On May 13, 1940, Winston Churchill stood before the House of Commons to deliver his first speech as prime minister. Europe was in crisis: three days earlier, Germany had invaded France and the Low Countries. Facing only feeble resistance, Hitler’s armies were rapidly sweeping westward. Churchill had little support within the British government when he rose to address it that day. He lacked confidence, both in himself and in his ability to lead his nation to victory, for he recognized far earlier than most the military genius of Adolph Hitler, and the potency of the German military. In Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat, the eminent historian and master storyteller John Lukacs recreates this pivotal moment in world history, and reveals Churchill as he has rarely been seen before: as a man both unsure of himself and deeply fearful of his nation’s defeat.
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"A quick read, with a very clear overview of Churchill's May 13, 1940 speech, and how it impacted the whole war. Well-written and comprehensive, yet with good details. " — Gala (5 out of 5 stars)
"A quick read, with a very clear overview of Churchill's May 13, 1940 speech, and how it impacted the whole war. Well-written and comprehensive, yet with good details. "
“Churchill was a word-spinner if genius…A splendid anthology.”
“John Lee's bright, eloquent, and briskly paced narration gives just the right feel to this production.”
" There was a lot of history covered that I was not aware of. "
" interesting book about the monthes of May through September 1940 in England during the second world war. "
" I enjoy anything about churchill.Big fan. "
" Interesting read. All about the ascendancy of Churchill to power in 1940 and the speech he gave and it's impact on the war. "
" Very readable book about the influence of Churchill's speeches, starting with Churchills' first speech in May, 1940 on his assumption of the role of PM. "
" Good historical biography of those days at the beging of WWII. "
" A quick read, with a very clear overview of Churchill's May 13, 1940 speech, and how it impacted the whole war. Well-written and comprehensive, yet with good details. "
" This was my first time reading Lukacs and his prose style took a bit of getting used to, but I loved his insights on Churchill. There will definitely be more Lukacs in my future. "
" Audiobook very well read, but I kept finding my mind wandering. Despite the excellent reader, the prose is a bit dry. It's so short that I'll probably listen again. An interesting subject focusing on how Churchill dealt with the beginning of World War II. "
John Lukacs was professor of history at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, until his retirement and has been visiting professor at many universities. He is the author of twenty-one books, among them The Hitler of History, The Duel, The End of the Twentieth Century and the End of the Modern Age (which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize), and A Thread of Years. He is the recipient of numerous academic honors and awards.
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.
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