Churchill

Churchill

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73  ·  rating details  ·  1,069 ratings  ·  203 reviews

An acclaimed historian presents a revelatory look at the greatest statesman of the twentieth century

For eminent historian Paul Johnson, Winston Churchill remains an enigma in need of unraveling. Soldier, parliamentarian, Prime Minister, orator, painter, writer, husband, and leader—all of these facets combine to make Churchill one of the most complex and fascinating person...more
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published November 3rd 2009 by Viking Adult (first published January 1st 2009)
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Jesse Broussard
Jan 22, 2013 Jesse Broussard rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Insomniacs.
Shelves: mediocre, non-fiction
All in all, rather badly done. Well researched, but his focus couldn't have been more limp-wristed and pathetic.

He wrote this book to answer the question, "Did Churchill save England?" The answer, if you were wondering, is yes. He saved not only England, but the world. If it weren't for Churchill, you wouldn't even exist. And neither would puppies or kittens or butterflies or ice cream. I was hoping to hear about the man, or at least some funny quotes from the legend. I got very little of either...more
Eliza
12/30/2012: How does one write a biography of such an important historical figure in 175 pages? Very carefully! Johnson is a brilliant writer, almost a poet in his ability to compress so much information into so few words. His prose is clear, concise, easy to follow, yet packed with names, dates, opinions. Not having read the next longest biography of Churchill (I think many of them run to almost a thousand pages), I can only imagine how hard Johnson must have worked to sort through what to incl...more
Jim
Oct 29, 2012 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: mba
“If you want to learn, write.”

My manager from the summer left me with that thought after a chat we had one afternoon over cocktails. We were on a patio overlooking the Chicago River and he was telling me stories about his very odd career trajectory. The only commonality among his various jobs, including stints as a speechwriter in Washington and a guru at several technology companies, was their connection to his two underlying passions: writing and technology. But he wanted to focus on one of t...more
Joey Reed
I don't plan to finish this book. I was looking for something that would give me insight into the life of Winston Churchill.

Much of what is in this book was already covered in my history classes from elementary school through graduate school.

That is not to say that it is not well executed. That deserves its own sentence. The style is weak, and leaves the reader wanting more in terms of content, style, and prose. One simply does not "report" about the greatest oratory of the 20th century.

In most...more
Paul
I love historian Paul Johnson and I love biographies on Winston Churchill so when I found this combination of favorites I knew it had to be a good read. Johnson wrote this book when he was 81 years old which may explain why it's so short, only 168 pages. But Johnson has a magical way of capturing the salient features of even a complex life like Churchill's. The stories behind several of Churchill's famous quotes and experiences are captured as are personal insights into his habits, relationships...more
Dan Glover
Winston Churchill was one of the biggest figures ever to play upon the stage of the 20th century. More than any other man (or any other 20 men) he stopped Hitler's domination of Europe and the world but that is only one of the well known contributions he made to the world. The sheer force of his personality and will continue to shape the world today in many ways that the average person doesn't realize. He was flawed and in some ways deeply so, but he was just what the world needed when it was mo...more
Linda
From the ridiculous to the sublime, I finish first Cheever, then Churchill. I enjoyed Cheever more but certainly admired Churchill much more.


He was the only British Prime Minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature and the first person to be recognizes as an honorary citizen of the United States. He singularly impacted the twentieth century as no one else could. He is quoted to this day. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/aut... He was Prime Minister of England twice, he was listened...more
Mike W
Paul Johnson has done an excellent job of encapsulating the life of a great man. Some readers will, no doubt, want to go on to read a longer and more through treatment. Johnson himself recommends Roy Jenkins' biography. But those who want to read a short book that captures the essence of the man would do well to look here.

Johnson clearly admires Churchill but this book, while admiring, never verges into idolatry. For example, it points out the inconsistencies in his political views, criticizes h...more
Pam
My biggest problem with Churchill biographies (yes, I've read them all in detail) is the length. How do you do justice to arguably the most important leader of the 20th century and perhaps the most important leader of Great Britain ever while keeping it to a manageable size? Churchill himself does not help you. He lived for 90 years, 55 of those years he was a member of parliament, and of those years 31 he spent as a minister, and 8 of those years he was prime minister. Additionally biographers...more
Gerry
Wow, for a short book (158 pages) Johnson provides an interesting overview of Churchill, a soldier, adventurer, journalist, pilot, politician, statesman, author and artist. OK, as a history buff I am well aware of Churchill though I admit I never knew his depth. In his 90 years of life he served 55 years as a member of parliament, 31 years as a minister and nearly 9 years as prime minister, he published nearly 10 million words, painted over 500 canvases and drank nearly 20,000 bottles of champa...more
Rick
Johnson, the conservative historian, has written a brief but entertaining and authoritative biography of the great British politician (and writer, painter, and builder, though only the first of those three sidelines challenged his political prowess). The author also has the advantage of living during Churchill’s finest era—he was 12 when Churchill became prime minister in the spring of 1940—and having met and interviewed him during his elder statesmen period. These latter two facts, coupled with...more
William Blair
The outpouring of books that reveal new facts about the life of Winston Churchill continues. This short, 181-page volume received (what I think is) only a so-so review at Slate.com, and not much better elsewhere. I think that is unfortunate. After reading the book, I now understand the reviewers' real objection: it's too short (as if they were trying to say "too short on facts" as opposed to errors of fact). I agree: the book is way too short. On nearly every page there was an event or assertion...more
Melora
I guess it's not fair to fault this for being sketchy when I picked it for its length. Given the number of pages (166), Johnson did a reasonable job of describing Churchill's life and career. So, this is more life an "introduction" to Churchill than anything else. (I considered the Roy Jenkins biography, and that probably would have been more satisfactory, but it also, at over 1000 pages, would have been more of a commitment than I was after.)

This is the first book I've read by Paul Johnson, and...more
Naresh
Churchil by Paul Johnson, is a brilliant book and Mr.Johnson is a precise writer with full command of the music of words.

I did enjoy reading about Churchil, as he was one of the most charismatic,enigmatic and yet controversial leader the world ever had seen in the 20th century! it was pleasure to understand what make's him so special and what were the secrets behind, such a diversified persona.

Winston Churchil led a full life, and few people are ever likely to equal it - its amplitude,variety, a...more
Jake Kilroy
Churchill was a goddamn lunatic. There's no other way to put it. He just was. I mean, anyone who says, "Gandhi-ism and everything it stands for will have to be grappled with and crushed" is obviously a man of intensity. He's not one of those historical figures where some people find him boring and some find fascinating. No. Even if he was alive and well and in power now, we would watch him with great, serious interest. It doesn't matter what you think of him. The man was involved in the creation...more
Nathan Moore
This was my first book on Churchill so my review must be taken with a grain of salt. I am a fan of short biographies, but only for one reason... to determine if I want to read full-length, multi-volume treatments of one's life. Given the magnitude and length of Churchill's life I find it hard to fault Johnson for his effort but found myself slightly disappointed. It wasn't until the end of the book that I realized most of my disappointment is due to the fact that this man's life cannot, perhaps...more
Janis
A short, very readable biography of Winston Churchill (Winnie to those who love him) by the Englishman, Paul Johnson, the book reads like a novel, not for any lack of historical fact, but because Winnie led such a full life, both publicly and privately. And by privately, I don’t mean the sordid stuff. He was a devoted husband and father, a prolific writer, a painter, a bricklayer, a gardener, and much more. Most notably, Winston experienced success and failure on an incredibly grand scale (and s...more
Kristen
Sep 18, 2010 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people interested in a basic history of Churchill
Ever since visiting Chartwell, Churchill's house in England, I've wanted to learn more about him. Although I knew the basics about Churchill's life, and respected his accomplishments, I didn't realize how amazing he was, or how much he did, until I visited his house. This biography was a great place to start. It's very pro-Churchill, but, then again, I think it would be hard to be extremely anti-Churchill. Agree with his politics or not, he was one of the most influential figures of the 20th cen...more
Liam O'Shiel
I have read a great deal about Churchill and at least a small portion of the huge amount he wrote. While I did not learn much in this book that was new to me, what I found refreshing was the author's straightforward willingness to tell you what he thinks. Perhaps my positive reaction to this work is influenced by my own conviction that Churchill was one of the very few pivotal figures of history, without whom (I am convinced) world affairs would have taken a very different direction. Johnson wri...more
Charlotte
This book caught my eye because I thought it would give me a view of the period presented in Doris Kearns Goodwin's book No Ordinary Time about the Roosevelt's from the British side of the ocean. The book was biographical so covered all of Churchill's life. There was less in it of the American-English teamwork than was presented in No Ordinary Time, though there were definite references to it. Goodwin implies their relationship as much closer than Johnson indicates, however it is seen as importa...more
Mike
More of an extended essay than a full biography, Churchill is a short summation of the man's life. I mean, even the title states the bare minimum, so that should give you an idea of the author's approach. Not that short equals shoddy. As Churchill himself once said, "Judge a box not by its size but by its contents."

OK, he actually never said that (that I know of anyway...), but you know what I mean.

It's obvious that Johnson cares greatly for his subject, so if you're looking for a critical exami...more
Deb
I picked this up because it was short and I didn't know really that much about the esteemed statesman except that he was purported to have a wicked sense of humor. Churchill has many more qualities that I admire now. His parents did not think he was too bright as a child and marked him for a military career, therefore he was largely self educated, he was a liberal and is credited with legislation that provided pensions and welfare, he was an artist who painted over 500 paintings and an author wh...more
Catherine
I highly recommend this enjoyable and accessible bio of Churchill. Author Paul Johnson notes "Few people who knew him well are left alive, and those who met him, as I did, are a dwindling band. But people will be writing about him in a thousand years' time, such is the magic of the man and his doings." If you don't ha...ve time to read it, check out the NPR interview with Paul Johnson http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
or at least take to heart Churchill's response when asked "'Mr. Churchil...more
Hava
I listened to this on CD and thoroughly enjoyed it. I of course knew who Churchill was, but did not know more than the basics about him, so I learned a lot from this biography.
Others have commented that this was too short and that you should read the longer biographies written about him. For me, however, this was the perfect length. There is so much to learn about in this world, I don't have the time to spend weeks on one particular prson. I want to learn about Churchill - I don't want to write...more
D Books
You can tell by the way that the author wrote this book that he was deeeeeply amorous of Churchill. He even boasted about having once slept in the same bed that Churchill once had slept. (Need I say more of how creepy this guy sounds.) It appears that the author could not depict Churchill’s life in any other way then being a British hero who had minor faults. This was definitely a one sided account of the life of Winston Churchill. If you only want to know the cold hard facts about Mr. Churchill...more
Daniel2
Very good, well written, brief review of Churchill's life. It's a great primer on not only the events but the motives for many of the Lion's actions. There is if course a slight bias for the writer was acquainted with Churchill somehow. Though the narrative's intention is not to sway the opinion of Churchill's detractors. If your not a fan of Churchy you're not going to like the book, mostly because you're a leftist, which is fine, but you won't appreciate the book's light tone which is almost a...more
Ryan
I find Churchill an incredibly compelling figure. It's not hard to argue that he's the greatest figure in 20th century history - flawed, multi-dimensional, human in his foibles and his heroism. But this book is too slim to really capture the richness of his character. It's like a very well written long wikipedia article. Many of the questions that I find interesting - for example, how did Chuchill transform himself from a very poor student to the brilliant man we know - aren't explored.

I think...more
Tim
This is a happy little biography of a great man. I've read a handful of bios on Churchill, and I think that this is the best (for its size). It progresses nicely through his life and gives a good feel for the development of the man. The author, Paul Johnson, highlights Churchill's political falls and his comebacks. In the end, Johnson even gives life lessons drawn from the study of Churchill, including 1) set your goals very high and 2) work very hard toward them. Those two lessons may seem comm...more
Karen
At first I couldn't believe that such a short book could really capture anything meaningful about Churchill's long, varied and complex life and career. But Johnson's book is actually a wonderfully written portrait of the man. His intent is clearly to try to capture something of who Churchill really was and how such a man was able to accomplish what he did, and I think he succeeds admirably in this. If you want any real detail about battles or Parliamentary proceedings or his family you will need...more
Paul Kerr
So far so good. Been meaning to read a book on Churchill for a while, just wanted to find a reasonable entry level reading. Looks like this might be it...and so it was. Extremely quick and easy read which, in my mind at least, provided me with an excellent overview of not just Churchill;s achievements (and defeats) but also provided me some further insights into other political characters of the day that Churchill interacted with. Overall, recommended to anyone who wants to understand more of Ch...more
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Paul Johnson works as a historian, journalist and author. He was educated at Stonyhurst School in Clitheroe, Lancashire and Magdalen College, Oxford, and first came to prominence in the 1950s as a journalist writing for, and later editing, the New Statesman magazine. He has also written for leading newspapers and magazines in Britain, the US and Europe.

Paul Johnson has published over 40 books incl...more
More about Paul Johnson...
A History of the American People Modern Times: The World from the Twenties to the Nineties A History of the Jews (Perennial Library) Intellectuals: From Marx and Tolstoy to Sartre and Chomsky The Birth of the Modern: World Society 1815-1830

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