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

William Manchester (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 1989

The long-awaited second volume of the best Churchill biography reveals the true portrait of this ambitious world leader. Discussion centers on the alarm he sounded about the terrible plot being hatched inside Hitler's deranged mind. Two 8-page photos inserts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 800 pages
• Publisher: Delta (September 3, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385313314
• ISBN-13: 978-0385313315
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( C ) > Churchill, Winston
  • #19 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > U.K. Prime Ministers
  • #72 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > British

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Volume 2 of the life of Winston Spencer Churchill, April 30, 2000

By 

Mike Powers "mkp51" (Woolwich, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940 (Paperback)

"The Last Lion: Alone, 1932-1940," the second of William Manchester?s projected three-volume biography of Winston Spencer Churchill, continues telling the story of the life of the 20th century?s greatest statesman. This volume covers the eight-year period from the beginning of Churchill?s longest period in the political "wilderness," to his rise to power as Prime Minister of Great Britain at the beginning of World War II. I think this book is even better than the first volume, "The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932." Manchester contends that the inter-war years, and not his years as Prime Minister, were Churchill?s personal "finest hour." Politically ostracized by two successive Prime Ministers ? Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain, the main architects of Britain?s policy of appeasing Nazi Germany ? Churchill was one of only a handful of men in Britain to speak out in favor of increased military preparedness as a means of countering the growing Nazi threat in Europe. Only when it became obvious in the late 1930s that the appeasement of Hitler had failed, did the British nation turn to the one man who had consistently advocated standing up to the Nazi dictator: Winston Spencer Churchill

As he did in the first volume of Churchill?s life, Manchester provides an insightful historical overview of the times in which Churchill lived. Especially fascinating to me was the account of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain?s 1938 trip to Munich, where the most infamous act of appeasing Hitler ? the sellout of Czechoslovakia ? took place, and where Chamberlain believed he had achieved "peace in our times."

"The Last Lion: Alone, 1932-1940" once again clearly demonstrates why William Manchester is one of the pre-eminent biographers at work today. The book is written with obviously meticulous scholarship, insightful analysis, and crisp, sparkling prose; I have yet to find a better account of Churchill?s life. Now, if only Mr. Manchester would give us that third volume . . .

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The 3rd book in the series is coming..., August 22, 2007

By 

Louisa (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940 (Paperback)

I did a little research on this and thought I'd post what I found. William Manchester, sadly, died in 2004 before he could complete the 3rd book. But before he died he arranged for a journalist, Paul Reid, to write the rest of the book - now apparently scheduled for release in 2008.

Here is a blog posting I found from johninnorthcarolina.blogspot.com :

The Churchill Series - May 17, 2007

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

As almost all of you know, William Manchester, one of the most popular of Churchill's many biogrphers, died while working on the third volume of The Last Lion, the first two volumes of which, Visions of Glory and Alone, topped best seller lists and remain in print.

But there will be a third volume after all. It's working title is Defender of the Realm. Paul Reid, a friend of Manchester's is working with Manchester's notes and drafts to complete the book in time for release in 2008.

One of those asked to review proofs of Defender of the Realm reported to others via email receiving the following from Reid:

I have finished Parts One (1940) and Two (1941) and will be through Parts Three, Four and Five by mid-2007. Publication is set for sometime in 2008. Bill's notes and interviews run to thousands of pages, enough to fuel at least three more volumes.

My job, therefore, is to pace this final volume. About half of it will cover 1940 and 1941, about forty-percent the remainder of the war and about 10-15 percent the post-war years. Bill saw the post-war years (or at least the last decade) as a long "afterward". Having been guided by Bill the last year of his life, and having in hand the pages he wrote (to the fall of France) I think I have a good feeling for the pace he set and where he was going.

The pages Bill finished are, as was usual with William Manchester, marvelous, full of suspense and foreshadowing, a real tale beautifully told.

Among many things he made clear to me was his desire that this book be an enjoyable read for younger people, people under 40 years of age who did not grow up with stories of the War percolating through their household.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Towering, December 2, 2000

By 

David A. Caplan "dave659" (Greenwich, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940 (Paperback)

Winston Churchill became Prime Minister only when World War II seemed hopelessly to threaten Britain. On retiring to bed late the first night of his tenure, rather than feeling overawed by the desperate struggle ahead, Churchill was "conscious of a profound sense of relief." One can imagine few men who would have felt such enormous self-confidence in a like situation. Manchester's biography brilliantly tells why Churchill was justified in so feeling. "Alone 1932-40" covers the years when Churchill, apparently a political has-been, unceasingly warned the country of the danger Hitler posed. His political superiors, full of class hubris, dismissed the warnings and recoiled from addressing the steps necessary to thwart Hitler. The British people were made of steadier stuff than their leaders, but, spiritually exhausted by World War I, cherished the hope that a second great war could be avoided. Manchester tells the story in thrilling fashion, making it especially compelling by writing not just about Churchill's heroism, but also covering at length and in unsparing terms, the appeasers, Chamberlain, Halifax, Henderson, et al. The story is as engrossing as a novel, and written elegantly enough to carry it along most pleasurably. Manchester's only misstep is his frequent use of the German original along with the English in many phrases quoted from the German principals. This might make sense where the meaning was ambiguous or there was an untranslatable nuance, but this is rarely the case. It seemed as if he was bringing in the German just because he enjoyed it. It's a minor quirk and should not deter anyone from reading a great book. I hope Manchester has not abandoned plans to complete the biography, which is comprehensive, but not intimidatingly long like the Gilbert series.