather era. He does not succeed. This is the only complaint I have the book--and since I am not a conservative in either the big or small C sense, it matters little to me.
I recommend this novel to anyone who likes accurate and exhaustively-researched historical fiction, political dramas or the legend of Winston Churchill. Personally, I read it eagerly and rapidly. A real page-turner.
March 11, 2015
This book was enjoyable from start to finish. The sense of injustice done by the conspirators to a well-loved icon of history was intense, but because the participants in the conspiracy have been fully exposed as failures, the reader can revel in the knowledge that history has judged them.
The conspiracy here is the effort of the Chamberlain Ministry to exclude the "war-monger" Winston Churchill from the councils of government in the events between Neville Chamberlain's Munich Pact with Adolf Hitler for "peace in our time" and the German invasion of Poland less than a year later.
In reading this account, one gets the sense of discovering enjoyable details: Churchill's uneasy finances and the advantage taken by the conspirators of his need for a loan, his encounter with Guy Burgess that opens the story; the eventual defection of Burgess to the Soviet Union; the growing knowledge in the Ministry that appeasement is failing, and their efforts to keep that knowledge from the British populace.
Because I read "Winston's War" at the same time as reading "13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi", the similarities of the two conspiracies were borne in on me: in both cases, one realizes public officials deciding to be less than honest or less than forthcoming is perhaps the result of a belief that a greater purpose is served by the conspiracy. For Chamberlain and the proponents of appeasement, the lack of readiness in Britain for war made peace at all costs the only choice.
Fortunately for us all, Chamberlain's policy was destroyed when Germany abrogated the pact, and it was Winston Churchill's leadership that guided Britain through its involvement in WWII. History has yet to reveal the conclusion, fortunate or otherwise, to the conspiracy involving the US State Department, the Obama Administration, and the events of 9-11, 2012, in Beghazi.
The conspiracy here is the effort of the Chamberlain Ministry to exclude the "war-monger" Winston Churchill from the councils of government in the events between Neville Chamberlain's Munich Pact with Adolf Hitler for "peace in our time" and the German invasion of Poland less than a year later.
In reading this account, one gets the sense of discovering enjoyable details: Churchill's uneasy finances and the advantage taken by the conspirators of his need for a loan, his encounter with Guy Burgess that opens the story; the eventual defection of Burgess to the Soviet Union; the growing knowledge in the Ministry that appeasement is failing, and their efforts to keep that knowledge from the British populace.
Because I read "Winston's War" at the same time as reading "13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi", the similarities of the two conspiracies were borne in on me: in both cases, one realizes public officials deciding to be less than honest or less than forthcoming is perhaps the result of a belief that a greater purpose is served by the conspiracy. For Chamberlain and the proponents of appeasement, the lack of readiness in Britain for war made peace at all costs the only choice.
Fortunately for us all, Chamberlain's policy was destroyed when Germany abrogated the pact, and it was Winston Churchill's leadership that guided Britain through its involvement in WWII. History has yet to reveal the conclusion, fortunate or otherwise, to the conspiracy involving the US State Department, the Obama Administration, and the events of 9-11, 2012, in Beghazi.
February 15, 2009
‘War comes in many different colours.’
On 1 October 1938, Winston Churchill met Guy Burgess. Churchill had already made a mark on the political landscape, Burgess was certainly going to. But what brought these men together? And what political intrigues and other machinations were part of the political landscape in this period immediately before Europe erupted into war?
Winston Churchill himself could well be described as ‘.. a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma ..’. At times, while reading this novel, I could hear Mr Churchill’s distinctive voice. But my memory of his voice was of a period not long before his death when he was hailed as a great statesman and recognised as a hero. Guy Burgess is also well known, but not as a hero by many.
From this distance, some 70 years later, we live with the consequences of this war: the reshaping of countries and empires; the heroism; the greed and the tragedy. The characteristics of this war are known to many of us through hearsay, heritage and, sometimes, objective attempts to analyse cause and effect. This novel succeeds in making the individuals and the times come to life. This novel is not just about the famous and infamous: it brings to life some of the aspects of everyday life for those who usually bear the burden of decisions made by those more powerful.
Mr Dobbs writes of Churchill: ‘He mesmerised colleagues on a diet of pinched views and lean rhetoric.’ In his acknowledgements Mr Dobbs expresses his hope that ‘many readers will have their appetites whetted and their imaginations fired by the deliberate intertwining of fact and fiction to the extent that they will want to dig deeper and find out for themselves what really happened.’
I hope so too.
On 1 October 1938, Winston Churchill met Guy Burgess. Churchill had already made a mark on the political landscape, Burgess was certainly going to. But what brought these men together? And what political intrigues and other machinations were part of the political landscape in this period immediately before Europe erupted into war?
Winston Churchill himself could well be described as ‘.. a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma ..’. At times, while reading this novel, I could hear Mr Churchill’s distinctive voice. But my memory of his voice was of a period not long before his death when he was hailed as a great statesman and recognised as a hero. Guy Burgess is also well known, but not as a hero by many.
From this distance, some 70 years later, we live with the consequences of this war: the reshaping of countries and empires; the heroism; the greed and the tragedy. The characteristics of this war are known to many of us through hearsay, heritage and, sometimes, objective attempts to analyse cause and effect. This novel succeeds in making the individuals and the times come to life. This novel is not just about the famous and infamous: it brings to life some of the aspects of everyday life for those who usually bear the burden of decisions made by those more powerful.
Mr Dobbs writes of Churchill: ‘He mesmerised colleagues on a diet of pinched views and lean rhetoric.’ In his acknowledgements Mr Dobbs expresses his hope that ‘many readers will have their appetites whetted and their imaginations fired by the deliberate intertwining of fact and fiction to the extent that they will want to dig deeper and find out for themselves what really happened.’
I hope so too.
March 17, 2019
In Winston’s War, Michael Dobbs tells the story of Winston Churchill’s rise to power, concentrating on the eighteen months between his meeting with Guy Burgess, later infamous for being unmasked as a Soviet spy, to when he takes office. Given Churchill’s marginal political position in 1938 and the fact that very few politicians in his own party, let alone the opposition, wanted him to become prime minister even at the point that he does (Halifax was the preferred option), that he gained control was a minor miracle. Or as Michael Dobbs portrays it, a fortuitous set of events and a lot of political skulduggery, aided by the actions of Hitler and Mussolini. Reading the book as the UK political system implodes with Brexit was interesting as there are many parallels – Britain’s relationship with Europe, bitter political infighting in the Tory party, the media throwing shapes. Dobbs’ story blends the historical record with fiction to tell Churchill’s tale, focusing on the underhand actions of both Churchill and Chamberlain as they vie for power, throwing in the role of Guy Burgess, who has been airbrushed from the history of the early years of the war. It’s a very readable and engaging tale, if a little over-long at 690 pages. As with similar books, I’m always a little hesitant about history as fiction, as it’s difficult to know what actually happened and what is pure fantasy, especially when just about every character was a real person. Nonetheless, an entertaining political story about a critical moments in British history.
June 22, 2012
I'm torn between needing another star between I liked it and I really liked it, but I don't know what to call it. I feel something more than I liked it, but something less than I really liked it.
I never thought much about reading a book about Winston Churchill. I never thougt much about reading a book about the beginning of the 2nd World War in Europe either. Why DID I read this book?
Someting about the book cover and and title called to me. The story sounded interesting when I read the review AND my daughter found it for me and loaded it onto my Nook.
I did enjoy the story. It was easy to read. Not a lot of empty descriptions and mind boggling detail. The characters were very interesting, and I have to admit that I did spend some time looking names and places up to get a little more background on the times and events. Mr. Dobbs wrote a good story. He will tell you that this is a Novel, not everything spoken is true, not everything that happened is true, but some of it could have been. I guess for me, it just made for a more interesting story than cold hard facts with no personality and feeling.
I never thought much about reading a book about Winston Churchill. I never thougt much about reading a book about the beginning of the 2nd World War in Europe either. Why DID I read this book?
Someting about the book cover and and title called to me. The story sounded interesting when I read the review AND my daughter found it for me and loaded it onto my Nook.
I did enjoy the story. It was easy to read. Not a lot of empty descriptions and mind boggling detail. The characters were very interesting, and I have to admit that I did spend some time looking names and places up to get a little more background on the times and events. Mr. Dobbs wrote a good story. He will tell you that this is a Novel, not everything spoken is true, not everything that happened is true, but some of it could have been. I guess for me, it just made for a more interesting story than cold hard facts with no personality and feeling.
January 8, 2014
I greatly enjoyed this novelization of the political climate in Britain surrounding the beginning of WWII. Obviously in school we studied WWII and the events leading up to it, however I never studied the specific events in Britain at the time, and this book has encouraged me to want to read about the politics in Britain post-WWI and pre-WWII.
This novel was not without some minor problems, sometimes I didn't feel the transitions were clean or clear enough for the reader to know that it was now a different speaker or setting. I felt Dobbs was extremely ambitious in his desire to include so many different characters/figures and might have liked it better had there been fewer narratives to follow. However, perhaps if I knew more about this era I would have found it easier as perhaps several of the names would have been familiar to me (all the more reason to read up on the subject). I will definitely be reading the rest of the series, but only after I learn about WWiI Britain.
This novel was not without some minor problems, sometimes I didn't feel the transitions were clean or clear enough for the reader to know that it was now a different speaker or setting. I felt Dobbs was extremely ambitious in his desire to include so many different characters/figures and might have liked it better had there been fewer narratives to follow. However, perhaps if I knew more about this era I would have found it easier as perhaps several of the names would have been familiar to me (all the more reason to read up on the subject). I will definitely be reading the rest of the series, but only after I learn about WWiI Britain.
January 3, 2015
Thrilling read
With this first of his Winston books, Dobbs pulls no punches, artfully crafting the vivid personalities that made up British politics in the year before WWII. From Neville Chamberlain, the vain upper class politician who learned absolutely nothing from the Great War to Susan the post mistress of a coastal town whose plans for happiness are gunned down on the beaches of Norway, Dobbs' characters leap of the page, causing the reader to join in their happiness and sorrows.
More than anything though, Dobbs weaves a tale of conspiracy and back room negotiations that proves there was no time in history when politics were innocent and policies were made for the good of the people. Everyone in Parliment, it would seem, had something to hide, something to wheel and deal for. By the end of the book, the reader finds himself questioning if blackmail is justifiable if the cause is honorable.
With this first of his Winston books, Dobbs pulls no punches, artfully crafting the vivid personalities that made up British politics in the year before WWII. From Neville Chamberlain, the vain upper class politician who learned absolutely nothing from the Great War to Susan the post mistress of a coastal town whose plans for happiness are gunned down on the beaches of Norway, Dobbs' characters leap of the page, causing the reader to join in their happiness and sorrows.
More than anything though, Dobbs weaves a tale of conspiracy and back room negotiations that proves there was no time in history when politics were innocent and policies were made for the good of the people. Everyone in Parliment, it would seem, had something to hide, something to wheel and deal for. By the end of the book, the reader finds himself questioning if blackmail is justifiable if the cause is honorable.
January 28, 2016
Being an Indian, I have absolutely no liking of Winston because of his ill and biased attitude towards my nation. But at the same time, I know that Winston was a man of steel. A brilliant academician, a brilliant historian, a brave leader, and a fine politician. I also have first-hand knowledge of Neville Chamberlain and his political times.
This is a fantastic book, with consistent narration, about the run up to world war II and Britain's miscalculations/approaches/and political storms around WWII and its built up period. This is not a true account but a fictionalized account of true events and a tough time.
High-quality research and work by Michael Dobbs.
Page turner. Recommending.
This is a fantastic book, with consistent narration, about the run up to world war II and Britain's miscalculations/approaches/and political storms around WWII and its built up period. This is not a true account but a fictionalized account of true events and a tough time.
High-quality research and work by Michael Dobbs.
Page turner. Recommending.
March 24, 2012
Oh what a description of political maneuverings. Based on facts and events leading up to the early stages of England's involvement in World War II, I wish were not true. On the oher hand, fro the story, it is hard to decipher what parts were true - - people already familiar with the English history of the period would already have such insights.
Although a very good historical story, it was both fast and slow moving. The events leading to the political agreements, or changes in government, were actually fast paced, but the sentence and story structure plodded along at its own (and much slower) pace.
Although a very good historical story, it was both fast and slow moving. The events leading to the political agreements, or changes in government, were actually fast paced, but the sentence and story structure plodded along at its own (and much slower) pace.
July 10, 2014
This was a very good historical novel that may have distracted me from my current sci-fi binge. I thoroughly enjoyed this book - the story and the characters. I learned that Chamberlain wasn't the spineless wimp he was portrayed as in high school history class, but a modern day shark-like politician. Willing to go to great lengths to maintain power, but woefully unable to lead. Churchill was also ambitious for power, but unlike Chamberlain, was seemingly born to lead.
The author expresses hope in the forward that reading this may prompt one to read and learn more about Churchill. It certainly had that effect on me.
The author expresses hope in the forward that reading this may prompt one to read and learn more about Churchill. It certainly had that effect on me.
February 8, 2009
The story is a blend of imagination and compelling facts, describing the relationship between Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain and a young Soviet spy Guy Burgess. This novel is so intense you need to constantly remind yourself that this is a work of fact and fiction. Reading it was like taking a trip into one of history darkest moments.
April 30, 2012
I made it about half way through this book before I decided to go onto a different one. The story was not bad and the writing was good. I just wasn't interested enough in the book to keep reading. I did like the historical aspect.
July 6, 2014
I think anyone interested in the lead up to Great Britain reluctantly going to war with Germany at the beginning of WWII, specifically regarding Chamberlain's initial policy of appeasement, will definitely appreciate in this novel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews