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- The Hobo Philosopher
- Fantastic read
- Never Question Your Sanity ,,, It's not You
- .......not a secret anymore......
- A BRILLIANT BIOGRAPHY - WELL DONE!
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The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory
William Manchester
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
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Binding: Hardcover
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The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940
ASIN: 0316545031 |
Customer Reviews:
The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-21
This is William Manchester at his best. This is fascinating reading and fascinating writing. Of course Winston Churchill was quite a character but to be honest I didn't know that fact until I read this book and its companion volume.
After reading this book I put it to my mind that I would read everything that Manchester wrote. I've got a couple more to go. You can't miss with this purchase. A great story, great writing, and good history. What more could you ask for?
Fantastic read.......2007-06-18
I am a little half way through the book, but it already is one of the best books I have ever read. The book deserves all the accolade. Manchester's approach to biography is a little different from many others in that he did not shy away from coloring the narrative with events that were yet to occur. He always hinted the historical significance of events in light of what happened later. I find this extremely helpful. For example: Churchill's fascination with early airplanes, his conception of tanks when dealing with a domestic riot are just two examples. These illuminated Churchill was indeed ahead of his peers in recognizing important trends.
The buildup to WWI is masterful. The book weaves Churchill's struggle with the Irish Home rule question together with the naval arms race with Germany in 1913. Since we know WWI started in 1914, the realization that Churchill and the British government were struggling with a domestic problem (which surely was exploited by the German Kaiser) enhances our understanding of the immediate pre-war times.
I knew the old US of A was not a world player before WWI. This book adds to that impression. Until the outbreak of the war, the US is just not on Churhill's radar: it does not show up much in his writing, travel, and speech. Yes, he did a book tour in the US, but that was before he started his political career.
Can't wait to read the second half of the book.
Never Question Your Sanity ,,, It's not You.......2006-12-22
This book should be read (before, after or with) The End of the World as We Know It. The scenarios are almost interchangable.
.......not a secret anymore.............2006-12-11
Actually it is very sad to mention this blunder against humanity:
When the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers in October and November 1914, Britain's communications with India and the East via the Suez canal was immediately placed in jeopardy.
There was a secret agreement with Germany signed in August 1914 by the Young Turks that was troubling the Russians and taken as warning of the forthcoming trouble to The Tsar. The Russians regarded their Caucasian terrirories were also placed in jeopardy.
Consequently, the British and French, in order to protect their future `colonies' and bisect the `sick man of Europe', had to act forcefully. They opened another front in the South with the Gallipoli (1915) and Mesopotamian campaigns.
Anxious to score his first military encounter with `the enemy', Winston Churchill, in his capacity as Lord of Navy, prematurely urged a combined French and British naval incursion into Gallipoli. But the Turks were successful in repelling the British, French, and Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. and pushed their eventual withdrawal and evacuation.
((By contrast, in Mesopotamia - Iraq- after the disastrous Siege of Kut (1915-16), British Empire forces - mainly of Indian troops - reorganized and captured Baghdad (March 1917). Further to the west in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, initial British failures were overcome when Jerusalem was captured in December 1917, and the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under Field Marshal Edmund Allenby, broke the Ottoman forces at the Battle of Megiddo in September 1918))
Russia, the protector of the Greek Orthothox Armenian population, sent her best troops in the Caucasus. The Turkish, Vice-Generalissimo Enver Pasha, supreme commander of the ex Ottoman Empire armed forces, was a very ambitious man. His aim and everpresent dream was to conquer central Asia. Enver Pasha, like Winston Churchill, was not a practical soldier. He launched an offensive with 100,000 soldiers against the Russians in the Caucasus in December of 1914.
His main enemy was the severe Weather conditions.
Insisting on a frontal attack against Russian positions in the mountains , Enver lost over 80% of his troops at the Battle of Sarikamis, in the heart of the tough winter season.
In 1917, Russian Grand Duke Nicholas assumed senior control over the Caucasus front. Nicholas tried to have a railway built from Russia (Georgia) to the conquered territories with a view to bringing up more supplies for a new offensive. But, in March of 1917 (February in the pre-revolutionary Russian calendar), the Czar was overthrown in the February Revolution and the Russian army began to slowly fall apart.
Hence, the protector of the Armenians was gone.
Winston Churchill blunder in Gallipoli, opened patched over wounds and re-ignited animosities between the Turks and their Armenian neighbors. In 1915, the Armenians were the victims of his cowardice. The Turks committed a HOLOCAUST against the Armenians that immediately started after WC debacle in Gallipolis.
The mass murder of the Armenians was indeed the first Holocaust of the twentieth century.
A BRILLIANT BIOGRAPHY - WELL DONE!.......2006-07-27
This is a brilliantly written biography of one of the most fascinating characters in history. Like most of Mnchester's work (I must admit to being a big fan), this is a very readable biography, well researched and holds the reader's interest from page to page. We see so much of Churchhill in his role as a WWII leader that we tend to forget there was a young man, living, learning and growing before the back and white films we see today. It is good to be reminded of this from time to time. It is also, for those interested, to learn how a world leader of Churchill's calibre came into being, how he developed and why he was the way he was. This work gives us great insight to those questions. Cannot recommend this work highly enough.
Product Description
A delightful two volume set of Winston Spencer Churchill.
Book Description
Part One Of Two Parts
It is hard to imagine anything new about Churchill. But in this life of the young lion, William Manchester brings us fresh encounters and anecdotes. Alive with examples of Churchill's early powers, THE LAST LION entertains and instructs.
"Manchester is not only master of detail, but also of `the big picture.'...I daresay most Americans reading THE LAST LION will relish it immensely." (National Review)
Customer Reviews:
VERY GOOD!.......2007-09-27
This is a very good analysis of Churchill, a thorough and colorfull portrait of a man I consider to be the greatest man of the 20th century. I have only two complaints, first I would have liked to have known more about his life with his wife and children. I also would have liked to have known what he thought of the Lusitania sinking. Not only does Manchester say nothing about Churchill's role in this business but the word Lusitania is not mentioned at all in nearly 2000 pages. Very strange. The letters of Churchill point out the chivalrousness and romantic nature that the public has not seen. All in all - very good and well worth a good read.
What a great writer, writing about an even better man!.......2007-05-18
William Manchester is a tremendous writer. A man like Churchill deserved to have his biography writted by a writer as gifted as him.
I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting, not only to learn much about the great man Churchill, but also to have their mind expanded and stretched by excellent literature like this. There are not many people writing like this today, sadly enough.
This is not an easy read, in fact most people will do well to have a dictionary near by - but it is worth it. Drink deeply and you will learn so much more than you would have thought possible about the world from the late 19th century up through WWII.
Drink it up! 6 stars.
As Good as Biography Gets.......2005-11-08
This fully lives up to its reputation as perhaps the best biography ever written. Manchester does a peerless, masterful job filling in the background colors and giving a complete picture of Churchill from a young man into his early fifties. As Manchester emphasizes, this background was essentially the decline and fall of the British Empire and the aristocracy who ran it. Manchester's main point, that Churchill was a Victorian who also lived in the twentieth century, is brilliantly made. Churchill himself is presented in all his perplexing, influriating splendor: an impetuous, charming, ambitious genius who all too often jumped out of the plane without a parachute. If you wish to know why he was rejected by the British people at the polls just after his greatest triumph (and job done) this fascinating volume of his early triumphs and memorable failures is indispensible (answer: they needed his boistrous energy in war but they didn't trust him in peace
Best Churchill biography.......2005-03-15
Best biography of the person who really should have been the " greatest person of the 20th century". He, more than anyone else, stood alone against Nazism, which, no matter how you feel about the present state of Western civilization, kept it from being completely unrecognizable today. He pushed Roosevelt into joining Britain against the Nazis, and was willing to push Britain to keep on fighting alone, down to the last person ; at suicidal odds for many months. He had vision, and was fearless. And, prior to WW2, his exploits in the Boer War and in WW1 make his entire life fascinating. The fact that he was very "aristocratic" in his background has probably made his image diminish in our time. That sort of reverse discrimination is very unfair, I feel. He was also witty, not the least bit warm and cuddly (!) and a pretty good painter.
Understand the most Remarkable Man of the 20th Century.......2004-01-14
This is an excellent book on the first half of the life of a truly exceptional man. Mr Manchester's book deals with Winston's early life and his rise to power and fame. I particularly liked the vignettes about life at the turn of the century; the social situation, the class struggle, the morals of the upper and the working classes.
Just reading it makes you feel somehow inadequate against the intellectual brilliance, courage and sheer energy of the subject.
It would have merited a full five star rating but for two faults. It should have been shorter. It as if every single little titbit of information had to be written out in full, rather than filtered through the critical intellect that Mr Manchester undoubtedly possesses. Instead, he quotes too many letters, reports and speeches in full when his job as a biographer was to summarise them.
The second fault was Mr Manchester's tendency to lionise his subject. Brilliant he may have been, but a bit more acknowledgement of Winston's faults would have made him more human and reachable.
But this is nitpicking. Overall the book is a good read on a subject well worth reading about.
Book Description
In medieval Germany violence was accepted far more than in other kingdoms. Kings were recognised as guardians of order, but this had its limitations. Lords expected to use force to secure their rights or win an argument when peaceful methods were not sufficient. Christopher Gravett does a fine job of examining the organisation and campaigns of German medieval armies from 1000-1300, in a volume containing plenty of photographs and illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Graham Turner.
Customer Reviews:
Okay.......2006-07-13
When I got this book, I was hoping it was as it claims a study on German medieval armies from 1000-1300 for example its orgainisation, its fighting styles and weapons systems. Instead what you get is a very basic military history of the battles and campaigns in the region.
As always in this series you get plenty of photographs and illustrations which are good.
Book Description
As early as the 11th century, Italian warfare was developing along lines which were unique in medieval Europe. This fragmented, cosmopolitan region, increasingly rich from international trade, saw the rise of independent cities able to fund armies of urban militia, sometimes defying the traditional feudal aristocracy. Against this background regional powers - the Normans, the Papacy, the German Emperors, the Angevins and Aragonese - manoeuvred for advantage. This engrossing account of the armies of northern and southern Italy - their organisation, command structure, strategy, tactics and fortifications - is illustrated with rare manuscript images, diagrams of fortifications, and eight striking colour plates showing armour and weapons of all types.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful artwork.......2007-06-22
A detailed men-at-arms title examining an obscure but vital piece of European history, it is supported by eight particularly good plates by Angus McBride, showing warriors of the various Italian, Islamic, and Norman factions that carved out kingdoms in medieval Italy.
Book Description
While Scandinavia's 'Viking Age' is one of the most studied aspects of early medieval history, much less has been published about the centuries that followed. Yet the armies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark offer fascinating differences from the rest of medieval Western Europe, both in their organisation and their war gear - due partly to their remoteness, climate and terrain, but partly to their long freedom from the feudal system of other kingdoms. This book explains the special nature of Scandinavian armies, shaped by the relative weakness of kings and aristocrats, and the contrasts between the separate nations of the North.
Customer Reviews:
Post-Viking Warriors.......2007-04-07
A fine book about a subject that has not received enough attention. Both text and plates deal with Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish armies, as well as those of the Kingdom of the Isles, the Saami, and the Norse settlers in Greenland and Iceland. A wonderful book with Angus McBride's usual excellence.
Could have been better.......2005-02-10
As a scandinavian and a fan of Osprey I find this book particlarly interesting, though I must say that it lacks in quality. It has some flaws, starting already on page 1 with the Skog Church-tapestry. According to the text, it's 12th century - wrong - it's 13th century (and it's far from sure whether it really portrays pagan Gods). My overall impression is that the text is both informative and quite well-researched, but I got frustrated with the horrible ignorance about my own sámi ancestors (I'm part sámi). This book claims that the medieval sámi were "tribal" - wrong. Please - just because a people are hunters and gatherers it doesn't mean that they have to be tribal. The sámi were not (and aren't) tribal, the traditional society is based upon small groups of extended families (siida or "village"). The book claims that there were clashes between the norse and the sámi - there were in fact no military conflicts because of the simple fact that the sámi never fought - they hardly knew how to defend themselves.
Well despite this the text is generally okay. Now to the plates - which are worse. I agree with mr Fodstad - McBride's characters are weirdlooking - they're too stocky and have funny facial features like caricatures (McBride used to be much better). The clothes are often fantasy rather than fact. Why all the fur? The battle of Hova was fought on june 14th. Why then is the peasant soldier on plate G dressed in a thick Conan-style furcoat (and a furred hat)? Well We have summers here in Scandinavia too, you know... And don't get me started on the so called Sámi "tribal warrior"...
No, this book leaves much to ask for, sadly the second book was not much better
A book of limited value.......2004-09-01
As the nordic (since Finland and Iceland are included in the book, the title is misleading) medieval military scene after the viking age is a subject on which few authors have cared to comment, one could have hoped for a more thought-through book from Nicolle and Lindholm. Sadly, this is not the case.
Factual errors abound and the authors happily ignores a great deal of both written and pictorial evidence to support their theories, particulary about the backwardness of Sweden and Norway in military terms. As the "guide to further reading" is populated almost solely by outdated literature, one suspects little effort has been made to provide an up-to-date picture.
One of the authors also manages to bring out an old hobby horse-theme; the interesting idea that Viking age one-edged swords were inspired by eastern fashion is presented - despite the fact that one-edged swords have been around in the north since the early iron ages. While many medieval developments may have arisen from eastern contacts, this idea seems like mere speculation. This is merely one of several glaring errors in this below-standards book.
One can also wonder why the book has the timespan 1100 to 1300 attached to it. By ending the book around 1300 the author cuts an artificial barrier into a period of great activity in scandinavia, both political and military - the period of the mid-nordic realm of the swedish duke Erik, in which the three scandinavian kingdoms clash both on the battlefield, dynastically and politically.
On the illustrations, McBride shows himself as a capable but rather creative illustrator - the strange stockiness of his figures, plus the abundance of fur coats with the fur turned out, make them seem a bit more like movie barbarians than medieval northerners. The clothing on civilians, and quite a few of the warriors, in all plates of the book seem to be inspired more by the popular image of viking age clothing than the plethora of scandinavian evidence available - the altar frontal collections of the Historical Museum in Bergen alone could have provided him with much inspiration. Unfortunately, McBride chose to resort to imagination instead.
One can only hope that other english-speaking scholars try to do a more thorough job when, or rather if, a similar and hopefully more valuable volume on the military aspect of medieval nordic culture appears.
A great insight into the followers of the Vikings!.......2004-03-06
I just finished this book, and I loved it! I have always been interested in the Viking period, and I was curious about their successors.
The writer does a great job in giving us an overview of the military history of the Northern nations, of the shift from the Viking influences to the feudal culture of Europe, but at the same time developing their unique own military culture.
Angus MacBride's illustrations are a beautiful guide to this evolution. As a fan of the Icelandic sagas, I especially enjoyed his illustration of the Northern Atlantic settlements folks.
As with most of the Osprey Books, we are given a glimpse of history, and I am usually thirsting for more, but they are great start with excellant writing and illustrations. This is a great introduction.
Book Description
While Scandinavia's 'Viking Age' is one of the most studied aspects of early medieval history, much less has been published about the centuries which followed. Yet the armies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark offer fascinating differences from the rest of medieval Western Europe, both in their organisation and their war gear. This second of two books covers the period which saw both expansion in the Baltic, and long wars born of the attempt to bring Scandinavia under a single monarchy - the Union of Kalmar. In the North, as elsewhere, the perfection of plate armour could not prevent the steady decline in the importance of the 15th century mounted knight in favour of the well armed infantryman.
Customer Reviews:
More Scandinavian Warriors.......2007-04-07
A fine introduction and an essential companion for the first volume and for the Baltic Crusades title; usual awesome plates.
An odd account of medieval Scandinavian armies.......2006-07-31
This second volume from Osprey on medieval Scandinavian armies deals with the time-period 1300-1500, but like the first volume it's sadly a let down, certainly it's not mr Nicolle's best effort. The photos are undeniably good, showing surviving weaponry, effegies and painting from Scandinavian countries. The text however leaves much to ask for, as it's too short to properly cover the major wars and campaigns fought in Scandinavia during these two centuries. The result is a book providing a quite brief description of common standard arms and armour used throughout late medieval Europe: Actually this would apply for any medieval army at that time. Nicolle could just as much have put the exact same information in a book on late medieval german or french armies: the Scandinavian perspective is unfortunatly pretty absent. Then there's the weird and annoying focus on Greenland in the chronology, as Greenland at the time was a very small, remote nordic settlement with no political and especially no military significance whatsoever! Very odd indeed, especially as much, much more important events in Scandinavia are ignored in the very same text... Thus, the reader will get a quite odd, at best extremely superficial and incomplete account of warfare and politics in late medieval Scandinavia.
The illustrations by Angus McBride are wonderfully painted, and compared to the plates in volume 1 they are somewhat better researched, although I wouldn't say they accurately represent the appearance medieval Scandinavian fighting men. Plates B and C however, showing the Danes fighting the Gotland peasants at Visby in 1361, are completely inaccurate, featuring heavily armoured peasant soldiers (in reality excavations at the battlefield show us that the Gotland militia at Visby - a last desperate stand by the reserve forces - comprised of old men and young boys, badly armed and armoured). The appearance of the Saami (called "Lapps" in this volume) in plate H is also highly speculative, and actually looks nothing like the later saami costume it's supposed to be based on according to the plate-commentary.
I give this book 2 stars as it's somewhat useful and the photographies are interesting. But I'd highly suggest a reader seriously interested in the topic to check additional litterature to get a more balanced account of wars, battles, politics and warfare in late medieval Scandinavia
Book Description
Almost continual warfare raged in Europe during the period 1300-1500. These wars were the furnaces in which many of the modern European nations were forged. Parallel with this emergence of the nations came the development of national armies to protect the newly-won borders and independence, yet throughout this period the old feudal method of raising an army persisted. This fascinating study by Terence Wise explores the organisation, weapons and equipment of the armies who fought across medieval Europe, from the Hundred Years War to the fight against the Moors in Spain and the French invasion of Italy.
Customer Reviews:
a weak Osprey title.......2002-08-12
I'd have to agree with Mr. MacDonald's review. Originally written in 1975, this book is showing its age. The scope is too broad. There is some good basic information here, but the illustrations are abysmal. The interested reader would do well to investigate the other Osprey titles on this period. They are more focussed and therefore of more usefulness. The most egregious error repeated in this book is the mythical prowess given to the longbow. More recent research has debunked this commonly held belief.
Some interesting material, but very dated.......2000-07-23
The Osprey Men-at-Arms series has been around for quite some time. As you can tell by looking at the number on this one (50), this was one of the early efforts. It really shows.
First of all, it should be noted that is book covers the era 1300-1500 AD (approx.), so the earlier Middle Ages are ignored entirely. It also relies heavily on Victorian era illustrations (not for their central colour section, though) for many of the pictures -- this is very sad as most of these illustrations are woefully inaccurate. The central colour illustrations are of a much higher caliber, but not up to the current standards of the series.
The information falls into the "good enough" category. It's not that the information is dreadfully wrong, it is just that it is woefully generalized and, by current academic standards, rather antiquated. The series as a whole has done a fine job of late by focusing on smaller time periods and specific nations (thus French Medieval Armies, 1000-1300, as an example) which far supercede this volume.
If you are only going to have one volume on medieval arms and armour, you could do worse than this book. Then again, you might just want to set your standards a tech higher...
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