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Randolph S. Churchill
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Winston S. Churchill: Youth, 1874–1900 (Winston S. Churchill Biography) Kindle Edition

by Randolph S. Churchill (Author), Martin Gilbert (Introduction) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 477 ratings
The first volume of this authoritative biography chronicles the prime minister’s youth from birth to early adulthood: “An intimate, eloquent testimonial” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
 
Winston S. Churchill’s son, Randolph, delivers a vivid, personal portrait of his father in this first part of an eight-volume biography that is widely considered the “most scholarly study of Churchill in war and peace ever written” (The New York Times). Told through a rich treasure trove of the Churchill’s personal letters, this volume covers his life from early childhood to his return to England from an American lecture tour, on the day of Queen Victoria’s funeral in 1900, in order to embark on his political career.
 
In the opening pages, the account of his birth in 1874 is presented through letters of his family. The subject comes on the scene with his own words in a letter to his mother, written when he was seven. His later letters, as a child, as a schoolboy at Harrow, as a cadet at Sandhurst, and as a subaltern in India, show the development of his mind and character, his ambition and awakening interests, which were to merge into a unique genius destined for world leadership.
 
An astounding narrative of a formidable man coming into his own and the times in which he lived, this portrait is a “milestone, a monument, a magisterial achievement . . . rightly regarded as the most comprehensive life ever written of any age.” (Andrew Roberts, historian and author of The Storm of War).
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  1. Book 1 of 8
    Winston S. Churchill Biography
  2. Print length
    586 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    RosettaBooks
  5. Publication date
    April 6, 2015
  6. File size
    26.8 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07H18FZL4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ RosettaBooks (April 6, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 6, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 26.8 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 586 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 477 ratings

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Randolph S. Churchill

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
477 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the biography insightful and informative, with one noting it provides a fascinating introduction to Churchill's early life. The book's style receives mixed reactions, with some finding it a fascinating look while others note it's not an easy or quick read. The story quality is positive, with one customer describing it as a compendium of unvarnished insight into Churchill.

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43 customers mention "Insight"40 positive3 negative

Customers find the biography insightful and informative, describing it as an amazing testament to Churchill's life.

"WSC was a rare combination, famous, significant, and courageous even in his early years...." Read more

"...the early story of Winston Churchill presents itself in an interesting form...." Read more

"...One gets a good glimpse of the boy becoming a man. It clears away all of the hero worshipping idolators of WSC and lets you see the root...." Read more

"...I'm looking forward to the other seven volumes. The adventures of his youth, military service, capture and escape, daring escapades - these are not..." Read more

15 customers mention "Biography style"15 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the biography's style, with one noting it reads more like a documentary than a typical biography.

"...This biography is very detailed, as one might expect from an eight volume work on one man's life...." Read more

"This is a unique was to read a biography because the biographer having access to his subjects letters is able to show a more 3-dimensional subject...." Read more

"Churchill is such a monumental figure I promised myself to read all seven volumes. I admit, it was hard to get through this first one...." Read more

"If you enjoy a very dry scholarly presentation of history then this volume and volume two may appeal...." Read more

6 customers mention "Story quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the story engaging and dramatic, with one customer noting it provides unvarnished insight into Churchill's lineage.

"Highly readable, dramatic. A fascinating look at the twentieth century's most outstanding character. I'm looking forward to the other seven volumes...." Read more

"...the story of his early life is told in a manner that was quite interesting...." Read more

"...to be very tedious reading; but I found it quite riveting and suspenseful. I look forward to the other volumes to come." Read more

"...Churchill's story is quite interesting, but reading that the 4th duke of earl's grandfather was a Norwegian shipping tycoon in the 1600s just does..." Read more

61 customers mention "Readability"41 positive20 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it a very good and interesting read, while others note it is not an easy or quick read and can be difficult to follow in some parts.

"...a correspondent; this was the beginning of an extensive and important literary output...." Read more

"...It's more immersive, too, as one becomes accustomed to the manner in which people communicated well over a century ago...." Read more

"...It is not an easy read but the reader will really know Churchill, his thoughts, his character, his ambitions, and his flaws." Read more

"...In addition, they create a rather disjointed style and make for a hard read...." Read more

6 customers mention "Style"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some finding it fascinating while others note it is rather disjointed.

"Highly readable, dramatic. A fascinating look at the twentieth century's most outstanding character. I'm looking forward to the other seven volumes...." Read more

"...It is not a style that everyone will like, but gives us a good feel for the source material that historians generally work with...." Read more

"This is a deep, detailed look at the first 26 years of life for WSC. It is copiously dense at points, but very well written." Read more

"...In addition, they create a rather disjointed style and make for a hard read...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Don B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A rare combination, famous, significant, and courageous
    Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    WSC was a rare combination, famous, significant, and courageous even in his early years. His fame began with a daring escape from a POW camp, though he had gained some attention as a newspaper war correspondent prior to that. His significance was beginning through his nonfiction books based on his military service and his experiences as a correspondent; this was the beginning of an extensive and important literary output. Of course, as anyone with even a slight knowledge of twentieth century knows, his significance is of the highest order. Churchill's courage is shown through his calm, focused behavior under fire, particularly in the incident of the armored train -- no spoiler here, read the book.
    This biography is very detailed, as one might expect from an eight volume work on one man's life. The author of this first volume, Churchill's son Randolf, made extensive use of letters and telegrams to provide primary source documentation of his subject's, and others' thoughts, plans, opinions, activities, related to WSC's life and the times in which he lived.

    Some may consider this level of detail a negative aspect as it means the tale does not move along in three-to-five second MTV like jumps from scene to scene. Others, this reviewer included, appreciate the chance to get to know quite well one of the most important men of the 20th century. I look forward to the remaining volumes and deepening my acquaintance with this striking personality.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Griswel
    4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, once you're used to the manner of presentation
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Largely consisting of excerpts from other materials, I found the book off putting at first. The nature of the book is acknowledged from the beginning, so it wasn't a matter of surprise, and other readers may find it endearing from the start.

    However, as Churchill the subject gets older, he comes into the voice which all of us know, and it's steady going after that. The interstitial material is fine, and it's interesting to see Winston Churchill's relationships at this young age. Through the author's own contributions and that of his subject and others, the early story of Winston Churchill presents itself in an interesting form. It's more immersive, too, as one becomes accustomed to the manner in which people communicated well over a century ago. Of course, it helps that the subject led a fascinating life from the very beginning. Fans of Downton Abbey will no doubt find interesting parallels here and there.

    Churchill's money problems crop up early, and it might be well to keep in mind how much we owe to them, that is, how much more he wrote than he might have if was financially secure. As Churchill's books from this time period are in the public domain, further reading is not expensive and well worth the effort.
    One person found this helpful
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  • The Colonel
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Forging of The Twentieth Century's Greatest Statesman
    Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2015
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    This is an excellent read for anyone interested in a serious and in depth study of WSC. Most books about Churchill, chronical major historical events he influenced and what he said and did through histories covering the occaisions. This book is full of actual letters written by WSC, his family, and others who influenced him. It is not an easy read but the reader will really know Churchill, his thoughts, his character, his ambitions, and his flaws.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • HSB3
    5.0 out of 5 stars why cursive writing was developed
    Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This is a unique was to read a biography because the biographer having access to his subjects letters is able to show a more 3-dimensional subject.The fact that in the 19th century the people of his class corresponded almost daily by writing is forgotten by us in the 21st century. This had to have been one of the reasons why cursive was invented.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Brent R. Kelly
    3.0 out of 5 stars He is more and less of the man you have been led to believe
    Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The book is a series of letters from WSC to a variety of people. It is interspersed with occasional short comments about events in between the edited letters. One gets a good glimpse of the boy becoming a man. It clears away all of the hero worshipping idolators of WSC and lets you see the root. W S Churchill was a driven man from his birth, and it shows in his writings. He lived a calculated life. One in which he turned his father's political shadow, his mediocre efforts in education, his exceptional writing skills and his desire for medals in various British conflicts to personal gain. It is not an easy or quick read. Rather this series of letters identifies the man by the sum of his part (correspondence), which takes most of this first volume. It is worth reading if you want to know the real Churchill.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Kaye T. Leidy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly readable, dramatic. A fascinating look at the ...
    Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Highly readable, dramatic. A fascinating look at the twentieth century's most outstanding character. I'm looking forward to the other seven volumes. The adventures of his youth, military service, capture and escape, daring escapades - these are not things that come to mind when thinking of England's war-time prime minister, but they are all there.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Joshua Leslie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Insight into Churchill's Early Life
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 16, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    The book came in good condition, no markings on pages, and all photos intact. This book is a great insight into Churchill's early life, starting with his father as a politician in Westminster and ending with the death of Queen Victoria. It is remarkable that Churchill lived to 90, considering the illnesses he experienced in his youth and the injuries and the precarious situations he got himself into both as a war correspondent and soldier. The book looks quite thick, but that is mostly because it is filled with letters written to and from Churchill. If you are using the book as a historical reference, you can skip past the various letters scattered throughout the book.
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  • Stefan Cox
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hervorragend!
    Reviewed in Germany on January 15, 2020
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    Äußerst lesenswert, hebt sich insbesondere durch seine Erzählweise in Form alter Briefe Churchills mit seiner Umgebung sehr erfrischend von anderen Biographien ab.
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  • Dgb147
    5.0 out of 5 stars The entire series is simply a display of exemplary historiography ...
    Reviewed in Canada on May 3, 2015
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    The entire series is simply a display of exemplary historiography. I would appreciate an opportunity to read/acquire the accompanying material that went with each volume.
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  • Kenneth Hoy
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Power to Please
    Reviewed in Australia on August 7, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is a powerful insight into the way the upper classes of English society perceive the up-bringing of their children.

    Little if any love; the child is another possession; the education system blighted by discipline totally unacceptable by today's standard. Any wonder, the elitst have little regard for those who do the real work to maintain a life-style of privilege and power.
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  • Dr T
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good in parts - enough parts to be worthwhile...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Rather old fashioned, so you might want to skim some bits, but a great read in parts
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