Churchill

Winston Churchill spent six decades in public life, and across that time he relied on the written and spoken word to explain his convictions and sketch the path he hoped Britain and the world would take. He published books, penned newspaper and magazine pieces, and delivered countless speeches, many of which still draw readers with their vivid prose and reflective tone. This collection gathers 200 passages from that body of work, chosen by Martin Gilbert, Churchill's official biographer.

The extracts trace Churchill's life from his earliest memories and schooldays to his long involvement in debates over social policy and war. They also cover his efforts after 1945 to help build a more peaceful world. Churchill used language for several purposes in these pieces: to press moral and political arguments, to recommend action at home and abroad, and to recount his own struggles, setbacks and triumphs.

Gilbert's introductory and linking commentary places each passage in context, so the selections form a continuous biographical narrative told largely in Churchill's own voice. The result offers a close look at his character and at the ways he shaped Britain's place on the international stage.