First published by Cassell & Co. in 1949, Winston Churchill goes to the meat of the subject of World War II. It starts with Winston taking the helm in 1940 with a National Coalition government. The fall of France, the deliverance of Dunkirk all melds into an English National nightmare for Mr. Churchill.
The agony of an eminent invasion of Hitler's Teutonic forces leads Winston to declare "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." Next came the Battle of Britain in which Churchill utters the classic statement of this great struggle, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Winston was in charge during this extraordinary historical event.
Winston describes his Naval relationship with FDR and with continued prodding convinces him into the remarkable program of Lend-Lease. It is here that Winston is both an excellent Salesman and a proper Statesman. He neither comes hat in hand nor does he come as a demanding potentate. He merely states the facts of the situation as they are. In the long run Roosevelt agreed.
Germany finally violates Russia. England is joined at the hip to the Russian Bear. What choice did England have? The long wait of fighting Germany alone was over. Pray tell what of a Grand Alliance with the giant of North America.
I found this book to be the highlight of Winston's writing of the Second World War. If you don't read it, shame on you!!

As a late boomer (47) one of my earliest memories was watching Churchill's funeral on TV. I remember feeling it was such a solemn occasion, I wasn't sure exactly why at three years old, but I felt it. Many years later I live on the other side of the planet. I met Winston's grandson, who was my local MP before I left England.
This is a fascinating insight into the situation, of decisions made and my first, first hand read from his own hand, there are many very important decisions made, on the hoof, with lives at stake, national identities at stake.
I intend to read more, from his WW1 books, to hopefully gain a clearer idea of what happened in the Dardinelles, an event which is used to create a pivot for the national identity here.

In the first half of Vol. 2, 'Their Finest Hour', Churchill covers the Battle of France. As new Prime Minister he sets up his Coalition Government to fight the 'common cause' and prepare for the War. Germany was already in France and the Western Front was under attack. The Belgian Government was striving to remain neutral and soon all was being lost in the 'deluge of disaster'. The Germans broke the Maginot line and soon the Battle of France was lost. There was the successful deliverance of the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk and the preparations to defend the home front.

The second half deals with the Battle of Britain with Hitler preparing for 'Operation Sea Lion'. In order for the invasion of England to be successful, Germany first had to control the air. London and various areas were shaken but neither the spirit nor the Country destroyed. Italy was on the move, in the Mediterranean, and invading the African coast. The Battle of Britain was won and the RAF had 'Their finest Hour', but the War was far from over. This volume covers the timeline of May 10, 1940 to Jan. 5, 1941.

It should be noted and remembered that England stands in a different position militarily than France. England is a small, ancient, insular island that has withstood many centuries of assaults and attempted invasions. So when Hitler and his forces sought to make the same attempt, not only the RAF and the Royal Navy but history was standing against them. Also it wasn't just England alone that was fighting. It was also their devoted Commonwealth, Dominions and Empirical Attachments that were involved in the war. England was pulling resources from all over their Empire. For instance, Australia and New Zealand were fighting on the African coast and in Greece.

America, under FDR, was moving closer to the war with the Lend-Lease Act and Japan was watching in the wings. Hilter was changing his war direction and moving into the Eastern Front. Stalin was changing his alliance with Hitler and moving closer to Britian and the United States. The impact and weight of the World's destiny was in the balance and starting to slowly shift. Nothing was yet certain and U-Boat packs still prowled the ocean.

This is another of those 'deserves to be read' books. Churchill fills in the volume with his correspondence and hindsight. It is good to read and become acquainted with Churchill's thoughts and this fateful time, in history, so that hopefully there will be no repeating of these terrible events. Well worth adding to the Library.

In the first half of Vol. 2, 'Their Finest Hour', Churchill covers the Battle of France. As new Prime Minister he sets up his Coalition Government to fight the 'common cause' and prepare for the War. Germany was already in France and the Western Front was under attack. The Belgian Government was striving to remain neutral and soon all was being lost in the 'deluge of disaster'. The Germans broke the Maginot line and soon the Battle of France was lost. There was the successful deliverance of the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk and the preparations to defend the home front.

The second half deals with the Battle of Britain with Hitler preparing for 'Operation Sea Lion'. In order for the invasion of England to be successful, Germany first had to control the air. London and various areas were shaken but neither the spirit nor the Country destroyed. Italy was on the move, in the Mediterranean, and invading the African coast. The Battle of Britain was won and the RAF had 'Their finest Hour', but the War was far from over. This volume covers the timeline of May 10, 1940 to Jan. 5, 1941.

It should be noted and remembered that England stands in a different position militarily than France. England is a small, ancient, insular island that has withstood many centuries of assaults and attempted invasions. So when Hitler and his forces sought to make the same attempt, not only the RAF and the Royal Navy but history was standing against them. Also it wasn't just England alone that was fighting. It was also their devoted Commonwealth, Dominions and Empirical Attachments that were involved in the war. England was pulling resources from all over their Empire. For instance, Australia and New Zealand were fighting on the African coast and in Greece.

America, under FDR, was moving closer to the war with the Lend-Lease Act and Japan was watching in the wings. Hilter was changing his war direction and moving into the Eastern Front. Stalin was changing his alliance with Hitler and moving closer to Britian and the United States. The impact and weight of the World's destiny was in the balance and starting to slowly shift. Nothing was yet certain and U-Boat packs still prowled the ocean.

This is another of those 'deserves to be read' books. Churchill fills in the volume with his correspondence and hindsight. It is good to read and become acquainted with Churchill's thoughts and this fateful time, in history, so that hopefully there will be no repeating of these terrible events. Well worth adding to the Library.

The second volume of Churchill's history of the Second World War continues in much the same style as the first. Now Prime Minister, Churchill tells of the formidable, even overwhelming obstacles that an increasingly alone Britain faces in its struggle against Nazi Germany. He begins the narrative with France as an ally and Italy still out of the war. But, as most readers will already know, France falls and splits apart. Italy does join the war effort on the side of Germany. America and the Soviets stay out, and Britain stands more or less alone.

After the fall of France, the main topic remains the Battle of Britain, the air war fought over English skies. Nonetheless, Churchill shines his laser-like focus on all areas of the war effort. One could say he primarily covers British efforts, but to say otherwise would be absurd, as this volume covers the months when there were few other efforts to be found. Nonetheless, from his supreme vantage point in the Prime Minister's office Churchill presents as the absolute right man for the job. As in the first volume, more so even, primary source documents are included extensively and Churchill's own words at the time are allowed to show the reader not only what was happening, but also how a government dealt with it directly. Any interested reader can find countless books covering the war from a more remote narrative viewpoint and may even find clarity that sometimes does get lost in the detail here, but nowhere in easily accessed book form will anyone find this story from the top, and that remains the greatest strength of the series.

The second volume of Churchill's history of the Second World War continues in much the same style as the first. Now Prime Minister, Churchill tells of the formidable, even overwhelming obstacles that an increasingly alone Britain faces in its struggle against Nazi Germany. He begins the narrative with France as an ally and Italy still out of the war. But, as most readers will already know, France falls and splits apart. Italy does join the war effort on the side of Germany. America and the Soviets stay out, and Britain stands more or less alone.

After the fall of France, the main topic remains the Battle of Britain, the air war fought over English skies. Nonetheless, Churchill shines his laser-like focus on all areas of the war effort. One could say he primarily covers British efforts, but to say otherwise would be absurd, as this volume covers the months when there were few other efforts to be found. Nonetheless, from his supreme vantage point in the Prime Minister's office Churchill presents as the absolute right man for the job. As in the first volume, more so even, primary source documents are included extensively and Churchill's own words at the time are allowed to show the reader not only what was happening, but also how a government dealt with it directly. Any interested reader can find countless books covering the war from a more remote narrative viewpoint and may even find clarity that sometimes does get lost in the detail here, but nowhere in easily accessed book form will anyone find this story from the top, and that remains the greatest strength of the series.

This is the second volume of Churchill's war memoirs, basically covering the year 1940, particularly the fall of France, Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, and Churchill's attempts to coax aid from the United States and to draw that nation closer to active participation in the conflict.

The defeat of France and the need for US aid was really a consequence of the lack of preparedness for war discussed by Churchill in volume 1 of the series. Churchill was clear that US involvement on the side of the Western Allies would be a major factor in the defeat of Germany (particularly as no-one at the time could predict precisely when Hitler would attack the Soviet Union). These considerations make this a somewhat troublesome volume because it reflects and perhaps contributed towards some of the more prevalent myths and half-myths regarding this period of history: such misinterpretations have entered the collective British psyche almost as Gospel.

The first such one is the "triumph" of Dunkirk and France's responsibility for the military collapse in 1940. True, Dunkirk was an amazing achievement in the face of great adversity, but as Churchill points out, the British as well as the French were culpable for the defeat. The French were in overall charge, but the British failed to be as active as they should have been in planning the defence of the West, and the size of the BEF was small compared to the effort made in 1914. The magnificent effort to save the BEF and the rhetoric around it, necessary to raise morale at the time no doubt, have masked the collective responsibility for the disaster.

The myth that Britain "stood alone" has also become deeply rooted. Of course, it was not true - Britain at one and the same time had the largest territorial empire the world had known, yet was "alone". One must remember that the Viceroy of India had declared war on behalf of millions of Indians. Canadian, Australian and New Zealand troops were in Britain in 1940 as well as exiled European troops. This is not of course to denegrate the courage and effort of the British, but the myth is powerful - at its worst producing an insular arrogance which manifests itself still. Even Churchill's terminology is confused: at various times he refers to the "British", "the British race", "the British Empire", and "the British Commonwealth of Nations".

Interesting too is Churchill's criticism of Soviet policy: a country whose impatience later in the war over the lack of a second front masked the fact that it had formed an alliance with Germany in 1939.

Perhaps for the reasons above, this is a more problematic read than Volume 1. Nonetheless it's beautifully written and very interesting - not least because once again it reads as a fascinating period piece.

G Rodgers

This is the second volume of Churchill's war memoirs, basically covering the year 1940, particularly the fall of France, Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, and Churchill's attempts to coax aid from the United States and to draw that nation closer to active participation in the conflict.

The defeat of France and the need for US aid was really a consequence of the lack of preparedness for war discussed by Churchill in volume 1 of the series. Churchill was clear that US involvement on the side of the Western Allies would be a major factor in the defeat of Germany (particularly as no-one at the time could predict precisely when Hitler would attack the Soviet Union). These considerations make this a somewhat troublesome volume because it reflects and perhaps contributed towards some of the more prevalent myths and half-myths regarding this period of history: such misinterpretations have entered the collective British psyche almost as Gospel.

The first such one is the "triumph" of Dunkirk and France's responsibility for the military collapse in 1940. True, Dunkirk was an amazing achievement in the face of great adversity, but as Churchill points out, the British as well as the French were culpable for the defeat. The French were in overall charge, but the British failed to be as active as they should have been in planning the defence of the West, and the size of the BEF was small compared to the effort made in 1914. The magnificent effort to save the BEF and the rhetoric around it, necessary to raise morale at the time no doubt, have masked the collective responsibility for the disaster.

The myth that Britain "stood alone" has also become deeply rooted. Of course, it was not true - Britain at one and the same time had the largest territorial empire the world had known, yet was "alone". One must remember that the Viceroy of India had declared war on behalf of millions of Indians. Canadian, Australian and New Zealand troops were in Britain in 1940 as well as exiled European troops. This is not of course to denegrate the courage and effort of the British, but the myth is powerful - at its worst producing an insular arrogance which manifests itself still. Even Churchill's terminology is confused: at various times he refers to the "British", "the British race", "the British Empire", and "the British Commonwealth of Nations".

Interesting too is Churchill's criticism of Soviet policy: a country whose impatience later in the war over the lack of a second front masked the fact that it had formed an alliance with Germany in 1939.

Perhaps for the reasons above, this is a more problematic read than Volume 1. Nonetheless it's beautifully written and very interesting - not least because once again it reads as a fascinating period piece.

G Rodgers

Americans have a warped view of history, and little understanding of the role of aristocracy and class in history--our own or Britain's. Churchill was a card carrying member of the aristocracy; one of the small group of men who ran England up to, and through, World War II. Their Finest Hour is an amazing documentation of the very height, and at the same time, end, of the all powerful aristocracy in England.

Churchill's second volume of his Six Volume history of the Second World War begins with May, 1940, as the German army is rolling through Luxembourg and Belgium (both clinging to their neutrality right up to the minute the German tanks crossed the border), toward a woefully unprepared France (still reliant upon the Maginot Line, which in turn depended on Luxembourg and Belgium neutrality.

Churchill has just assumed the post of Prime Minister, after having spent the prior year (and several before that) as an outsider bemoaning the refusal of Britain (and France) to prepare to meet the rising German threat. Those years of exile are the subject of volume one.

The present volume focuses on the extraordinary difficulties Churchill and others in the British government faced once the war actually began. Once France was forced to surrender, Germany was left in what most of us think of as continental Europe without any enemies. It had allied itself with fascist Italy, made peace with Stalin, conquered Poland and France, neutralized Spain, and occupied Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, and the Netherlands.

In this sense, Britain stood alone. There was a very real risk that Germany could invade and conquer Britain in the Summer and early Fall of 1940. The German bombing of London was increasingly effective, and the British army was in total disarray, having just been forced to abandon France, leaving most of its equipment behind. Just how worried Churchill was comes through clearly and terrifyingly in this volume. Had Germany succeeded, the world might look very different today--the Second World War would have been transformed into a truly intercontinental war, with Asia and Europe allied against North America.

Of course, Britain was not really "Alone." Greece and Turkey were firm allies; Bulgaria and Yugoslavia stood against Hitler and Italy; and Britain controlled most of what we today think of as the third world--from Gibraltar at the southern tip of Europe, to Egypt, to South Africa, India, Malaysia and Burma, and Australia. Only by adopting a firmly eurocentric view of the world (which Churchill clearly had) can he title this volume "Alone."

Churchill and the rest of his government were able to move seamlessly into power, and immediately take control of this world wide empire precisely because of the peculiarly insular class system that ruled Britain. Even as an outsider, Churchill clearly had full access to all of the centers of power. He could not bend and shape them, but he was fully in the loop. Personal relationships and lifelong associations meant that he regularly met with leaders at all levels of the power structure--including most importantly (but by no means exclusively) top politicians and naval personnel. This sort of access by "losing" politicians in the United States today is unimaginable. Can anyone seriously envision Bush allowing the head of the CIA to meet regularly with Howard Dean to review the intelligence about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?

The only weakness in this volume is Churchill's over reliance on his own contemporaneous telegrams and memos. he was absolutely prolific, apparently having dictated dozens of multi-page memos daily--yet still finding time to run the government. While fascinating historically, they really are bureaucratic memos. The first volume, by relying more on narration and less on historical documents, allowed Churchill greater reign to his incredible skill with the English language. Here, long sections read like just what they are--official documents written in haste, for the historical record.

That said, his brilliant use of words shines through. The most stirring passage is toward the end--his eulogy in November, 1940, for Neville Chamberlain, who more than anyone was responsible for "appeasing" Hitler. Rather than lapse into "I told you so", he marshals some of the most stirring words ever written to praise Chamberlain; urging history to judge him on the strength of his character rather than the results of his actions, which are subject to the fickleness of history.

In sum, this is a remarkable book, chronicling a remarkable time in history, written by a remarkable man who played a central roll in events. I can think of no other book by anyone at anytime which brings together all three of these elements--and is well written!

"Their Finest Hour" is in my opinion the apex of Churchill's 6-volume series on World War II. It tells the tale of the perilous Battle of Britain. At this stage in the war, victory was anything but certain for the United Kingdom, which struggled against the Nazi menace alone.

Like the rest of "The Second World War," the tale is told from the vantage point of Great Britain's indefatigable Prime Minister and War Minister, Winston S. Churchill. Few historical works that I have seen have the authority of being written by a principal player in the narrative.

Churchill makes liberal use of offical and personal documents from the period, including his ongoing correspondence with President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

As a piece of literature, the series shines. Forgetting the importance of the series as an historical document, Churchill's mastery of the English language makes for worthwhile reading.

As someone who writes for a living, I find that the quality of my own writing goes up a notch when I read Churchill.