Product Description

In his brand new assessment of Winston Churchill's political career, Nigel Knight challenges the sentimental image of the great wartime leader and argues that Churchill's impact on Great Britain was, in fact, consistently disastrous. The author backs up his arguments with rigorous academic research to provide a fresh insight into Churchill's entire career.This book covers Churchill's time as pre-war Chancellor and his contradictory economic policies. It also looks at his time as Prime Minister and his wartime blunders, as well as the post-war period when he failed to rectify his past errors. It features 16 pages of fascinating archive photographs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #265018 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Review
'Nigel Knight lays siege with well-informed gusto to the legend of Winston Churchill' - Martin Bell. --Martin Bell

'Sharply provocative. One needs to admire Nigel Kinght for his debating skill and persistence. The chapters on the Second World War will be fascinating for readers with a taste for military operations' - Frank Trentmann. --Frank Trentmann

'The subsequent chapters paint a vivid picture of Churchill that many people would not recognise. If you only read one book this year, read this one!' John Grehan. --Britain At War

Whether you agree or not, this makes for a fascinating read. --The Good Book Guide

About the Author
Nigel Knight is a lecturer in British Government at the University of Cambridge and in Economics and Politics at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He is the author of Governing Britain Since 1945, and has also worked in national politics, both advising and writing policy.

Customer Reviews

And never did a wise one?
This is a useful work of reference for anyone who is compiling any sort of work on the career of the great Winston and wishes to avoid the hagiographical approach which is the bane of so many other accounts. Churchill made his mistakes and they are ruthlessly exposed here. To gain balance, I would extend my bibliography beyond this volume but this deals with Churchill's career in a useful chronological form and so individual incidents are easy to find. A very worthwhile addition to the collection of anyone interested in this topic.

Churchill without the spin
As one of the generation who grew up with the image of Churchill as the great man who had single-handedly saved our country from invasion, I started reading this book with a degree of scepticism. How dare Nigel Knight presume to pick holes in our nation's favourite hero? But I quickly discovered the in-depth research that Knight has put into this book has unearthed a wealth of evidence that shows Churchill to have been incompetent and arrogant at best, and at worst a potential danger to our country. The publicity that has made him an adored national treasure seems to have been ill-founded. As an historical work Knight's book is faultless in its detail and references, but it is also highly readable book for anyone who has an interest in the personalities that have shaped our history. I would recommend it highly to both historians and non-academic readers.

Excellent re-appraisal of 'The Greatest Briton'
At last, after the countless rose-tinted versions of Churchill's political career, Nigel Knight has given us a unbiased appraisal of his record. The inconvenient truth of his mis-judgements and the damage he did to Britain is finally exposed in this excellent new book. I found it not only well-written but consistently illuminating - and an essential read for anyone interested in 'The Greatest Briton'. Congratulations, Mr Knight, on your brave and fascinating book.