Description
Book SynopsisA
New York Times Notable Book of the Year
A major reassessment of Winston Churchill that examines his lasting influence in politics and culture.
Trade Review"Few have argued the case as powerfully as Wheatcroft.…[He] is a skilled prosecutor with a rapier pen.…Wheatcroft’s could be the best single-volume indictment of Churchill yet written." -- Peter Baker - New York Times Book Review
"Trenchant…Even readers sick of Churchill will find much to enjoy, partly because Wheatcroft is such a fluent and entertaining writer, but also because he has so many interesting and provocative things to say." -- Dominic Sandbrook - Sunday Times (UK)
"A clear-eyed, incisive, and superbly balanced account of Churchill, the man and the myth. Wheatcroft shows how a deeply flawed character, with outdated views on empire and race even by the standards of his own time, but a ‘Rossini of rhetoric,’ caught a wave of history in 1940 and became the darling of the British and American Right. Much to think about in the twenty-first century." -- Robert Gildea, professor of Modern History, University of Oxford, and author of Empires of the Mind
"Provocative, clear-sighted, richly textured, and wonderfully readable, this is the indispensable book on Churchill for the post–Brexit 2020s: of unmissable and sometimes uncomfortable relevance to both British exceptionalists and those who fail to understand the seductive allure of that exceptionalism." -- David Kynaston, author of Tales of a New Jerusalem
"Hagiographers beware; Wheatcroft has skewered the cult of Churchill hero worship. This book reminds us that while Churchill was Britain’s savior in 1940, his views on race and empire, and his military debacles from the Dardanelles to Dieppe, make it unwise to revere him like a saint." -- Samir Puri, author of The Great Imperial Hangover
"Invigorating.... An exhilarating reassessment that will appeal to Churchill buffs and newcomers alike." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Authoritative…Wheatcroft brings superior scholarship, controlled, intermittently witty prose, and warts-and-all admiration…A lively and rigorous deep dive into the ambiguous, still-relevant geopolitical odyssey that Churchill represents." -- Kirkus, starred review
"A provocative reevaluation of an iconic figure." -- Booklist, starred review
"Fans of history will find much value in this readable work." -- Library Journal
