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39th out of 39 books
—
26 voters
Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War, 1874-1945
by
Carlo D'Este
Carlo D'Este's brilliant new biography examines Winston Churchill through the prism of his military service as both a soldier and a warlord: a descendant of Marlborough who, despite never having risen above the rank of lieutenant colonel, came eventually at age sixty-five to direct Britain's military campaigns as prime minister and defeated Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito...more
Hardcover, 864 pages
Published
November 11th 2008
by Harper
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Aug 05, 2011
Urey Patrick
added it
I would call this a specialized biography of a historical giant... specialized in that the author has limited himself to an examination of Churchill's childhood, adolescence and those periods in Churchill's adult life in which he was in the military, attending a war or involved in wartime leadership (WWI & WWII). Now it must be said that Churchill's wartime experiences and involvements are the basis for his unquestionable historical eminence. He will not be remembered as a giant bestriding t...more
Jan 24, 2010
Mike
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Churchill buffs
Recommended to Mike by:
Xmas gift
The inestimable Carlo D'Este has written a work on Winston Churchill consisting entirely of his life at war, in the military, and/or dealing with the military.
The book begins with Churchill's childhood, and the time he spent at boarding and military schools as a youth. Winston's imperious and unloving father apparently gave him the drive and ambition to do big things, however, his lackluster and insolent performance gave his teachers and fellow students cause for doubt.
Churchill spent time in In...more
The book begins with Churchill's childhood, and the time he spent at boarding and military schools as a youth. Winston's imperious and unloving father apparently gave him the drive and ambition to do big things, however, his lackluster and insolent performance gave his teachers and fellow students cause for doubt.
Churchill spent time in In...more
I really liked the book. I've read two other biographies by D'este, Patton and Eisenhour, and think Carlo D'este does a very good job presenting people as they are/were. I was interested in the childhood of Winston and events that influenced him. The book seems to have ended abruptly. Perhaps that is how it was for Winston too. He worked so hard to keep England together then after the Americans got in the war and got their war machine up to speed it passed Winston by and he was passed by too. Th...more
Jan 05, 2009
Samantha
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone with a love of WWII history, biographies of famous people
Recommended to Samantha by:
A friend
I'm honestly not sure what I was expecting when I began this book. I liked the full glimpse of the man behind WWII Britain, but I found myself to be rather sad that he wasn't a well-liked figure.
This book did a very good job of covering his relationships with numerous people (including the public), and his peers, as well as everything that lead up to him becoming Prime Minister. However, having said that, there were A LOT of details. I think I got lost in them along the way.
Overall, I liked the...more
This book did a very good job of covering his relationships with numerous people (including the public), and his peers, as well as everything that lead up to him becoming Prime Minister. However, having said that, there were A LOT of details. I think I got lost in them along the way.
Overall, I liked the...more
A very good summary of Churchill's role as war leader almost to the exclusion of everything else. An engaging narrative with sturdy prose. The only thing missing to my (current?) taste was the lack of analysis and judgement on the part of the author. I understand (and respect) his desire to be impartial, but besides mentioning the judgement of others, I'd've enjoyed more analysis of the decisions made by Churchill as war leader--were they good? Should he have known better, what could he have don...more
I've been a D'Estes fan since I read his book on Patton 15 years ago. This book did not disappoint. D'Estes always takes a thorough look at his subjects. Churchill was an amazingly strong and contradictory character. The War very well may have been lost without him, but he was his own worst enemy when it came to tactics and strategy.
The book was quite lengthy, and I sometimes got lost in the details of his life. It is the danger of any biography or history that is in any manner comprehensive. I suppose I liked the book ok. To me Churchill seems to come off as a bit petulant, like he never really grew up. Who knows. Maybe it was the case.
Dec 27, 2008
Harry
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Harry by:
C-Span
"Warlord is a masterful, unsparing portrait of one of history's most fascinating and influential leaders during what was arguably the most crucial event in human history."
This book spans the gap from the famous, Churchill, to the personal, you the reader.
Harry Podschwit
This book spans the gap from the famous, Churchill, to the personal, you the reader.
Harry Podschwit
This is a great book on the life of one of the most powerful men of the 20th Century. I learned a lot about his great strengths and more about his troubling weaknesses. His resolve got UK through the first half of the war and his meddling also led to a lot of death that was avoidable! It is a great read with powerful lessons about staring down evil!
I liked the fact that this focuses on Churchill's military career (before and during WWII). Long, and slow at times, but an interesting read.
Excellent biography on the life and mainly the military career of Winston Churchill. This goes to his childhood and how he became an officer and fought in the Boer War in South Africa and fought in the trenches in Europe during World War I.
Didn't get far before realizing that this book requires the reader to be interested in war.
A very interesting book, and fairly easy to get through, as it doesn't get bogged down in technical military details. I was a bit surprised at how childish Churchill was; I'm sure I would have disliked him almost instantly. Just goes to show that you don't have to be perfect to be great.
Tasha gave me this book for Christmas last year. It is an excellent read.
This is the finest military and political biography I have read.
interesting, but not enough to
This book is not an easy read, but it is well worth it. In the midst of detailed descriptions of battles fought, the author keeps the focus on Winston Churchill - with a sharp depiction of his strengths and his weaknesses. His eloquence helped carry the British (and the Allies) through a turbulent time. But his ego, his wrecklessness, and his unpredictable ways could have led to another outcome. As a "warlord" he was imperfect; but as a leader, he was an inspiration.
A life of Winston Churchill at War. 1874-1945.
There's a whole collection of Churchill biographies out there and I've enjoyed so many. This one stands out for its focus on military strategy and on Churchill's one-of-a-kind personality. I think the author did an exceptional job of drawing a line between Churchill's tendencies towards depression or mania and his brilliance or foolishness as a commander. There are lessons for ever leader throughout.
"Elegantly written, this tour de force belongs in every library addressing the 20th century�.D'Este is a master analyst of 20th-century military leadership, and this book may be his finest yet."�Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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Derivative with nothing new to set it apart from other biographies of Churchill. I felt the author could have done much better in fleshing out Churchill's experiences in Africa, considering that Churchill himself wrote so much on the topic. It felt that the author was writing just to produce a product. I hate to say it, but it was a waste of time.
A very interesting and well researched book on Churchill during wwII. Quotes from the people's diaries around him during the war. You get a feel for the weight Churchill had on his shoulders during the war. D'Este was just name the Pritzker Military Libraries Fellow for the next year. I look forward to hear him speak when the library brings him to Chicago.
An informative and interesting British perspective of Churchill.
Poorly written and bothersome to read. I was hoping for a better showing as Churchill has always been of great interest to me. Of course, no one can do better than the old grouch himself at telling the story of his life.
Fascinating.
I enjoyed the book. The author mentioned the great things Churchill did as well as his blunders. It was a bit too detailed at times, but overall a very good read.
Great book on a great man. Should be mandatory reading for all leaders, politicians and those serving in the military.
trop long . trop de details . on a traduit ceci mais on dvrais traduire jenkins et hastings aussi. sur ce meme sujet.
My favorite read of 2009. Hands down.
Simply wonderful
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| Father figure | 2 | 3 | Aug 30, 2012 12:21pm |
Carlo D'Este retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel in 1978, having served overseas in Germany, Vietnam, and England. Born in Oakland, California, he received his B.A. from Norwich University and his M.A. from the University of Richmond and an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Norwich in 1992.
More about Carlo D'Este...
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