Book description
Winston Churchill rages against time and his own mortality, in conflict
with friend and foe alike, in this tumultuous political drama of his
last ten years of public life. Here is Churchill at his most outrageous,
maddening and devious - but also at his most human, courageous, and defiant.
At the end of July 1945, Churchill was a defeated man - hurled from
power by the British people after a war in which he had saved his country.
'Churchill Defiant' is the story of how, when it seemed impossible,
Churchill fought his way back over the next six years to the centre of
great events. In 1951, at last Prime Minister once more, he was ready to
begin his dash to win 'the last prize I seek': the lasting peace that
had eluded the world after Hitler's defeat.
But Churchill's battles were just beginning. He would have to wage war
with both his closest colleagues and his most indispensable allies, the
Americans, to get to where none of them wanted him to go: the
negotiating table with the Soviets.
Barbara Leaming has written a gripping, fast-paced narrative of bare
knuckle politics, of life and death decisions, of old grudges, and fresh
blame. It is a compelling, vivid, and often deeply poignant portrait of
the great man at a time when almost no one wanted him to remain on the
public stage and when he was willing to do absolutely anything to stay
there. Barbara Leaming is the author of two New York Times bestselling
biographies and three New York Times Notable Books of the Year. Her most
recent book, a biography of John F. Kennedy, focused on the influence of
British history and culture on the 35th President. She was the first to
write extensively about the extraordinary influence of Winston Churchill
on Kennedy's intellectual formation and political strategies. Her
articles have appeared in many publications including The Times, Vanity
Fair and the New York Times Magazine. She is married and lives in
Connecticut.
