The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932

When Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874, Imperial Britain stood at the splendid pinnacle of her power. Yet within a few years the Empire would hover on the brink of catastrophe. Against this backdrop, a remarkable man began to build his legacy. From master biographer William Manchester, The Last Lion: Visions of Glory reveals the first fifty-eight years of the life of an adventurer, aristocrat, soldier, and statesman whose courageous leadership guided the destiny of his darkly troubled times—and who is remembered as one of the greatest figures of the twentieth century. Praise for The Last Lion: Visions of Glory “Absolutely magnificent . . . a delight to read . . . one of those books you devour line by line and word by word and finally hate to see end.” —Russell Baker “Bedazzling.” — Newsweek “Manchester has read further, thought harder, and told with considerable verve what is mesmerizing in [Churchill’s] drama. . . . One cannot do better than this book.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “An altogether absorbing popular biography . . . The heroic Churchill is in these pages, but so is the little boy writing forlorn letters to the father who all but ignored him.” — People “Superb . . . [Manchester] pulls together the multitudinous facets of one of the richest lives ever to be chronicled. . . . Churchill and Manchester were clearly made for each other.” — Chicago Tribune “A vivid, thoroughly detailed biography of the Winston Churchill nobody knows.” — Boston Herald “Adds a grand dimension . . . rich in historical and social contexts.” —Time When Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874, Imperial Britain stood at the splendid pinnacle of her power. Yet within a few years the Empire would hover on the brink of catastrophe. Against this backdrop, a remarkable man began to build his legacy. From master biographer William Manchester, reveals the first fifty-eight years of the life of an adventurer, aristocrat, soldier, and statesman whose courageous leadership guided the destiny of his darkly troubled times—and who is remembered as one of the greatest figures of the twentieth century.**Praise for __The Last Lion: Visions of Glory__** “Absolutely magnificent . . . a delight to read . . . one of those books you devour line by line and word by word and finally hate to see end.” “Bedazzling.” “Manchester has read further, thought harder, and told with considerable verve what is mesmerizing in [Churchill’s] drama. . . . One cannot do better than this book.” “An altogether absorbing popular biography . . . The heroic Churchill is in these pages, but so is the little boy writing forlorn letters to the father who all but ignored him.” “Superb . . . [Manchester] pulls together the multitudinous facets of one of the richest lives ever to be chronicled. . . . Churchill and Manchester were clearly made for each other.” “A vivid, thoroughly detailed biography of the Winston Churchill nobody knows.” “Adds a grand dimension . . . rich in historical and social contexts.”

When Winston Spencer Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace, Imperial Britain stood at the splendid pinnacle of her power. Yet within a few years, the Empire would hover on the brink of a catastrophic new era. This first volume of the best-selling biography of the adventurer, aristocrat, soldier, and statesman covers the first 58 years of the remarkable man whose courageous vision guided the destiny of those darkly troubled times—and who looms today as one of the greatest figures of the 20th century. Black and white photos & illustrations. "Adds a grand dimension...Rich in historical and social contexts."—Time. "Bedazzling.''—Newsweek. "Absolutely magnificent...A delight to read."—Russell Baker. "Stylish...The heroic Churchill is in these pages, but so is the little boy writing forlorn letters to the father who all but ignored him, and the romantic who once courted Ethel Barrymore and ended up with a lovely fifty-seven-year-long marriage to a woman whose pet name for him was 'Pig'...An altogether absorbing popular biography."—People.

Newsweek

"Bedazzling.''

"In this, the first volume, Manchester follows Churchill from his birth to 1932, when he began to warn against the re-militarization of Germany. Born of an American mother and the gifted but unstable son of a duke, his childhood was one of wretched neglect. He sought glory on the battlefields of Cuba, Sudan, India, South Africa and the trenches of France. In Parliament he was the prime force behind the creation of Iraq and Jordan, laid the groundwork for the birth of Israel, and negotiated the independence of the Irish Free State. Yet, as Chancellor of the Exchequer he plunged England into economic crisis, and his fruitless attempt to suppress Gandhi's quest for Indian independence brought political chaos to Britain. Throughout, Churchill learned the lessons that would prepare him for the storm to come, and as the 1930's began, he readied himself for the coming battle against Nazism--an evil the world had never before seen."-- Provided by publisher Vol. 3: "Spanning the years 1940 to 1965, The Last Lion: Defender of the Realm begins shortly after Winston Churchill became prime minister--when Great Britain stood alone against the overwhelming might of Nazi Germany. In brilliant prose and informed by decades of research, William Manchester and Paul Reid recount how Churchill organized his nation's military response and defense, convinced FDR to support the cause, and personified the 'never surrender' ethos that helped win the war. We witness Churchill, driven from office, warning the world of the coming Soviet menace. And after his triumphant return to 10 Downing Street, we follow him as he pursues his final policy goal: a summit with President Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet leaders. And in the end, we experience Churchill's last years, when he faces the end of his life with the same courage he brought to every battle he ever fought." Vol. 1: "When Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874, Imperial Britain stood at the splendid pinnacle of her power. Yet within a few years the Empire would hover on the brink of catastrophe. Against this backdrop, a remarkable man began to build his legacy. From master biographer William Manchester, The Last Lion: Visions of Glory reveals the first fifty-eight years of the life of an adventurer, aristocrat, soldier, and statesman whose courageous leadership guided the destiny of his darkly troubled times--and who is remembered as one of the greatest figures of the twentieth century." s/t: Winston Spencer Churchill: Visions of Glory 1874-1932 When Winston Spencer Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace, Imperial Britain stood at the splendid pinnacle of her power. Yet within a few years, the Empire would hover on the brink of a catastrophic new era. This first volume of the best-selling biography of the adventurer, aristocrat, soldier, and statesman covers the first 58 years of the remarkable man whose courageous vision guided the destiny of those darkly troubled times and who looms today as one of the greatest figures of the 20th century. Black and white photos & illustrations. Vol. 2: "In this powerful biography, the middle volume of William Manchester's critically acclaimed trilogy, Winston Churchill wages his defining campaign: not against Hitler's war machine but against his own reluctant countrymen. Manchester contends that even more than his leadership in combat, Churchill's finest hour was the uphill battle against appeasement. As Parliament received with jeers and scorn his warnings against the growing Nazi threat, Churchill stood alone--only to be vindicated by history as a beacon of hope amid the gathering storm." Details the life of a man whose ambitions and serious flaws made him one of the world's most powerful leaders, placing Churchill's career against the backdrop of the Second World War and the collapse of the British Empire WINSTON'S early appearance, despite its implications, actually improved Jennie's relationship with her mother-in-law.