Overview

New York Times bestselling biographer Barbara Leaming has written a riveting political dramaof the last ten years of Winston Churchill's public life. In Churchill Defiant, Leaming tells the tumultuous behind-the-scenes story of Churchill's refusal to retire after his 1945 electoral defeat, and the bare-knuckled political and personal battles that ensued. Her ground-breaking biography Jack Kennedy: The Education of a Statesman, was the first to detail Churchill's extraordinary influence on Kennedy's thinking. Now in Churchill Defiant, Leaming gives us a vivid and compelling narrative that sheds fresh light on both the human dimension of Winston Churchill and on the struggles and achievements of his final years. At last, in Leaming's eloquent account, we understand the tangled web of personal relationships and rivalries, the intricate interplay of past and present, the looming sense of history that makes the story of these years as fascinating as anything in the extraordinary century-long saga of Winston Churchill's life.

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9780061337604

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Reviews

2010 Churchill Book of the Year . . . . Leaming's insight is extraordinary. --Richard Langworth, Finest Hour: The Journal of Winston Churchill

Colorful details abound. . . . A beguiling portrait of a leading politician who refuses to acknowledge his waning powers. --Daily Express (London)

'Never give in!' The fighting spirit of Winston Churchill comes alive in Barbara Leaming's brutal chronicle of the great man's second premiership. --Chris Matthews, Host of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews Fascinating. . . . A memorable and very readable portrait of one of the 20th century's towering figures. --Roanoke Times Insightful and highly entertaining...Leaming's masterfully written and intimate book is a rich insider's tale of back-stairs palace intrigue. Her superb sources provide wonderful insight into the personalities of the players and Leaming brings them alive in this period as few other authors have done. --Sarasota Herald Tribune Leaming tells a rousing story. . . . This is exciting historical writing. . . . Churchill was the greatest figure of an epic century. You need to know about the last ten years of his public life. --Liz Smith Sympathetic and highly readable...Leaming takes the reader on an intimate cruise of British politics. --San Francisco Chronicle 2010 Churchill Book of the Year . . . . Leaming's insight is extraordinary. --Richard Langworth, Finest Hour: The Journal of Winston Churchill Absorbing. . . . Illuminating. . . . Eminently readable political history. --Booklist Accomplished biographer Leaming tracks Winston Churchill's masterful postwar comeback. . . . A lively chronicle. . . . Tight, polished and effectively focused on the lesser-known end of Churchill's career. --Kirkus Reviews The plot, which covers the last 10 years of [Churchill's] political life, could hardly be more gripping. . . . Barbara Leaming has fashioned a poignant narrative. Like any good storyteller, she focuses sharply on the protagonist and his aspirations. . . . Compelling. --Sunday Times (London) I knew Winston Churchill in his last years--as well as a callow 18-year-old can know a great man and world leader more than half a century older; and I am astounded at Barbara Leaming's almost uncanny perception of the workings of his mind. --John Julius Norwich, author of A History of Venice

Author Information

Barbara Leaming is a New York Times bestselling author. Her biography of John F. Kennedy was the first to detail the extraordinary influence of Winston Churchill on President Kennedy's intellectual formation and political strategies. She lives in Connecticut.

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