The Island Race

by Winston S. Churchill, Timothy Baker

Here is a history of Britain by one of its finest statesmen, a man who had himself crucially shaped events during perhaps the greatest crisis of modern times. Churchill's resonant prose brings to vivid and compelling life the political, constitutional and military landmarks of our history his purpose, to show that a sense of how man may live decently and democratically grew from the heritage of these islands.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 1964

About the author

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, politician and writer, as prime minister from 1940 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1955 led Great Britain, published several works, including The Second World War from 1948 to 1953, and then won the Nobel Prize for literature.

William Maxwell Aitken, first baron Beaverbrook, held many cabinet positions during the 1940s as a confidant of Churchill.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can), served the United Kingdom again. A noted statesman, orator and strategist, Churchill also served as an officer in the Army. This prolific author "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."

Out of respect for Winston_Churchill, the well-known American author, Winston S. Churchill offered to use his middle initial as an author.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston...

Reviews

[Leah]

This was a trip. It’s Winston Churchill’s history of Britain up through the 19th century, and it’s as biased and bombastic as you’d think. Of course it only covers war and politics, not art or culture of any kind. It is also a very shallow survey, not a comprehensive history. Still, it was interesting and I learned a lot. I also got even more insight into Churchill’s mind and writing, which was cool. The audiobook was good because the narrator’s posh British enunciation was perfect, but it also featured music that would swell and boom periodically. SO LOUD. Where do they think people are listening to this? It hurt my ears both in my car and when I was using earphones. Dear lord. Balance those volume levels, please, audiobook producers!

[Sanja_Sanjalica]

Continuing my Nobel laureate readings, this short account on history of Britain was really engaging, even for a non-enthusiast of history like myself. I like Churchill's style and pace. Of course, it is a nation glorifying essay, so objectivity might not be its strongest feature, but it does offer a concise overview of the tumultuous British history up to the early 20th century.

[Heidi Burkhart]

Somehow I expected this to be filled with personal thoughts and reflections, but it was a pretty straight forward history of the British Isles up to the beginning of the 20th century.

[Maximillian]

It's fascinating to read Churchill's imperialist account of British history

[D.]

An abridged adaptation of Churchill’s four-volume A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, covering Roman Britain through the Victorian era. The result is a mile wide and an inch deep — a rotating cast of monarchs and generals dispatched at such velocity that serious historical analysis never materializes. Churchill’s rhetorical flourishes are intact, including predictably outsized praise for the Duke of Marlborough, his direct ancestor. The better approach would have been to select a half-dozen monarchs or pivotal periods and treat them with the depth they deserve rather than surfing the wave tops of a millennium of history. The net effect is an encyclopedia entry dressed in Churchillian prose — occasionally stirring, ultimately unsatisfying. Recommended only for completists working through Churchill’s full body of work. 2.5 stars of a possible 5.

[Henry Davis IV]

A great but short read that could use more context for each of its fascinating little sections.

[Karie Mitchell]

Loved it. I learned so much.

[Doug]

I was listening to the audio version, which is dreadful. 30 seconds of dramatic music every few minutes sounds horrible when listening at accelerated speed.

[Joe Corrigan]

In an effort to understand colonialism and anti-colonialism in Canada, I wanted to read the work of one of history's greatest imperialists, Winston S. Churchill. I felt I needed a greater appreciation of Britain's self justification for the acts of domination forced on other peoples. Churchill's pride in "The Island Race", with its often violent history as well as his critical assessments about other cultures provides valuable insights into how European cultures, warring over centuries among themselves, set out to use their technology, military and naval assets to subject other peoples and places to their rule.

[Amos Kovacs]

קיצור ההיסטוריה האנגלית בשפה יפה לטובת אלה שכבר יודעים את ההיסטוריה האנגלית

[Kev]

The abridged version of "A History of the English Speaking Peoples" by Timothy Baker.