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Churchill Defiant: Fighting On: 1945-1955 Audiobook
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(3.08) - 38 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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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"Interesting choice of period for biography - from Churchill's stunning loss in 1945 until his retirement in 1955. It covers his battles to come back from defeat, to drive a peace summit with the US and USSR, and to retain power in the face of ambition and opposition in his own cabinet."
— Jason (4 out of 5 stars)
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“The fighting spirit of Winston Churchill comes alive in Barbara Leaming’s brutal chronicle of the great man’s second premiership…In Churchill Defiant we learn of our hero’s final campaign, his four-year quest for a historic parley with the Soviets. But this ‘old man in a hurry’ could not defeat age itself. That he was proved human, after all, made the grand achievements of his life—saving Britain in its ‘finest hour’ and the honor of the century, simply being Winston Churchill—all the more stunning.”
— Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews -
“Leaming has produced a splendid book about Britain’s last lion. Even in winter, he never lost his roar.”
— Washington Times -
“The plot, which covers the last ten 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) -
“A concise history of Churchill after the trumpets. Readers who know him only as the hero of 1940 will be surprised to find an all-too-human politician in these pages…Leaming has done a good job of adding details to the familiar story…From [Anthony] Eden to Harry Truman, the supporting characters are well drawn, and they give the book a sprightly feel…A well-told political drama about the greatest figure of an epic century.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Illuminating Churchill’s determination to defy time, Leaming alludes to his previous comebacks and to his belief that he alone could negotiate with Stalin and his successors, a conceit with which the author makes some sport. In the context of Britain’s grim postwar years of austerity and the ascension of Elizabeth II, Leaming produces eminently readable political history.”
— Booklist -
“Accomplished biographer Leaming tracks Winston Churchill’s masterful postwar comeback…Using a variety of material, Leaming executes a smooth, succinct narrative. Tight, polished, and effectively focused on the lesser-known end of Churchill’s career.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Churchill Defiant Listener Reviews
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" An interesting insight into Churchill's indomitable will. "
— Mslizzie, 10/6/2011 -
" Dude is pretty cocky. "
— Doorknobs, 8/5/2011
About Barbara Leaming
Barbara Leaming is the author of the New York Times bestseller Katharine Hepburn. She was for many years professor of theater and film at Hunter College. Her articles have appeared in Vanity Fair and the New York Times Magazine. She lives in Connecticut.