Mammoth biography

At over 53 hours, this is a vast undertaking to listen to, let alone to have written. It starts just before Churchill takes power in May 1940 and ends with his death. The earlier volumes were written by William Manchester alone, whilst this is written almost entirely by Paul Reid, using the notes compiled by the dying Manchester.

With good narration, this is a competent telling of the great man's story, rich in detail. It is written with an American audience in mind, covering most key moments well. I say "most", as there are some that I feel lack some relevant detail. An example would be the machinations around Churchill's appointment in 1940, the rumblings of revolt amongst the establishment for peace in the months after his appointment, and Yalta, which is disposed of in jarringly short order.

The years after Churchill's loss of the 1945 election are covered in the last 8 or so hours of the book. This seems too short; he was, after all, Prime Minister for much of the 1950's, and lived for a further 10 years, if increasingly frail and inactive.

Another area which lacks critical analysis is the relationship between Churchill and the Americans, especially Roosevelt. It is clear that Roosevelt handles Churchill with calculation and barely concealed cynicism. Churchill, for his part, appears extraordinarily naive in comparison, although this may be simply a realistic acceptance of his subsidiary role. This critical nexus in his life demands critical analysis, especially when so much of the book describes these dealings in detail. Perhaps this is hard for an American to do, perhaps Paul Reid's relative inexperience meant he had his hands full just getting all of this down.

Nevertheless, these are minor criticisms given the scale of the work. It rams home what a wonderful, full life this great man led.

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3 people found this helpful

A Great Story, A Great Briton and A Great Leader !

Thoroughly absorbing and insightful. A long listen but then if you consider how much this Great Leader crammed into those years of his life, to maintain our freedom, I guess a few hours is nothing for the listeners. Highly recommended !

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Europe's last lion

Great story beyond amazing this man and his belligerent attitude to his belives changed history. Without him the world would be very different place.. This book breaks it down and you take even more pride in our winston more than you would of before.

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FIRST AND SECOND EPISODE NOT AVAILABLE ON UK SITE

Would you listen to The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume 3 again? Why?

Some day, but given I just spent over 50 hours in 2 weeks listening to it, not for a while

What did you like best about this story?

A great man with a great task, achieved

What does Paul Reid and Clive Chafer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Being read the book was a luxury that allowed me to consume it whilst driving, doing chores, and a dozen different tasks, where I couldn't possibly have read the text in the amount of reading time I would have in those 2 weeks

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

it is the greatest tale of the modern age - World War II, and Churchill's own part in it

Any additional comments?

On first listening to the book I thought it slightly monotone, with a poor impersonation of Churchill by the narrator. As it continued, I became blind to the tone, and found what I had considered to be an 'impression' was in fact a reading with metre and cadence that allowed Churchill's words to be read in the gravitas the man himself had. Simply a great book I couldn't stop listening to - sometimes 7 hours in a day. I wish I'd known the first 2 books weren't available on the UK site, but knowing what I do now I would still have got the book

Masterpiece

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3 people found this helpful

A fantastic insight

This was a very long and in depth look at the life of Winston Churchill from his own perspective. It was put together beautifully and I loved the Churchill iteration when the words were from direct speech. It clearly showed the dry and acerbic sense of humour that was a constant throughout Churchill's life. As subtle or un-subtle as it seemed to be depending on the occasion.
I would recommend this book with anyone who has an avid interest in the life and times of Winston Churchill

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Manchesters finest hour

brilliant, long before the end , I felt like I really knew the man. a one in a billion man.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with the narrator, his accents when defining the different characters is subtle and nuanced, he let the story tell itself without getting in the way. an excellent narrator.

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