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The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume I: Visions of Glory 1874-1932
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Series: Last Lion, Book 1
- Length: 41 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: History, Military
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This second volume in William Manchester's three-volume biography of Winston Churchill challenges the assumption that Churchill's finest hour was as a wartime leader. During the years 1932-1940, he was tested as few men are. Pursued by creditors (at one point he had to put up his home for sale), he remained solvent only by writing an extraordinary number of books and magazine articles.
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Spanning the years 1940 to 1965, Defender of the Realm, the third volume of William Manchester’s The Last Lion, picks up shortly after Winston Churchill became prime minister - when his tiny island nation stood alone against the overwhelming might of Nazi Germany. The Churchill portrayed by Manchester and Reid is a man of indomitable courage, lightning-fast intellect, and an irresistible will to action.
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- Length: 41 hrs and 54 mins
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- Written by: Sir Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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The English-speaking peoples comprise perhaps the greatest number of human beings sharing a common language in the world today. These people also share a common heritage. For his four-volume work, Sir Winston Churchill took as his subject these great elements in world history. Volume 1 commences in 55BC, when Julius Caesar famously "turned his gaze upon Britain" and concludes with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.
-
-
A lot of history, well told.
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-03-13
Written by: Sir Winston Churchill
-
Grant
- Written by: Ron Chernow
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 48 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ulysses S. Grant's life has typically been misunderstood. All too often he is caricatured as a chronic loser and an inept businessman or as the triumphant but brutal Union general of the Civil War. But these stereotypes don't come close to capturing him, as Chernow reveals in his masterful biography, the first to provide a complete understanding of the general and president whose fortunes rose and fell with dizzying speed and frequency.
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Publisher's Summary
In political office at the end of WWI, Churchill foresaw the folly of Versailles and feared what a crippled Germany would do to the balance of power. In his years in the political wilderness, from 1931 to 1939, he alone of all British public men, continually raised his voice against Hitler and his appeasers. For over 50 years, he was constantly involved in, and usually at the center of, the most important events of his age. It was, however, his obduracy on matters of principle, his fortitude in the face of opposition, and his perseverance in standing alone that defined him.
What the critics say
"[Manchester] can claim the considerable achievement of having assembled enough powerful evidence to support Isaiah Berlin's judgment of Churchill as the largest human being of our time." (Alistair Cooke)
What listeners say about The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume I: Visions of Glory 1874-1932
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Stephen
- 2021-03-03
TOO LONG & ELABORATE
Find the details and description of events too laborious, struggled to finish. The Narrator was very average.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2020-12-24
Have mercy!
I throughly enjoyed this book. I have heard so much about this man from so many sources but I had heard nothing of the deep history that shaped the man he became. I laughed (a lot), teared up a bit, and came away with a different perspective of history (and life).
Spectacular, it’s a long haul but it is not tedious, it’s a marathon of delight. Check it out yo
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- Chris Bolestridge
- 2020-06-16
Long and drawn out
Just found this very long and drawn out. I am 3 hours in and really has not talked about his life.
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- McAvoy K
- 2019-07-03
Looked forward to every part.
Always meant to read about Churchill but never had the time. This audiobook was perfect. I got through an hour a day while cleaning horse stalls. He was without a doubt a great man and a man of his time. The narration was a joy and included actual singing of the old songs a lot of which are now being forgotten. Very good Churchill impersonation. I will definitely get the 2nd and 3rd books of this set. Really enjoyed it and look forward to the next volume. Thanks.
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- Eric
- 2019-04-10
Engaging
First off I hated the bumps, bangs and 'boings' of the poor quality recording.
That said ..
At one point the authour indicated that he didn't like writing history outside context. Superb. Just the right amount of context/background material.
I found that I can follow through Audible a biography of this size easier than reading. I find when I read, I skip a paragraph because it looks boring. But by listening not only can I not skip, but perhaps I find it is not boring at all. Lots of detail .. lots of information.
Now on to the second book.
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- Wendy Case
- 2019-01-18
fantastic insight on churchill
well read and captivating. I found myself listening for hours on end without fail! The reader captures the essence of the era with voices and singing.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2018-05-11
THE LAST LION
Mr. Davidson does an excellent rendition of Churchill - all within the confines of an excellent book. Mr. Manchester is an extremely gifted author. This is the third book of his that I have read.
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- Wolfpacker
- 2009-01-23
Superb - Review of Both Volume I & Volume II
I am writing this review for both volumes and putting it in both places. This is a well narrated story written by what has been described as the best biographer of the 20th Century about a man who was perhaps the greatest man to live in the 20th Century. What's not to like?
Both volumes have advantages over the other (listed below), but bottom line is that both are marvelous works. I doubt too many will be able to read Volume I without soon proceeding to Volume II. Volume I pluses include a better narrator (***** vs ****) (I was impressed with his mature Churchill voice and amazed that he started with a good child Churchill and gradually aged him into the famous voice we all love!), a more narrative/chronological layout as opposed to more topical, and illumination of the transition of the Victorian age through WWI and up to the Depression. This is a time of which I knew little relative to what came before and after. Volume II has the obvious advantage of fleshing out the rise of Hitler and explaining how the Appeasers were a product of their times.
I know it will take close to 80 hours to listen to both, but the time will fly and you will wish you could listen to Volume III, which was unfortunately never written. Both books are great though I slightly preferred the first volume.
90 people found this helpful
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- SPFJR
- 2017-07-24
Message to Tantor Producers...
Any additional comments?
This performance is the second in a row from Tantor made in 2007 which is totally awash in pops and microphone bumps and insesant talking in the background!!! It's impossible to lose yourself in a recording when there is chatter chatter chatter. GET A SOUNDPROOF STUDIO and rerecord this book and others which suffer this problem. I won't return this one because I like the story too much. But I already returned the other book with this problem (John Keegan's Six Armies in Normandy). If you doubt that there is a problem with this recording please consult chapter 5; (41:04-41:30) for the greatest hits of unintended recording. The rest of the chapter is also quite bad for background talking. So: new studio, rerecord; give us all a copy of the new recording.
30 people found this helpful
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- TM
- 2009-06-27
Magnificent
I can't praise this audio book enough. Aside from the captivating and balanced portrait of Churchill, anyone interested in 20th Century history will find this title to be both exhilarating and unforgettable. Frederick Davidson does an outstanding job of unfolding the tale. I usually find character voicing impressions intolerable, but Davidson is the master. Transcribing Churchill's notes and abbreviations into audible sense is an art in itself. I shall seek out Davidson's other titles. Great download, in every sense.
30 people found this helpful
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- Caleb
- 2009-09-01
Great
A brilliant portrayal of a brilliant man.Startlingly comprehensive. Davidson is a master lectioner and may do a better Churchill than Churchill himself. Young men on the brink of reality (with college dwindling) must hear Davidson tell Churchill's story. Its depiction of a man watching an imperial collapse and a world at war are too compelling to be ignored.
19 people found this helpful
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- Anne-Marie
- 2008-04-20
Thorough and intriguing
This book truly is an impressive work - exhaustive, detailed, spinning a tremendous picture of the life and times of Winston Churchill from his birth to his years in the wilderness. I have to say, however: 40 hours is a LOT of listening and there are parts - those mostly describing the world as it stood overall - that could definitely stand editing. Yet given this book is 40 hours, and I am remaining engaged all the way through - an impressive accomplishment.
36 people found this helpful
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- Douglas
- 2010-09-11
So You Want to be an Anglophyle?
The L. L. is a stretch for the non-British ear, but well worth the struggle. At first I found the exhaustive overview of the Victoran era, well...exhaustive. Then it became intoxicating. I found myself wishing for a time machine so I could see the empire at its zenith first hand. Manchester does an excellent job of connecting the eccentricities of Churchill's political style with his outrageous childhood and over the top parents. For the rest of his life, Winston tried meeting the curious standards and expectations of his absentee father and floozie mother. I plan to do part II some day, but right now I am exhausted.
15 people found this helpful
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- Dominick
- 2009-03-13
Beware
Perhaps you will be tempted to tune in to Richard Brown's reading of _The Last Lion_, as I have. I wouldn't recommend it for bed time. In my experience it's impossible to stop the playback... one can't wait to see what will happen next. Brown's voice is appropriate to the age covered in the book - almost over the top by today's standards, but I believe you'll find it perfectly natural before long. It soon ceases to do anything but enhance the natural interest of the material.
_The Last Lion_ is a famous biographical work. The reputation is deserved. William Manchester does not shy away from a critical consideration of Churchill's jingoism, egoism, changing positions, et cetera, but nonetheless the figure that arises from imperial boyhood into a peerage long sought - and influence - is right in all of the big things as his changing nation faces the new century. Winston's genius with its tongue is revelled in through the book in extensive brief quotes. Truly this was a great man.
41 people found this helpful
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- Lance
- 2008-05-31
My favorite book among years of Audible books
Never did I understand so well what it was like to be English at the early years of the 1900s. Never did I understand why the US revolted and why John Adams fell out of favor. Awesome book that puts you in English society. The history of Churchill is awesome as well. You couldn't make this stuff up and never could I have imagined it on my own.
Hard to engage a book of this length but I found it very worthwhile.
38 people found this helpful
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- Yennta
- 2011-12-17
Powerful Human & Political Story, beautifully told
Would you consider the audio edition of The Last Lion to be better than the print version?
Oh, yes. The reader is simply spectacular.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Winny.
Have you listened to any of Frederick Davidson???s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Don't know whether I have or not, but Davidson has to be one of the best readers ever.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, much too long.
Any additional comments?
It's an endlessly fascinating story. I've listened to it now, several times. Manchester is a worldclass writer, but what makes it all work is Davidson. He absolutely channels Churchill. He turns a book into an experience.
10 people found this helpful
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- Michael Stephenson
- 2009-04-18
Forty-one hours well-spent
"Let us not delude ourselves by thinking that there is any substitute for victory."
I began this with little knowledge of Churchill's life; having finished, I think he's an indispensable figure for our times.
Our current president recently returned the bust of Churchill that Great Britain had given the US after 9/11. That's unfortunate... Churchill's resolve and principled will are as valuable now as they were seventy years ago.
Great book, great writer, great man.
19 people found this helpful