Winston Churchill's War Leadership

By Martin Gilbert

Book Overview

How does he assess the information that is brought to him? How does his personal or political philosophy, or a moral sense, sustain him? How does he draw inspiration from those around him? How does he deal with setbacks and disasters? In this brilliant close-up look at Winston Churchill's leadership during the Second World War, Gilbert gets to the heart of the trials and struggles that have confronted the world's most powerful leaders, even up to current politicians such as George Bush and Tony Blair. Basing the book on his intimate knowledge of Churchill's private and official papers, Sir Martin Gilbert, Churchill's official biographer, looks at the public figure and wartime propaganda, to reveal a very human, sensitive, and often tormented man, who nevertheless found the strength to lead his nation forward from the darkest and most dangerous of times.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 140007732X
• ISBN13: 9781400077328
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Close, but no "Havana Cigar"...

If you are new to Winston Churchill, and looking for an executive summary of his unique style, this is a book for you. I had read a couple of bio's from the library. My parents had visited Chartwell and brought me a book about the house from there. So I already knew a bit about his war years. What tempted me to this book was the thought that it offered a perspective on Churchill that would be useful in our daily lives; from the summary, I was expecting almost a guide to setting up self-management systems that really work. The book started out well, but drifted a bit towards being yet another bio of Churchill and his peers in later pages. Don't be put off buying this book; by making my own 2-page summary of the "lines-between-the-lines", I got some of what I was after. However, I thought I would have just that bit more.

Great

It's a small book but very informative. I'm not sure I would want to read it for fun. I'm using it for my thesis.

Churchill's greatness as a leader beautifully explicated

This book manages to outline the major principles of Churchill's greatness as a leader, and to give a fascinating account of the decision- making process during the Second World War. One of the major elements and this should be kept in mind by Western leaders today is that Churchill even in the darkest hours would not placate and negotiate with Evil. The word 'Defeat' was simply not part of his strategic vocabulary. His indomitable spirit influenced all those around him.This does not mean as Gilbert makes clear that Churchill did not have his doubts, his despairs, his periods of anger and frustration. But always he was able to overcome , and to keep the main goal, the defeat of the enemy before his eyes. His remarkable courage and his great ability to inspire others , combined with his thorough, responsible and comprehensive intellect helped make him the outstanding political leader of the twentieth century. Whether at the darkest hour of retreat at Dunkirk or in the moments of great relief and victory Churchill made himself the living embodiment of the spirit of the people, the salty and courageously defiant British people he led and loved.Gilbert is a master of condensation, of wise judgment in writing. He has done all those who care about the subject of Leadership a very real service with this small in size, but great in meaning, work.

A fascinating read

This book succinctly and brilliantly encapsulates Churchill's qualities as a wartime leader and shows Martin Gilbert's writing at its best. Ranging across the influence of Churchill's' long experience on his war leadership, his daily pattern of work, his personal example and his relationships with those under his command, this is a fascinating survey, first given by Gilbert in the White House.