A History of the English-speaking Peoples

For many, histories make dry reading. But there are exceptions - among which is A History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Sir Winston Churchill. Thus, the book is not written by a historian but by a great maker of history who made many stressful decisions during the Second War World as the British Prime Minister. Sir Winston's unique perspective of the history of a great people whom he loved stands out as a masterpiece. His vivid descriptions of important historical events such as the Black Death and the life of King Richard III can only be equaled by great literary authors like Albert Camus (e.g. in his La Peste) and William Shakespeare (e.g. in his Richard III). Sir Winston started to write the 4-volume work shortly before the beginning of the Second World War, and the last volume was only published in 1958. His perseverance in completing it despite his eventful career is solid proof of the importance he placed upon the job. If squeezing time to read the entire four volumes of the history proves to be difficult, readers will find a good alternative in the one-volume editions abridged by Christopher Lee or by S.H. Commager which retain much of the essence of the original.

August 14, 2003