- Jenkins, Roy. Churchill: A Biography. New York:
Plume, 2001. ISBN 0-452-28352-3.
- This is a splendid biography of Churchill. The author,
whose 39 year parliamentary career overlapped 16 of Churchill's
almost 64 years in the House of Commons, focuses more on the
political aspects of Churchill's career, as opposed to William
Manchester's The Last Lion (in two volumes: Visions of Glory and Alone) which delves deeper
into the British and world historical context of Churchill's life.
Due to illness, Manchester abandoned plans for the third volume of
The Last Lion, so his biography regrettably leaves the
story in 1940. Jenkins covers Churchill's entire life in one volume
(although at 1001 pages including end notes, it could easily have been
two) and occasionally assumes familiarity with British history and
political figures which may send readers not well versed in twentieth
century British history, particularly the Edwardian era, scurrying to
other references. Having read both Manchester and Jenkins, I find
they complement each other well. If I were going to re-read them,
I'd probably start with Manchester.
February 2004 