History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Second World War (Six Volume Boxed Set)

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The Hobo Philosopher
The Second World War (Six Volume Boxed Set)
Churchill - brilliant writer and thinker
The Second World War by Windston S. Churchill
A mile-high pile of stinking propaganda....

The Second World War (Six Volume Boxed Set)
Winston S. Churchill , and John Keegan
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 039541685X

Amazon.com

"After the end of the World War of 1914 there was a deep conviction and almost universal hope that peace would reign in the world. This heart's desire of all the peoples could easily have been gained by steadfastness in righteous convictions, and by reasonable common sense and prudence."

But we all know that's not what happened. As Britain's prime minister for most of the Second World War, Winston Churchill--whose career had to that point already encompassed the roles of military historian and civil servant with a proficiency in both that few others could claim--had a unique perspective on the conflict, and as soon as he left office in 1945, he began to set that perspective down on paper. To measure the importance of The Second World War, it is worth remembering that there are no parallel accounts from either of the other Allied leaders, Roosevelt and Stalin. We have in this multivolume work an account that contains both comprehensive sweep and intimate detail. Almost anybody who compiles a list of such works ranks it highly among the nonfiction books of the 20th century.

In the opening volume, The Gathering Storm, Churchill tracks the erosion of the shaky peace brokered at the end of the First World War, followed by the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis and their gradual spread from beyond Germany's borders to most of the European continent. Churchill foresaw the coming crisis and made his opinion known quite clearly throughout the latter '30s, and this book concludes on a vindicating note, with his appointment in May 1940 as prime minister, after which he recalls that "I felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial."

Their Finest Hour concerns itself with 1940. France falls, and England is left to face the German menace alone. Soon London is under siege from the air--and Churchill has a few stories of his own experiences during the Blitz to share--but they persevere to the end of what Churchill calls "the most splendid, as it was the most deadly, year in our long English and British history." They press on in The Grand Alliance, liberating Ethiopia from the Italians and lending support to Greece. Then, when Hitler reneges on his non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union (the very signing of which had proved Stalin and his commissars "the most completely outwitted bunglers of the Second World War"), the Allied team begins to coalesce. The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese makes the participation of the United States in the war official, and this is of "the greatest joy" to Churchill: "How long the war would last or in what fashion it would end no man could tell, nor did I at that moment care. Once again in our long island history we should emerge, however mauled or mutilated, safe and victorious."

But as the fourth volume, The Hinge of Fate, reveals, success would not happen overnight. The Japanese military still held strong positions in the Pacific theater, and Rommel's tank corps were on the offensive in Africa. After a string of military defeats, Churchill's opponents in Parliament introduced a motion for a censure vote; this was handily defeated, and victory secured in Africa, then Italy. By this time, Churchill had met separately with both Roosevelt and Stalin; the second half of volume 5, Closing the Ring, brings the three of them together for the first time at the November 1943 conference in Teheran. This book closes on the eve of D-day: "All the ships were at sea. We had the mastery of the oceans and of the air. The Hitler tyranny was doomed."

And so, in the concluding volume, Triumph and Tragedy, the Allies push across Europe and take the fight to Berlin. President Roosevelt's death shortly before final victory against Germany affected Churchill deeply, "as if I had been struck a physical blow," and he would later regret not attending the funeral and meeting Harry Truman then, instead of at the Potsdam conference after Germany's defeat. Churchill himself would not be there for the conclusion to the war against Japan; in July of 1945, a general election in Britain brought in a Labor government (or, as he refers to them, "Socialists"), and he resigned immediately, for "the verdict of the electors had been so overwhelmingly expressed that I did not wish to remain even for an hour responsible for their affairs."

Book Description

Churchill's six-volume history of World War II -- the definitive work, remarkable both for its sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, universally acknowledged as a magnificent historical reconstruction and an enduring work of literature. From Britian's darkest and finest hour to the great alliance and ultimate victory, the Second World War remains the pivotal event in our century. Churchill was not only its greatest leader, but the free world's most eloquent voice of defiance in the face of Nazi tyranny. His epic account of those times, published in six volumes, won the Nobel Prize in 1953.

Customer Reviews:

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-21

This book begins with the phrase "if ever there was a war that could have been prevented it was this one." or something to that effect. This I thought to be rather shocking when one understands that WWII is always held up as the world's most justified war; or the war that had to be fought. Winston goes on through this series of books to point out all the spots and circumstances where the proper world reaction could have prevented World War II.
I am one of those fortunate people who have this entire set in hardback. At one time I had two sets but I gave one to a friend. Admittedly, as Uncle Joe Stalin said, Winston can be a bit of a windbag. There are times where he goes on and on. But if you are a World War II history buff that is exactly what you want.
Winston was not only a politician but an intellectual and an historian. We have no ex-presidents who have ever accomplished anything comparable to this. I don't know of any other country or nation that does either.
If you learn to read Winston's style you will also find quite a bit of information in his historical output that you will have great difficulty finding any where else.
If you love books and history and you're not hurting for money this set is worth the investment. Do yourself a favor.

The Second World War (Six Volume Boxed Set).......2007-03-23

These are good books. Mr. Churchill wrote wonderful.
I marked it 4 stars because of printing quality.This edition has small font and paper is not good enough.
Not really comfortable to read.
I think it is better to buy books off-line ( in store) you may look at it first.

Churchill - brilliant writer and thinker.......2007-01-18

Churchill's excellently written magnum opus on WW2 is definitely worth while reading, and I recommend the box for all who want a detailed and insightful description of one of the most traumatic events in the history of man. His literary style is beautiful, sometimes even poetic and it is a long wonderful journey for the reader. Churchill must have been in his best mood when he wrote it, not least because of the many humourous anecdotes and comments. He is surely an outstanding scholar and for me, being an amateur historian, the books gave me all the necessary background for further explorations in the subjects.

The Second World War by Windston S. Churchill.......2007-01-05

Bought this set for a friend who absolutely thinks it is the best. He has been reading Churchill biographies and now to hear everything from his point of view has been very informative. Recommend this set highly.

A mile-high pile of stinking propaganda...........2006-10-04

...from the incompetent drunkard who destroyed the British Empire. This is a worthless series of phony history, valued only by myopic, hero-worshipping American neocons. Churchill was a prime actor in the events he was describing and as such, wrote a self-justifying history designed to make himself look like Pericles, Jesus and Alexander the Great rolled into one. Objective history is written by objective historians, and Churchill was not one.

Look- Churchill was an amusing alcoholic who made some witty remarks when he was plastered, and the man wasn't without a certain rat-like cunning, especially in the way that he manipulated America into violating its neutrality and skillfully turned world opinion against German "barbarism" (even though it was the British who were the first to bomb German civilians, in the hope that the Germans would retaliate in kind, thereby solidifying British support for an unpopular war.) But to say that Churchill is the apotheosis of political leadership and wisdom is a sad joke. He was a drunkard who sometimes got so pickled that he had to hire an impersonator to deliver some of his most famous speeches over the radio. He was a war criminal whose monomaniacal hatred of Hitler worked against his own people's interests and ended up bankrupting his country, destroying the British Empire and allowing half of Europe to be taken over the Soviets. What a victory! If any business or political leader today says he wants to emulate Churchill, he should be fired or impeached because either Chapter 11 or national ruin is just around the corner. But hey, if you're into long-winded, dishonest self-aggrandizement, then I highly recommend it.

Average customer rating:

Churchill to the MAX!
A great work on a great life
Knights of the Realm
Very good one volume biography
Why Didn't I Read This Years Ago?

Churchill: A Life
Martin Gilbert
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805023968

Amazon.com

It is impossible to understand the Second World War without understanding Winston Churchill, the bold British Prime Minister who showed himself to be one of the greatest statesmen any nation has ever known. This lengthy biography is a single-volume abridgment of a massive, eight-volume work that took a quarter-century to write. It covers Churchill's entire life, highlighting not only his exploits during the Second World War, but also his early belief in technology and how it would revolutionize warfare in the 20th century. Churchill learned how to fly a plane before the First World War, and was also involved in the development of both the tank and anti-aircraft defense. But he truly showed his unmatched mettle during his country's darkest moments: "His finest hour was the leadership of Britain when it was most isolated, most threatened, and most weak; when his own courage, determination, and belief in democracy became at one with the nation," writes Gilbert. There are several wonderful books available on Churchill, but this is probably the best place to start.

Book Description

Distilled from years of meticulous research and documentation, filled with material unavailable when the earliest books of the official biography's eight volumes went to press, Churchill is a brilliant marriage of the hard facts of the public life and the intimate details of the private man. The result is a vital portrait of one of the most remarkable men of any age as well as a revealing depiction of a man of extraordinary courage and imagination.

Customer Reviews:

Churchill to the MAX!.......2007-08-10

If you like Churchill and would like to know a on of info about him, more then just clever and witty quotes, then this is the book for you! Great book!!

A great work on a great life.......2007-07-28

An excellent biography of a most fantastic life. The book gives a very good outline of all major events in Churchill's life as an officer, a journalist, an author and above all: maybe the most important politician in Western Europe ever.

Churchill's early years, at school and in wars in India, Cuba, Sudan and South Africa are well covered. His career as a Member of Parliament, as well as Cabinet positions up to WWI are also very interesting. Churchill had very modern reflections on the principles of welfare states in 1905, which caused him to leave the Conservatives for the Liberals.

Churchill's finest hour is of course his early (from 1932) and consistent warning about German rearmament before WWII, and his leadership as British Prime Minister from 1940. The book's finest hour, in my opinion, is the last chapters. After the war, Churchill is 70 years old. His health is quite bad. He refuses to give in, and clings to power. From time to time, he decides to quit, but every time changes his mind. Just like the rest of us.

The book has some serious flaws. Churchill made many mistakes during the interwar years, but Gilbert runs to his defence at every one. One example: Churchill took a major stance against Indian independence. According to Gilbert, this was because Churchill was concerned about the minorities of the sub-continent.

Read and enjoy the book, as long as you are aware that Gilbert has done what many other biographers have done before him: fallen in love with his object.

Knights of the Realm.......2007-07-09

If you are only going to read one book on Sir Winston Churchill this is the one to read. Sir Martin Gilbert is Sir Winston's official biographer and that project took roughly 30 years to complete and produced an eight volume account. Gilbert even wrote a memoir of his experiences writing the biography _In Search of Churchill_, and received a knighthood of his own for his work on this project.

This book is the condensed version of the eight volumes that Gilbert took so long to write. Gilbert's account is authoritative, but the majority of it focuses, understandably, on the 1939-1945 period. Gilbert prefers to write with an unrelenting chronological narrative, an approach that works perfectly in biography. Sir Martin is a talented writer and even through this book is over 950 pages long it reads quite well. Gilbert has also quoted a lot from Churchill's own writings and speeches and it is clear the man had mastered the English language.

Many Americans are not that familiar with geography of Churchill's life and Gilbert has included 28 maps that allow the reader to track the great man's life graphically. These maps are particularly interesting because they range from the obvious like political maps of Europe in both World Wars, but also places where Churchill lived in England and a very detailed rendering of Whitehall--the region of London where all the government offices are located.

No book is perfect. In condensing eight volumes into one, Gilbert has skipped a little on developing a full human portrait of his subject. One also gets the impression that at times it was possible to just show up at 10 Downing Street and have a meeting with whoever happened to be the Prime Minister at the time. Gilbert also clearly likes his subject and takes his side in the many disputes he faced. This focus is understandable, but the author never really examines the legitimate points that Churchill critics had to make. Before the war, as far as the public was concerned, Churchill had been wrong on the abdication crisis, wrong on India, and, yes, wrong on the Nazis. It was only after the Britain came to blows with Germany that people came to reassess his position on Germany. Even during the war his formulation of strategy was suspect on more than one occasion. Gilbert does not avoid these issues, but his coverage of the other point of view could be better.

All in all, though, these complaints should not blind readers to the fact that this is an exceptionally good book by the foremost authority in the field. Buy it, you will like it.

Very good one volume biography.......2007-06-02

Overall I really enjoyed Martin Gilbert's Churchill biography, and would recommend it to others. I found it an enjoyable read, and overall I thought it did a good job covering a remarkable man.

I did think there was some room for improvement though:

- The book didn't spend as much time on the WW2 years as I would have liked. I felt Gilbert's chapters here were a little rushed and sparse, and that they mostly recited the basic facts without a lot of new insight. I would have preferred more coverage of the weeks immediately after Churchill took office (when some in the cabinet debated whether to open negotations with the Germans, and which might have come to pass had it been someone other than Churchill in office). I would have also liked to have seen more coverage of Churchill's (at times very complex) relationship with Roosevelt, as well as more about his relationship with Alan Brooke and the rest of his cabinet.

- Churchill's relationship with his family was also not covered in much depth. Clementine seemed to be continually away in Gilbert's text, and her relationship with Winston felt strained. I would have liked to have understood Gilbert's take on this more - since it is a little different from what I have read in other books.

I think I still prefer the William Manchester volumes on Churchill over this book when covering Churchill's early years - they felt a little more textured and deeper. Unfortunately Manchester was unable to complete his third volume before he died, so the WW2 years are not covered there at all.

I would still also recommend this book as well.

Why Didn't I Read This Years Ago?.......2007-02-17

The first third of this book is dry as can be and I'm beginning to think, "From this a portrait of the man will never emerge." But those who persevere eventually collect their reward. The dryness begins to evaporate with the advent of the First World War. Churchill was tested to the breaking point with the disastrous Gallipoli campaign. He lost his job with the admiralty. At age 40 Churchill thought we was washed up. By happy accident he discovers painting, a pastime that will see him through even darker days to come (see also "Sir Winston Churchill: His Life and His Paintings" by David Coombs).

The edge-of-your-seat chapters begin with the emergence of Hitler. Churchill issues Casandra-like warnings, spelling out with remarkable clairvoyance what will happen if the growing menace goes unchallenged. The world reacts with a yawn. And Hitler catches an unprepared world by surprise. Suddenly Churchill is the man of the hour. The wartime chapters drive home just how scarily-close the Nazis came to victory.

Gilbert's biography becomes anti-climatic as it becomes clear that the Good Guys will prevail. But there's still fire left in the old Prime Minister. Churchill recognizes the Hitlerian threat posed by Stalin in Post-WWII Europe. Churchill's final major life contribution comes with his Fulton, Missouri, "Iron Curtain" speech.

What's the most important aspect of this read? Churchill embodies the power of the spoken word. In 1940 words were about all besieged Brits had cling to. Our world would be a very different place (read "barbaric") had the rallying call been voiced by a lesser man. Well, it's been a long review. It was a long book.

The Second World War, Volume 6: Triumph and Tragedy

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Churchill comes full circle
The End
The abrupt conclusion leaves unanswered questions
Winni; as he was known to the British during WW11
Missing the point

The Second World War, Volume 6: Triumph and Tragedy
Winston S. Churchill
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0395410606

Book Description

From the Allied landings in Normandy in June 1944 the Second World War had only fourteen months to run. This final volume of the account covers events right up to the unconditional surrender of Japan. Churchill's six-volume history of World War II - the definitive work, remarkable both for its sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, universally acknowledged as a magnificent historical reconstruction and an enduring work of literature.

Download Description

The end of World War II, the crushing of Germany and the devastating bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.and the entrance into an uneasy and clouded peace as Churchill is dismissed from his office and the Allies embark upon a tragic, misguided and atomic-haunted Cold War. The concluding volume of Churchill's great chronicle of the War which was responsible for his winning the Noble Prize in Literature.

Customer Reviews:

Churchill comes full circle.......2007-08-13

Volume 6 "Triumph and Tragedy" covers the time frame of June 6, 1944 to July 26, 1945 and closes Churchill's account. The war is moving towards its' climax as the Allies land and push forward towards Paris and then on towards Berlin. Failure in Italy to pursue the Germans was reached as `Anvil', Riviera landing Southern France, reduced troop strength and was one of the factors that change the future of Poland and the rest of the Balkans. The Moscow conference has Churchill and Stalin discussing percentages of influence. At Quebec Churchill was very anxious to forestall the Russians in certain area of Central Europe. Unfortunately Churchill's influence consisted mainly in a warning voice. He was caught between a rock and a hard spot as he tries to appease Stalin and also not to sever England's life line with FDR and America. Yalta brought hopes and promises to a war weary world. Perhaps if Roosevelt had lived maybe these could have been achieved but his death left many agreements open ended and unfulfilled. Truman steps into office and the problems of `Unconditional Surrender' surface as surrender with Germany and Japan becomes eminent. Poland, one of the main reason for England's entering the War, is once again on stage for their sacrifice. The future of Europe and the World is being decided and the Cold War stands in the wings.

Churchill's and England's influence has waned. Even as Potsdam was failing all he can find is a concerned voice. England was deep in debt and tired of War. With Germany surrendering, there was no more desire to fight another battle especially with Russia. The Atomic bomb is dropped on Japan's two cities and Churchill finds that he has been voted out of office. On July 26, 1945 he bids farewell to the Nation that he served and steps out of what he considered as an unfinished office. He states that the "power to shape the future would be denied him". He wished he could have stayed to help with the needed peace but out of office all he could do was speak. He was not to return again for another 6 years and by then it was to late for another coalition government.

This is an important volume and series in understanding a great deal about WWII history and the start of the Cold War. The volume is well name. Victory blocked Nazism and then unleashed the power of the atom. The World would never again be the same. Old fears were replaced with new ones and national hegemony reared its' ugly head. The peace that Churchill wanted was not to be. Well worth reading and adding to the history shelf.

The End.......2007-05-10

This is the final volume of Churchill's war memoires, telling the story of the war from D-Day until its conclusion. The ending is somewhat curtailed due to the fact that the Conservatives lost the 1945 General Election, with the result that Churchill ceased to be Prime Minister before the end of the war with Japan.

Churchill's account is at its best when he relates the problems with the fate of Greece and Poland, also when he tells of the deteriorating relationships with the USSR. What does become apparent is that Great Britain was by now a part-player in the end of the war, tolerated at the top table only because of her efforts in the war. The country, and its influence, was near exhaustion.

The problems with Churchill's previous volumes persist in this one. For example, an inadequate account of the bombing campaign: Dresden is dealt with in one sentence, and the assessment of the campaign as a whole is brief and uneasy. The Final Solution is accorded the briefest of mentions. The development of the atom bomb is hardly referred to until the success of the first test explosion.

These "faults" do not detract totally from the interesting parts of the book. But what is already good could have been far better. In the end, all six volumes are a fascinating account of the war from one of its key figures.

G Rodgers

The abrupt conclusion leaves unanswered questions.......2007-01-08

The sixth and final volume of Churchill's Second World War sees us through from D Day to victory. While the progression of the war itself is covered in much the same fashion as the first five volumes, it is here more than anywhere that Churchill starts looking forward to the post war world and the final disposition of power in Europe. Well before the actual end of the conflict, with victory certain, we see how the Soviet Union began closing off its regions of control from Allied scrutiny despite all efforts at openness and fairness from Britain and America. In particular, the Polish question weighed heavily on Churchill's mind and he devotes several chapters entirely to that problem. We see that Poland was the standard example of how Communist puppet governments were set up behind closed doors, while Stalin maintained an entirely straight face in claiming only a desire for peace and security. Churchill ends by noting the irony that as the war closed it was thought that The United States would possibly serve as a political buffer between the British and Soviet governments.

One can sense the frustration Churchill had as events were increasingly out of his control. By war's end Britain was decisively third ranked in terms of troops in action. After leading the only significant resistance to German war making for two full years, he found himself in disagreement with both major allies on various issues, major in the case of the Soviets and considerably less significant with regard to the U.S., but his feeling of encroaching loss is felt in this volume. Though he would later return to the Prime Minister's office, he ends the narrative as abruptly as he did his period of leadership (though he does skip ahead to the end of the Pacific war), with the great post-war questions unanswered.

Winni; as he was known to the British during WW11.......2005-03-14

I was born toward the end of world war two, and I'll never forget how this brilliant and intrepid man, through his daily, radio speaches, made the British people feel that they would never be defeated by Hitler. Winston Churchill, saw, before anyone else in England, that Germany would invade the rest of Europe and Great Britian in his iniquitous bid to conquer, control and kill millions of innocent people, without a thought of anything else but his evil ideas of what he, a mad-man, wanted at any cost.
As I grew older, my family told me more about the war. An uncle, who was in the Royal Air force, had his plane shot down and he spent nearly five years in a German P.O.W camp. My mother, when the dreaded dozzel bug bombs bombarded London day and night, had one drop very near her. She was pushing a pram with my twin sister and me in it, two older sisters were with her as she heard the engine stop and watched it fall; it was a dud and never exploded or we wouldn't be alive today. What terror she must have felt; I can not imagine. But Winston Churchill's daily radio addresses made her and so many other people gather their courage and continue on despite the very real danger of living in London.
Winston Churchill was a hero, beyond compare, to the people of Great Britain, during its time of greatest peril.
So many brave Americans went to fly for the Royal Air Force before America had entered the war. And so many of them perished -- such heros!!! To fight and die for England and freedom before they had to: brave crusaders!!
Then America also was at war with Germany and brought so much hope to the British people. They fought and so many of them died.
I read so much about this time in history. And these books, although definately not light reading, tell about a time when not only the men, but the women and even the children did whatever they could to rid this world of such evil. And so much of the braveness, the will to go on, despite everything, of the British people was because of this great man: Winston Churchill, who told them, and made them believe, every night by his radio speaches, that they could and would beat the Nazi threat.

Missing the point.......2003-11-22

I just had to add my two cents after finishing the sixth volume all of about 15 minutes ago. I ask my fellow reviewers who accuse Churchill of a completely selfish designation of "tragedy" on his loss of power in Britain to make sure they have actually read the right book; I can't see how it can be anything other than incredibly obvious that the "tragedy" he refers to is the inability of the Allies to halt Russian encroachment and lay the foundation for a peace which wouldn't be eventually and unavoidably interrupted by the potential for World War Three. This conclusion to Churchill's brilliant series is once again fantastic in scope and offers invaluable perspective. Most importantly, it is also incredibly prescient, as shown by 30 years of Cold War which we only escaped a decade ago.

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A unique work with a message for us in today's world
"We were to learn what total war means"
"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it."
The Tragedy
Drift to disaster

The Gathering Storm
Sir Winston S. Churchill
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 0395075378

Amazon.com

Winston Churchill was not only a statesman and leader of historic proportions, he also possessed substantial literary talents. These two factors combine to make The Gathering Storm a unique work. The first volume of Churchill's memoirs, this selection is broken into two parts. The first, "From War to War," consists of Churchill's critical observations on the settlement of World War I and its place in the causes of the Second World War. The second volume contains letters and memoranda from the British government--of which Churchill was part--as the country plunged unprepared into war. This stands as the best of history: written as it was made, by the man who made it.

Book Description

The step-by-step decline into war, with Churchill becoming prime minister as "the tocsin was about to sound."

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The first volume of Churchill's Noble-Prize winning six-part chronicle of World War II. THE GATHERING STORM depicts the rise of Hitler and the indifference of the leaders of the European democracies to the clouds of the gathering storm. Churchill incorporate contemporary documentation and his own reminiscence in this opening memoir.

Customer Reviews:

A unique work with a message for us in today's world.......2006-12-20

This is the first volume of Churchill's Noble Prize winning six part chronicle of World War II. The Gathering Storm depicts the rise of Hitler and the indifference of the leaders of the European democracies to the clouds of the gathering storm. Churchill incorporates contemporary documentation and his own reminiscence in this opening memoir. Churchill was a great statesman with great literary ability - a winning combination. The Gathering Storm a unique work and has a message for us in today's world.

Read and reviewed by Jimmie A. Kepler

"We were to learn what total war means".......2006-10-05

Churchill gathered his researchers and secretaries and wrote an account of the events of World War II. These memoirs would span a work of six volumes, and added with his other literary achievements win for him the Noble Prize in Literature. The 'Gathering Storm', Volume I, starts with the end of World War I..the war to end all wars..and concludes on May 10,1940 with Germany's invasion of the Low Countries(Holland/Belgium) and France. May 10 was also the day that Neville Chamberlain resigned as Prime Minister and Churchill was asked, by the King, to form a new Government...in effect becoming the new head of Government or Prime Minister.

This is a work that is well worth reading. The contents and wisdom are just as relevant today as then. Churchill was relentless in his opinions, good and not-so-good, and did all in his power to try and stem the coming war. He had the advantage of being in the early government as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1911 to 1915. Driven into the wilderness years by forcing the Darnanelles,..a plan he still maintained would have worked if not for the 'timid observationists'..he would still keep active in governmental affairs and had enough connections to keep up-to-date with current events. Chamberlain, in 1939, would put him back into the Admiralty as First Lord..ironically going full circle back to his old office. Now with victory and hindsight, he was in the enviable position to see and write about the events that took place, and what could have happened if certain plans had or hadn't been implemented.

Churchill states that all the trials he went through prepared him for the great task of war. Had he remained in office, the position of Prime Minister would never have come his way. He would have been swept out of office with the failed administration. Those 'invisible wings' of fate were watching out for him. He was freed from party antagonisms and with six years of warning, about the oncoming events, no one could reproach him. What he had warned about was now real and the future was not certain. Churchill felt he knew a great deal about it all and was sure he could not fail. As Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, he now had the power to direct the whole scene. That was one of the areas I felt he craved more than any. The power to move the action forward on the offensive instead of always on the defensive.

Churchill wrote of the events that were transpiring with Germany's disregard for the Treaty of Versailles, Locarno and the failure at Munich. The rise of Hilter and his ascension to Chancellor, the absorption of Austria, the neutralization of Czechoslovakia, and the fall of Poland. The timidity of England and France to respond to the treaties and strike a blow for freedom in retaliation. He doesn't hold back his opinions and what he felt should have been done. As First Lord of the Admiralty he pushed for taking the port at Narvik Norway and found this plan changed from a sea strike to a failed pincer attack. He watched with frustration the failed, yet fortunate, attempt to tangle and embed the war on the Norwegian front. It was fortunate because shortly the war was to break full upon the Western Front and all was needed there. Norway ended the twilight or false war and moved the events forward into an all out compaign of total war.

The face and technology of war has changed over these many years. I doubt we'll ever see countries signing peace documents on battleships again. Unfortunately the reality is that war is still very much alive and with us. These facts alone make these volumes important reading. Possibly the most important aspect is that we can learn from a great man's experiences and hopefully not repeat the past. Well worth adding to the library.

"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.".......2006-09-04

And he did. This compulisively readable account of Europe between the wars and from 09/39 to 05/40 covers European diplomatic history, shifts in British politics, Britian's unwillingness to prepare for war, Hitler's rise to power and German re-armament. It ends with the invasion of France/the Low Countries and Chuchill's ascent to Prime Minister of a National Government. For all it's readablity and heavy use of documentation and primary sources, this is still a memior and sometimes self-serving.

The Tragedy.......2006-07-22

In his preface Churchill states that one day president Roosevelt asked him for suggestions as to what the war should be called. He replied at once " the Unnecessary War "

While hindsight is always 20-20, it is impossible to read this brilliant account without coming to the conclusion that Churchill was giving way to understatement. The absurd idiocies of the governments of the victorious Allies of The Great War from 1918 to 1939 were so blatantly appalling as to be beyond belief.

To name just one, there was strong pressure in the British Parliament and Press to have France, in the interest of fair play (?) reduce its army by half and allow Germany to double its own.-- As Hitler was rallying millions to his banner.

The chapter on Hitler is perhaps the best. To quote Churchill again: " When eventually he came to power there was no book (Mein Kempf) which deserved more careful study from the rulers, political and military , of the Allied powers. All was there . . . "

But the Allies, embroiled with their own party strifes, took little notice.

Juncture after juncture, The Second World War could have easily been avoided. Repeat, easily.

For readers only familiar with Churchill's reputation as an orator, this is a chance to get to know why so many justly regard him as one of the greatest prose writers of the 20th century.

Furthermore, neither Hitler, Roosevelt, nor Stalin had the means or inclination to give an insider's first rate account of the war. Here you will see it from the summit, blow by blow.

It is indeed a tragedy, but one superbly told.

Drift to disaster.......2006-07-03

This is the first volume in a six-part work covering World War Two. It's best looked upon as Churchill's war memoirs rather than an attempt at a definitive history of the conflict. Of course, Churchill was a major figure in the war, and therefore cannot be regarded as a dispassionate analyst: he was far too close to the events and lacked the research that subsequent years have provided. All these observations are truisms, but it's worth stating that the reader should expect a very personal and Anglo-centric account.

This first volume covers the period from 1919 to the fall of the Chamberlain Government following the disasterous campaign in Norway in 1940. A major chunk of the book is taken up by Churchill's account of the faults and consequences of the Versailles Treaty, the rise of Nazi Germany and the growing threat to peace. There is very little on events in the Far East. There's not much either to throw doubt upon Churchill's role as the unheeded herald of the menace posed by the dictators, but he does have the grace to concede that the trials of World War One and the horrendous losses suffered in that war had scarred deeply the collective psyche. The reluctance to re-militarise can be better understood in that context.

Events have since shown of course that few politicians have the courage either to act contrary to what they perceive as public sentiment, or to clear their minds of preconceptions when all the evidence does not suit them. Either of these traits on their own are problematic, but it seemed that both were working at the same time in the inter-war period, to disasterous effect. As Churchill points out, few (including those on the Left) demurred from the prevailing wisdom: this must be borne in mind when British politicians of all types during the post-war period posed as implacable pre-war anti-appeasers.

Of course, few of the democracies were without these traits, and few come out of Churchill's account with total absolution - barring perhaps Czechoslovakia. Even Poland took part in the post-Munich dismemberment of that country. Churchill's account is of a tragedy, but not one which started in 1919. Rather the "peace" between the two World Wars was nothing more than a pause in the greater tragedy of twentieth-century history.

His account is passionate, lively and accessibly written. As I stated above, not one for a student wanting a definitive story, but is nonetheless gripping.

G Rodgers

A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust and Denial in the Americas, 1492 to the Present

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American History From the Victims' Perspective
A Little Matter of Genocide review
States of Denial
Fast and Perfect Condition
An Eye-Opener

A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust and Denial in the Americas, 1492 to the Present
Ward Churchill
Manufacturer: City Lights Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Discrimination & Racism | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0872863239

Book Description

Ward Churchill has achieved an unparalleled reputation as a scholar-activist and analyst of indigenous issues in North America. Here, he explores the history of holocaust and denial in this hemisphere, beginning with the arrival of Columbus and continuing on into the present.

He frames the matter by examining both "revisionist" denial of the nazi-perpatrated Holocaust and the opposing claim of its exclusive "uniqueness," using the full scope of what happened in Europe as a backdrop against which to demonstrate that genocide is precisely what has been-and still is-carried out against the American Indians.

Churchill lays bare the means by which many of these realities have remained hidden, how public understanding of this most monstrous of crimes has been subverted not only by its perpetrators and their beneficiaries but by the institutions and individuals who perceive advantages in the confusion. In particular, he outlines the reasons underlying the United States's 40-year refusal to ratify the Genocide Convention, as well as the implications of the attempt to exempt itself from compliance when it finally offered its "endorsement."

In conclusion, Churchill proposes a more adequate and coherent definition of the crime as a basis for identifying, punishing, and preventing genocidal practices, wherever and whenever they occur.

Ward Churchill (enrolled Keetoowah Cherokee) is Professor of American Indian Studies with the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder. A member of the American Indian Movement since 1972, he has been a leader of the Colorado chapter for the past fifteen years. Among his previous books have been Fantasies of a Master Race, Struggle for the Land, Since Predator Came, and From a Native Son.

Customer Reviews:

American History From the Victims' Perspective.......2006-07-03

This book is a must read for anyone seriously interested in the true historical origins of the United States. Ward Churchill wastes no time dispelling the myth that the German Nazis were the originators of the systematic extermination of a cultural group. Likewise, he demonstrates that the Jewish people were not the first nor the last to be the victims of a Holocaust. Through his meticulous research of historical records, Churchill gives us the facts surrounding the theft of this nation from its native peoples. Afterwards, you may never look at Columbus and the discovery of the "New World" with the same rose-colored glasses.

A Little Matter of Genocide review.......2006-03-05

Professor Churchill has done a magnificant job writing this very comprehensive,extremely well-researched book.This book makes people aware that the Jews are not the only victims of Genocide.This book examines the history of Genocides dating back to 1492 to the present day .This book is very important because it educates people about the many occurances of Genocide.Mankind needs to know the past so that mankind can strive to make certain that the tragedies of history will not be repeated.

States of Denial.......2006-02-15

"A Little Matter" is worth reading simply for its discussion of the term "genocide". But there's so much more. If I get started I'm going to blather on at extreme length, so I won't.

The content of this book has been well covered by the reviewers before me, so I simply want to add my 5 stars. If you're interested in the issues suggested by the title, you've found an insightful, solidly referenced, powerfully argued resource.

Ward Churchill has an axe to grind, certainly, but he also has a forest to cut through. There are so many lies abroad in the world that we are all choking on them, I think, both victors and victims. This is a book I'm grateful to have read.

Stannard's wonderful and terrible "American Holocaust" is another. As are John Pilger's "Secret Country", and "Blood on the Wattle" by Bruce Elder, both of which concern Australia, my own sad, similarly haunted homeland.

Fast and Perfect Condition.......2005-09-30

I will continue to purchase all of my texts from Amazon.com.

An Eye-Opener.......2005-06-13

This book is primarily a collection of essays that Churchill has written and published elsewhere. Churchill's main focus in this book is on the genocide perpetrated in the Americas by the Europeans against the various indigenous peoples, and documents how the livelihoods, cultures, and lives of these peoples were decimated over the course of several centuries. What makes the book most worthwhile is the extended discussion on the meaning of the term "genocide" - a term that I consider used often incorrectly, and way too narrowly - towards the beginning and end of the book. The definition of genocide that he uses can be readily applied to various other atrocities, such as the genocide that occurred in Rwanda, Israel (Israelis against Palestinians), Vietnam (first by the French, and later the US), and most recently Iraq (perpetrated by the US) and Sudan.

Recommended for social scientists attempting to understand the causes and consequences of genocide, and well-suited to an educated lay audience as well. The book is a recommended companion to Stannard's "American Holocaust."

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History at its best!

The Second World War, 6-Volume Set
Winston S. Churchill
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940

ASIN: B000H6E98Q

Customer Reviews:

History at its best!.......2007-02-08

Churchill's Second World War is an amazing work about an even more amazing time in our nation's history. This is the "Lord of the Rings" only real and a much longer story. Nonetheless, it is every bit as interesting and exciting (more so, I dare say). Time flies while reading as every page is riveting. I am in awe.

Memoirs of the Second World War (An Abridgement of the Six Volumes of the Second World War)

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Very biased and incomplete, but good
A magnificent book by a magnificent man!
All the ww2 history
Memoirs of the Second World War - Stalin, Soviet Union, Poland
Memoirs of the Second World War

Memoirs of the Second World War (An Abridgement of the Six Volumes of the Second World War)
Winston S. Churchill
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0395599687

Book Description

In honor of the sixtieth anniversary of the end of World War II, Nobel Prize winner Winston Churchill's essential, abridged memoirs of that time are reintroduced with an updated cover and a new low price. The quintessence of the war as seen by it's greatest player, in a one-volume abridged edition that captures all the drama of the original volumes.

Customer Reviews:

Very biased and incomplete, but good.......2007-07-15

I read this good book, here in Brazil.Among the World War II great leaders, only Churchill wrote a book about that war.
About american eugenics , race and gender relations, there isn't a single word against or about, in this big book, with more than 1,000 pages.There's some maps inside.This book isn't only about World War II, but also about the war's roots and fruits, includind about Cold War.
This book is very biased.The Churchill's mistakes in World War II, were enormous.About France's battle in 1940, seems that Churchill was in another planet then, not as England's leader then.Ever big Churchill's or England's failure, has almost nothing or no place at all, in this book.About war production and military weapons, there's almost nothing.
Secrets about Colossus computer and the breaking of german Enigma code machine or "purle" japanese code,were war secrets and also had no place on this book.
Even with so many bias and other failures, this book remains good and easy to read.

A magnificent book by a magnificent man!.......2007-01-10

Winston Churchill was a man of destiny, and he came to realize that, although he seldom hints at it. Without him Western Civilization would be drastically different today, for the worse.

Somehow he makes the day-to-day machinations of world governments read like a suspense novel. Yet he is concise, reserved and free from hyperbole. I think this is possible because he so clearly saw the Big Picture and knew deep down what really was at stake. The story didn't need to be enhanced for those who could understand, and those who couldn't . . . oh well.

This made the early decades of the Twentieth Century come alive for me. I now feel like I lived through those times.

I loved the book, and I love the man!

All the ww2 history.......2007-01-05

Churchill was not only a participant, but an excellent observer of this period. There are some good maps and pictures.

Memoirs of the Second World War - Stalin, Soviet Union, Poland.......2005-08-24

I find it indeed difficult to assess this book by Winston Churchill. I have read it with very mixed emotions. Nonetheless, I firmly believe that for any serious student of the history of World War II Winston Churchill's "Memoirs of the Second World War" is a must reading - unless he or she decides to study the full fledged, six volume, "The Second World War" itself.

However, if one is to base his entire knowledge of the war on this writing alone, treating it as the history book per se, one is likely for a big disappointment. The value of this book as a source of historical facts is questionable; its value, in my view, lies in that it is the first hand, direct, presentation of the views and ideas on the war politics by one of its biggest actors. Churchill wrote himself: "This is not history, this is my case." I agree. It is, at the same time, the best source of information one can probably get on the "state of competence" of one of the "Big Three". For in this writing Winston Churchill reveals to a large degree what he himself knew, or did not know, about various aspects of the unfolding events. However, the objectivity of his writing is to a certain degree weakened by his concerns for relations with some of the other big players in World War II. The name of Dwight Eisenhower immediately comes to mind here. At the time of this book's publication Eisenhower was the president of USA. Whatever disagreements Churchill may have had with him in 1944 and 1945, and the many he had indeed, he went long ways to smooth his criticism to not in the smallest way offend his former ally and the sitting president of the country with which he practiced the policy of "Grand Alliance". That this may have distorted the whole picture seems beyond much doubt.

I am in no position to evaluate Churchill's ideas and beliefs and confront them with the facts, in their entirety. Whether, for instance, his explanation of the fall of Singapore is correct or not is beyond my expertise. But on two subjects: Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union and the so-called "Polish Question" I do have opinions of my own.

We now know quite well who Joseph Stalin really was and what was the true nature of the Soviet regime in those years. From that perspective Winston Churchill's assertions about Stalin himself seem rather disconcerting. Especially so, since Churchill seem to have been reasonably well versed in matters relating to the Soviet Union and its foreign policies. Unlike many left-leaning politicians both in USA and Western Europe at the time he apparently had no illusions about the character of communist experiment in Soviet Russia. This was particularly true with regard to Stalin's foreign policies. Churchill realized Stalin was "de-facto" ally of Nazi Germany all the way until the day Hitler invaded the Soviet Union.

But with the Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union on June 21, 1941, virtually overnight, this hideous man becomes Great Britain's ally in the fight against Germany. And now that Stalin was on the same side of the barricade he became more than an ally. He, in the eyes of Churchill, seemed to have transformed into a better man. Politically and morally. Churchill spares no effort to present Stalin as an extremely intelligent man, not without sense of humor, a man with whom one can reason, negotiate and settle. On several occasions Churchill underlines importance of maintaining friendly relationship with the Soviet leader as if attempting to convince the reader, and possibly himself, that personal relationship could significantly alter the outcome of negotiations. Did he believe this or was he merely trying to justify his own conduct vis-à-vis Stalin? At any rate, I do not subscribe to a notion that just because someone finds himself on the right side of a political cause - and in the case of Stalin this was not his own choice, Hitler put him there - it makes him automatically a better being. Whoever Stalin was before German invasion he retained that character afterwards. And that simple fact demanded appropriate conclusions be drawn and remembered.

Poland, and "Polish Question", receives mixed treatment by Winston Churchill. It might even be more instructive to recognize what Churchill does not write about in the case of Poland than what subjects he dwells upon. The name of the general Wladyslaw Sikorski, Prime Minister and Commander in Chief of the Polish Government in Exile right from the Polish defeat in September 1939 until his death in the airplane accident in 1943 is not mentioned even once, not even in passing. And it is worth remembering that Poland was Great Britain's first, and for some time practically the only, ally in the war against Hitler right from the beginning till the very end. Not a single word is dedicated to the role of Polish airmen who fought with such distinction during the famous Battle of England. They were the heroes of the day then and Churchill knew perfectly well they were the best "scoring" fighters whose contribution to the victory was substantial if not decisive. More disturbing still is his complete silence on the subject of Katyn massacre. In April 1943 the Germans discovered mass graves in the forest of Katyn near Smolensk in then occupied Russian territory. Poles were inquiring with the Soviets since June 1941 about the faith of about 15,000 officers listed as Soviet prisoners of war only to be told they must have had "escaped to Manchuria". The German discovery of some 4,000 murdered and Sikorski's subsequent request for independent investigation by the International Red Cross was the pretexts for Stalin to break relations with the Poles and that was the beginning of all the subsequent troubles around the Polish Question. The truth of the Katyn massacre got swept under the carpet for years.

It is not until the summer of 1944 when the Soviets advanced to the territories of the pre-war Poland that this subject starts looming high on the agenda. Churchill apparently then realized that Stalin had his own plans concerning Poland where creation of a subservient government toped the list. To be fair Winston Churchill deserves credit for writing (and acting at the time) extensively about the Warsaw Rising of 1944. For two months the 50,000 Home Army soldiers armed with ammunition to last for just a few days fought valiantly inflicting great casualties on the Germans while the Red Army stood on the east bank of Vistula River doing practically nothing. Churchill was sincerely horrified at Stalin's refusal not only to come to military assistance himself but even to allow the Allies' planes attempting to drop supplies to land on the Soviet airfields. Churchill desperately tried to help. But Stalin had a much different agenda and for this purpose he didn't mind to allow almost a quarter million of Varsovians to perish. Roosevelt meanwhile apparently did not care. Churchill's exasperation over this issue is clearly visible and the pages dedicated to Warsaw Rising are some of the most emotionally charged in the entire book.

But it is Churchill's position on the question of new Poland's frontiers that causes most of my dismay. He openly agreed that the Soviet Union deserved additional territory at their Western frontier to boost their external security against any future threat from Germany. This was agreed in principle right from the start. It is true that in those territories ethnic Poles never constituted a majority. But that's a very poor argument. Neither Russians were a majority there. These were Belo-Russians, Ukrainians, Ormians, Jews, in short a multitude of ethnic groups who for centuries lived under the Polish-Lithuanian rule. The Russian rule they knew only since the partitions of Poland at the end of XVIII century. If anything, there would be a legitimate "border dispute", if you will, between Poland and Ukraine or Poland and Belarus. But there was not even a hypothetical question of national independence for these two nations. As it turned out, therefore, a double standard was employed: Poland was to be a one-nation, one ethnic group state while it was all right for (Soviet) Russia to be a multinational "federation". In the end Winston Churchill agreed to legalize Soviet annexation of Polish territories invaded on September 17, 1939 the basis of which was (now infamous) Molotov- Ribbentrop Secret Protocol of August 23, 1939.

With everything in the book read and digested the final impression of this, no doubt very remarkable, statesman I get, is one of a man visionary at times, perseverant, man often times of principle and yet also of a man who for the purpose of "higher good" would bend or re-interpret the facts falling victim to illusions. The same man who so forcefully condemned policies of appeasement towards Germany up until Munich agreements of 1938 would practice his own appeasement policies towards Stalin later on, clearly as a result of his own fallacies about the character of Joseph Stalin and the nature of the Soviet system. But this very same man retained the ability to disillusion himself and change own stands thus proving quite remarkable degree of intellectual and political flexibility. Unfortunately for him, as well as for the world, it is rarely sufficient to change ones mind. For if the circumstances have also changed it is usually too late. It was another matter to exact certain commitments from Stalin when the outcome of the struggle with Hitler's Germany was up in the air, quite another when Stalin's armies were approaching Vistula river. There clearly was a chance to block aggressiveness of the Soviet Union and prevent Iron Curtain from descending upon Central Europe and spare the Europe and the world Cold War - if both Churchill and Roosevelt acted firmly early on. But the many illusions about the man and the system they dealt with and lack of sufficient foresight, prevented them from achieving desirable political arrangements, namely independence of Poland and other Central European countries, something that soon afterwards became to haunt the Western Democracies for nearly half the century.

While Churchill as a politician remains controversial, Churchill as a writer, and his book, fall very close to being a masterpiece. Rich, eloquent language, clarity of point, all-in-all good balance between detail and generality and, above all, passion with which he writes about subjects he was so intimately involved with - make for terrific reading experience. If not for the certain obstructions in his "pursuit of truth", the want not to offend then still living former allies and the apparent want to justify own conduct, that all resulted in certain distortion of the picture, I would give the book highest score of 5 stars.

Memoirs of the Second World War.......2005-08-15

Winston Churchill has helped to create the world we all live in now so to better understand it, it is neccesary to read what one of the authors had in mind.

The World Crisis: An Abridgement of the Classic Four-Volume History of World War I

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The Bloodiest Century's Opening Act
One of the finest works of history ever written.

The World Crisis: An Abridgement of the Classic Four-Volume History of World War I
Winston Churchill
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

World War I | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0684194538

Customer Reviews:

The Bloodiest Century's Opening Act.......2000-06-30

This magnificent abridgement, published eight years before Hitler invaded Poland, clearly illustrates the fatal miscalculations with which the European nations entered and waged The Great War of 1914-18, and presages the dreadful and continuing consequences of having pursed them to the end. The final pages are as moving a condemnation of war as is found in English, made all the more poignant by our foreknowledge of Churchill's subsequent achievements. If you want to know how our world got to be the way it is today, start with this book.

One of the finest works of history ever written........1997-10-04

Churchill's memoirs of World War 1 is one of the finest works of history ever written and is probably among the three or four best works on WW1(together with Martin Gilbert's recent History of the First World War).It is also a masterpiece of Engish literature, demonstrating a prose style that later won Churchill the Nobel Prize. While the book necessarily reflects Churchill's own experiences in the war,it is reasonably unbiased and balanced,although he certainly presents his own case forcefully and convincingly. The only limitation of the book is that it was written only afew years after the end of the war so it did not have access to all the government arhives released later.Despite this,I believe that Churhill's conclusions have stood up well even in the light of subsequently released archive material. However,one might consider reading the book together with a "modern" history--such as Martin Gilbert's--for a more complete perspective.

Churchill's War Volume II: Triumph in Adversity

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A pathetic piece of work
Winston Churchill a simple man (but such a man!).
Master of narrative, history in the moment
Truly a Masterful Piece of Work
IRVING DOES IT AGAIN .... SMASHING A FALSE ICON !!!

Churchill's War Volume II: Triumph in Adversity
David Irving
Manufacturer: Focal Point Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1872197159

Book Description

Using diaries and official and unofficial records never published before, this second volume of 'Churchill's War' takes a close-quarters look at the middle years of the Second World War. Volume I chronicled a chain of disasters through the fall of France to the debacle in Greece; this second volume chronicles great naval victories, El Alamein and the landings in North Africa.

The book contract was signed with a London publisher in 1972. Volume I (publ. 1987) attracted critical acclaim, sold 20,000 copies, and was widely translated. Major publishers in the UK and USA issued editions. Volume II appears 14 years later after an uneasy birth. During the 30 years of its writing the world has turned; the halls of historical research now tremble to the tread of political correctness. This work's author finds himself no longer the celebrated subject of reviewers. Major publishers who still aspire to print his works come under assault from international bodies. In July 1992 - even as he was returning from the KGB archives in Moscow with the secret Goebbels Diaries - the directors of Macmillan Ltd. were being forced to the secret decision to burn all stocks of his remaining works.

This work benefits however from the release of thousands of secret files. At the author's request both the John Major and Tony Blair governments opened files previously sealed: thus we know more about Anthony Eden's role in the murder of Admiral Darlan.

The human side of Winston Churchill reaches boldly out of these pages - lively, incorrigible, and sometimes callous; hectoring his ministers, but meek and subservient to Moscow and Washington. The picture of him that emerges in Real History is sometimes unpalatable - willingly fomenting and prolonging the war against Hitler, not in pursuit of any fundamental British interest but to acquire, consolidate, and enjoy power and its fruits after years spent in the political wilderness and relative poverty; he appears undismayed by the ruin of the British empire. In two appendices Mr. Irving reveals that Roosevelt and Churchill maintained top secret communications channels to exchange messages that are still not released to the public. Hardbound, 40 pages of black and white and color plates, 1072 pages.

Customer Reviews:

A pathetic piece of work.......2007-01-18

'Churchill's War' is a pathetic piece of work. It is very biased for one thing but the facts of the book are completely nonsense. Many of Irving's assertions are contradictatory- for example if Churchill ''invariably put the interests of the US above that of his own country'' why did not Churchill warn the Americans about Pearl Harbour? Or, if Irving's opinions on Auschwitz are correct (that the Jews are not being murdered there) then why should Churchill be condenmed for not ordering the RAF to bomb the place? He wants it both ways but gets in no ways. He repeats the myth that Churchill was an alcoholic but provides enough evidence in the book to refute his allegations. Several new groundless slurs are unsupported. In addition Irving says that Churchill was ''of partly Jewish blood, though safely diluted''. This is irrelevant and offensive and shows it to be the awful work it is.

Winston Churchill a simple man (but such a man!)........2006-10-24

This book, is not what I expected, I thought I was going to read a two volume bashing on the British leader during World War II. But instead, David Irving once more demonstrates his skills as a thorough researcher and an easy to follow writer. You get an intimate look into the life of Winston Churchill, you learn about his vices, his faults but also you grow to admire him, to admire his dexterity as a cunning, resourceful, manipulative and a brilliant man, you finish reading, the two volumes, understanding why he was the only man capable of being the Prime Minister and why he took the Allies to final victory.

Along the pages you'll learn of a lot that things that happened 'behind the curtain', you'll know of military operations that you never heard to talk of before, as well as familiar topics as the Battle of Britain, the sinking of the Bismark, the Battle of the Atlantic, North Africa: Rommel vs Montgomery, the 'Dambusters', etc. Learn how the United Nations Organization was born, how the Manhattan project was put under way, or why at No.10 Downing Street they knew, beforehand, of every german military operation (and japanese too!); & you'll read about family gossips too.

Let's hope that once David Irving is released from prison, he can conclude writing, and that he publishes the long awaited volume III. I'm sure that in several decades from now, and once this policy, politically motivated, of mental censorship be over, David Irving will go down in history as one of the best WWII historians.

Master of narrative, history in the moment.......2006-09-19

What I love about David Irving's histories is that they are always written "in the moment" from the subject's point of view. This makes for a very exciting narrative all culled from Irving's deep researches in the archives, diaries, letters, and interviews with people close to the subject. It is like you are reliving history as it actually happens.

The first two volumes of the biography show a very balanced view of Churchill, both postive and negative, as any historian should approach a subject. In many ways, it was Churchill's negative characteristics, his stubborness, vainness, his desperate clutching for political power when it was all but gone, and ruthlessness with his opponents, that proved to be exactly what Britain needed to win its war with Hitler. The negative consequence of this was of course the loss of Britain's Empire and Soviet supremacy in Eastern Europe.

Irving's archive work all over the world has brought forward some amazing gems of knowledge concerning many of Churchill's contemporaries in England, and also of people like Roosevelt and the Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King whose dabblings with mysticism and superstition provide some comic relief to the narrative. More serious and controversial is Churchill's wartime dealings with Stalin.

Much like his biographies of the major players on the German side of the war, Irving has created another historical gem backed by massive documentary detail, this time about the goings on of "our" side. Another stunning achievement.

Truly a Masterful Piece of Work.......2005-11-25

Much like Daivd Irving's earlier books, "War Between the Generals," "Path To War," and "Goring," I am enjoying his three volume set about Winston Churchill. Uncompromising, balanced, and definitely well researched,it brings to light certain issues like Stalin's continuing pressure upon the Allies to create a second front, the assassination of Darlan, and how the different personalities helped form the allies' foreign policies. As a history teacher and a combat veteran, who has also written a book about the uncertainties of war "Arc Light," I have always enjoyed Irving's works, even though, many view him in a negative light. Notwithstanding, it is extremely obvious from my personal experiences and from my years of reading about and also teaching history that official versions of powerful personalities or events are very deceiving and not at all accurate. David Irving dares to bring to light the strengths and weaknesses of Churchill and his overriding determination to make a pact with the devil (Stalin), drag the USA into the war, and defeat Nazi Germany at whatever the cost.

IRVING DOES IT AGAIN .... SMASHING A FALSE ICON !!! .......2005-11-02

Noted British Historian David Irving has done it again, exposing Winston Churchill as a debauched alcoholic, too cowardly to show himself anywhere near the bloody combat he ordered thousands to their deaths to, and a corrupt warmonger servile to the interests of the Zionists scheme to drown Europe in a sea of fratricidal blood while they ploted and manipulated the dispossession of the Palestinians.

Irving shows how it was Churchill who sold out and lost the once great and mighty British Empire for the sake of his personal grudges, and gambling debts paid for him by wealthy Zionist master manipulators.

In a mountain of damning facts, Irving presents a case only a top prosecutor could equal in terms of quality and quantity in his relentless pursuit of exposing the true picture of the real Winston Churchill.

Regardless of the slanders of his critics, who fail to point to anything specific, and thus can only resort to character assassination and defamation, David Irving has given us the final word on the man who destroyed two empires - one of them his own !

Read it if you dare !

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