Product Description

The long-awaited second volume of the best Churchill biography reveals the true portrait of this ambitious world leader. Discussion centers on the alarm he sounded about the terrible plot being hatched inside Hitler's deranged mind. Two 8-page photos inserts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23711 in Books
• Published on: 1989-09-03
• Released on: 1989-09-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 800 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780385313315
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Volume 2 of the life of Winston Spencer Churchill
"The Last Lion: Alone, 1932-1940," the second of William Manchester?s projected three-volume biography of Winston Spencer Churchill, continues telling the story of the life of the 20th century?s greatest statesman. This volume covers the eight-year period from the beginning of Churchill?s longest period in the political "wilderness," to his rise to power as Prime Minister of Great Britain at the beginning of World War II. I think this book is even better than the first volume, "The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932." Manchester contends that the inter-war years, and not his years as Prime Minister, were Churchill?s personal "finest hour." Politically ostracized by two successive Prime Ministers ? Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain, the main architects of Britain?s policy of appeasing Nazi Germany ? Churchill was one of only a handful of men in Britain to speak out in favor of increased military preparedness as a means of countering the growing Nazi threat in Europe. Only when it became obvious in the late 1930s that the appeasement of Hitler had failed, did the British nation turn to the one man who had consistently advocated standing up to the Nazi dictator: Winston Spencer Churchill

As he did in the first volume of Churchill?s life, Manchester provides an insightful historical overview of the times in which Churchill lived. Especially fascinating to me was the account of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain?s 1938 trip to Munich, where the most infamous act of appeasing Hitler ? the sellout of Czechoslovakia ? took place, and where Chamberlain believed he had achieved "peace in our times."

"The Last Lion: Alone, 1932-1940" once again clearly demonstrates why William Manchester is one of the pre-eminent biographers at work today. The book is written with obviously meticulous scholarship, insightful analysis, and crisp, sparkling prose; I have yet to find a better account of Churchill?s life. Now, if only Mr. Manchester would give us that third volume . . .

The 3rd book in the series is coming...
I did a little research on this and thought I'd post what I found. William Manchester, sadly, died in 2004 before he could complete the 3rd book. But before he died he arranged for a journalist, Paul Reid, to write the rest of the book - now apparently scheduled for release in 2008.

Here is a blog posting I found from johninnorthcarolina.blogspot.com :

The Churchill Series - May 17, 2007

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

As almost all of you know, William Manchester, one of the most popular of Churchill's many biogrphers, died while working on the third volume of The Last Lion, the first two volumes of which, Visions of Glory and Alone, topped best seller lists and remain in print.

But there will be a third volume after all. It's working title is Defender of the Realm. Paul Reid, a friend of Manchester's is working with Manchester's notes and drafts to complete the book in time for release in 2008.

One of those asked to review proofs of Defender of the Realm reported to others via email receiving the following from Reid:

I have finished Parts One (1940) and Two (1941) and will be through Parts Three, Four and Five by mid-2007. Publication is set for sometime in 2008. Bill's notes and interviews run to thousands of pages, enough to fuel at least three more volumes.

My job, therefore, is to pace this final volume. About half of it will cover 1940 and 1941, about forty-percent the remainder of the war and about 10-15 percent the post-war years. Bill saw the post-war years (or at least the last decade) as a long "afterward". Having been guided by Bill the last year of his life, and having in hand the pages he wrote (to the fall of France) I think I have a good feeling for the pace he set and where he was going.

The pages Bill finished are, as was usual with William Manchester, marvelous, full of suspense and foreshadowing, a real tale beautifully told.

Among many things he made clear to me was his desire that this book be an enjoyable read for younger people, people under 40 years of age who did not grow up with stories of the War percolating through their household.

The sad part is that Manchester never finished
this series. Ending Churchill's bio at 1940 is like eating a great apetizer and getting called away before you can enjoy the main course. Still, he brings to light the great truth of Churchill's phenomenal, stout-hearted genius. He was truly a man for his time, the man of the century, who assembled his team and studied his role for years before anyone but he understood it would be required. Any discussion of the word "vision" that leaves out Churchill in the thirties is struly neglectful -- he saw the future, and his necessary role in it, better than any historical figure I know about.

Manchester is such a modern and engaging writer, his ability to contextualize the man and his mileu is indispensible. We get to know the women who cultured and nurtured that lightning brain, the men who tried to debase his ideas because they led to course of action they were afraid of. This is the story of a lonely struggle to make the truth known, and to lead men, against the tide of opinion, to its inevitable consequense. It is one thing to bring about a change in ideas -- yet another to get people to act in ways that every bone in their bodies screams out against. Manchester elucidates the story with great attention to factual detail, and still makes the story compelling. Bravo!