WINSTON CHURCHILL IN TRIAL AND TRIUMPH

by Alan Moorehead ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 16, 1955

A brief, biographical testimonial to Winston Churchill selects from a crowded career the most decisive moments- which again may not be the best known- the successes and reverses in the long public lifetime of the greatest Briton since Wellington. In so doing, the courage, the dignity, the gusto, the tenacity and the resilience of the man reenforce the remarkable solidity of this life which drew much of its strength from family ties and traditions. And so it is, that we see Churchill at the ""zenith of his soldiering"" during the last flourishing cavalry action at Omdurman; then returning to ""re-create and vindicate"" the father he had scarcely known during his first years in the House. The failure of the crucial Gallipoli campaign was also, if unfairly, his; the 20's saw his strong opposition against Labour and Communism- and again not a popular figure in the 30's, his warnings were nonetheless fulfilled. At 66, called back to the Admiralty, then as Prime Minister, the exhilaration and determination of the great leader and the ""great persuader"" were at their fullest, and ""it will always be remembered that at the lowest moment of the country's history... he somehow succeeded in raising Britain's name to a height which it had seldom, if ever, occupied before"". The one indomitable man, admired and adored, the subsequent fall from grace and power in 1945 had its elements of disbelief also for Churchill; the next years however were filled with his painting, his bricklaying, and his prodigious writing until his recall. In contrast to this- his own full chronicle of the war years, and also to Virginia Cowles' fuller biography (Harper-1953)- this is perhaps Just a footnote- but with its selective focus and sharpened insight it provides an enduring evaluation of the man and his career.

Pub Date: Aug. 16, 1955

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Houghton, Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1955

Categories: NONFICTION