Churchill's War [Paperback]

David Irving (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1991

David Irving present a wealth of hitherto suppressed information, that shows a shockingly unfamiliar portrait of the great statesman, Churchill. Readers will discover a power-hungry leader who prolonged the war to advance his own career, and much more to astonish one and all.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A professional historian of noted distinction, David Irving has researched and written about World War II with passionate insight for many years. His first book, "The Destruction of Dresden," was just one of several startling international bestsellers, which include "Hitler's War" and "Goebbels, Mastermind of the Third Reich." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books (P); First Thus edition (April 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380763141
• ISBN-13: 978-0380763146
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,083,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The truth will out, May 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Churchill's War: The Struggle for Power (Hardcover)

With the publication of Lord Alanbrooke's "War Diaries", and the (finally!) re-publication of Henry Williamson's "Lucifer Before Sunrise" and "The Gale of the World", Irving's well-documented, totally supported theses are independantly ond objectively confirmed. The mythologizing of the origins and conduct of World War II was begun by Churchill himself, and has accelerated in the last 20 years to a point that anyone not toeing the "politically correct" line is attacked as a Nazi sympathiser.

Irving's early books were universally praised. Almost all authors of major works on Hitler's war leadership and the Wehrmacht High Command -- including the multi-volume official histories written by the MGFA (the German Federal Military History Research Office) -- cite Irving's own books or the sources he has uncovered and employed. However, the "political acceptibility" of the material uncovered (not fabricated) by Irving has lead to his current demonization.

Sometimes, the truth isn't as pretty as we'd like it to be. And when it comes to World war 2, the "truth" is getting harder and harder to find.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good-Ol'-Winnie with warts, November 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Churchill's War (Paperback)

"History will deal severely with Chamberlain--- I know---because I shall write it"Winston Chruchill wrote that history and won the Nobel prize for it; and so set the formula for all succeeding histories. Second only to securing the safety of his nation Mr. Churchill, historian, essayist, biographer, and critic, had to produce his version first. Of the major personalities of that era Churchill was the only one who wrote; who got his version to the world. Irving's biography shows why Churchill had to write.The book is not for the casual reader. The assumption is that the reader has a few WW2 histories, European geography, and British politics well understood. Irving's sole effort is to sift through the fine details of the accepted history and find contradictions, new events, and additional interpretations of the facts. His book is so packed with detail, all contexturally suspended on a web of assumption and conclusion, that without some background you will miss the astonishing story. Irving is not afraid to surmise given some facts and not afraid to stretch to obvious conclusions, he could be dead wrong but at least he's got it out there. Irving has gone deeper into the details and found both more complicated personalities and events, and having found new and startling information he can interpret them the way he pleases. His Biographies are not flattering, on first take, but by adding new and counter-characteristic details, Irving makes Churchill more real, more fallible, and his accomplishments all the more extraordinary. Irving is not shy of adding a black-eye where the documents support it, and he (Irving) has taken a few slaps for doing so; but only because he is emphatic in relating what he has found, and dares his critics to prove the obverse.

Irving is good for us readers of history. You should find the best historical writing at least controversial, if not outrageous. When we all agree on all aspects of every story, history ends, biography ends; Irving becomes the other historian Winston..... Winston Smith.

Winston-o-files are going hate this book but all should read it through. Put it up on your shelf next to Gilbert and Manchester. Another book covering the same period from the other side of the Channel is the ignored masterpiece "The Collapse of the Third Republic" by Shirer.

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Challenge to the Standard View, October 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Churchill's War (Paperback)

David Irving is a controversial, albeit very successful writer. His long career and many published historical works have elicited praise from such historians as Hugh Trevor Roper and John Keegan. A good deal of the criticism directed at his scholarly work, it seems, is actually directed at his politics. That's unfortunate, since in fascinating volumes, such as CHURCHILL'S WAR, THE PATH TO WAR, and THE TRAIL OF THE FOX,, Irving does offer portraits, facts, and details of leading figures of the World War period not gleaned from most "standard" histories. CHURCHILL'S WAR (this is volume I) gives us the not-so-idealistic Churchill, the man who was willing to do almost anything to save the British Empire, but in the process actually succeeded in insuring its destruction. As usual, Irving uses a panoply of diaries, private journals, and other original materials. One may disagree with him and his interpretation (certainly the "official" Churchill biographer, Martin Gilbert, would), but you need to READ him first--and you need to put aside his personal politics. His scholarship, debatable yes, can stand on its own.. As a professor of history I find his work very useful and provocative.