Buying Options

Print List Price:	$25.00
Kindle Price:	$17.50 Save $7.50 (30%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

Add Audible narration to your purchase for just $7.49

Deliver to your Kindle Library

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Churchill's Legacy: Two Speeches to Save the World by [Alan Watson]

Churchill's Legacy: Two Speeches to Save the World Kindle Edition

by Alan Watson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

15 ratings

Part of: Bloomsbury Studies in Military History (33 books)

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$17.50

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$25.00

$14.44

$2.34

MP3 CD, Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$10.52

$8.44

$3.51

Digital

"Please retry"

—

Kindle
$17.50 Read with Our Free App
Audiobook
$0.00 Free with your Audible trial
Hardcover
$25.00

17 Used from $2.34 3 New from $14.44 4 Collectible from $17.95
MP3 CD
$10.52

1 Used from $3.51 7 New from $8.44
Digital
—

Churchill's Legacy describes how Churchill wielded his influence in post-war politics to enable the restoration of Europe through two key speeches in 1946. Having first helped bring victory to the Allies in 1945, Churchill went on to preserve the freedom of the world by gaining the support of the United States in the restoration of Europe.

In Fulton Missouri, Churchill alerted America to the reality of 'Uncle Joe' - a tyrant determined to dominate Europe at any cost. Churchill called for an Anglo-American alliance based on their shared values and the deterrent of America's possession of the atomic bomb. Churchill also urged the Americans to recognise the debt they owed Britain for opposing Hitler in 1940. In doing so, he contributed to the US thinking behind the need for the Marshall Plan.

In Zurich, Churchill boldly proposed a partnership between France and Germany: a United States of Europe. The hatred stirred up by the war had to be replaced by partnership for Europe to recover its economic vitality and regain its moral stature. Together, the Anglo-American Alliance and a United States of Europe led by France and Germany would have the power to 'smite the crocodile' of Soviet ambition.
To understand what Churchill intended with these two speeches requires perspective. The daring of his imagination and the scale of his architecture for a new Western Alliance was extraordinary. At the time, not many recognized the symmetry of what was proposed. At Churchill's funeral in 1965, commentators bemoaned the end of an era. In truth, Churchill was the catalyst of a new era-one built upon effective defence, economic revival, and European unity. His speeches have been added to UNESCO'S International Memory of the World Register.

Part of series

Bloomsbury Studies in Military History
Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date

June 16, 2016
File size

4303 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Next 5 for you in this series See full series

Total Price: $118.51

By clicking on the above button, you agree to Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fine and insightful tribute to my great-grandfather’s political instincts and his courageous approach to difficult international matters." ―Randolph Churchill

"Although they were attacked and denounced at the time, Winston Churchill’s two great speeches of 1946--delivered 4,700 miles away from each other--created the political architecture for the whole postwar period. To a very great degree, the geostrategic world we inhabit today sprung from the words Churchill spoke at Fulton, Missouri and Zurich, Switzerland. Alan Watson’s scholarly, well-written and penetrating analysis shows how that came about." ―Andrew Roberts

"It is to the great merit of Lord Watson that in Churchill’s Legacy he has convincingly argued that the free World as a whole owes a great debt of gratitude to these two seminal speeches in 1946, delivered by an indefatigable promoter of man’s inalienable right to freedom from tyranny and war." ―Thomas Kielinger

"One of our debts to Alan Watson (a member of the House of Lords) in producing this slim but fascinating book is that he gives us the full text of both speeches in an easily accessible form . . . This little book will be welcomed by anyone who wants to understand what Churchill really said in staking his claim to continuing influence in the postwar world." - The International Churchill Society

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Alan John Watson, Baron Watson of Richmond CBE is a UK-based broadcaster, Liberal Democrat politician and leadership communications consultant.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01E0PXUYI
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Publishing; 1st edition (June 16, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 16, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4303 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #2,766,093 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,282 in International Diplomacy (Kindle Store)
- #3,170 in Biographies of Presidents & Heads of State (Kindle Store)
- #3,988 in International Diplomacy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
15 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

15 global ratings

5 star		79%
4 star		6%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		15%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Blade

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

A very powerful subject and piece of writing.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Tabb T. Farinholt

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 7, 2017

Verified Purchase

Excellent

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Marcus Fielding

An Inflection Point in History

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 24, 2016

Churchill's Legacy describes how Winston Churchill wielded his influence in post-war politics to enable the restoration and defence of Europe through two key speeches in 1946. Having first helped bring victory to the Allies in 1945, Churchill went on to preserve the freedom of the world by gaining the trust and support of the United States.
In Fulton, Missouri, Churchill apprised America to the reality of ‘Uncle Joe’ Stalin - a tyrant determined to dominate Europe at any cost. Churchill called for an Anglo-American alliance based on their shared values and the deterrent of America's possession of the atomic bomb. Churchill also urged the Americans to recognise the debt they owed Britain for opposing Hitler in 1940. In doing so, he reinforced the special relationship that had developed during the war, contributed to United States thinking behind the need for the Marshall Plan, and ultimately laid the ground for the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
In Zurich, Churchill boldly proposed a partnership between France and Germany: a United States of Europe. The hatred stirred up by the war had to be replaced by partnership for Europe to recover its economic vitality and regain its moral stature. Together, the Anglo-American Alliance and a United States of Europe led by France and Germany would have the power to ‘smite the crocodile’ of Soviet ambition. In doing so, he sowed the seeds for the European Community and European Union.
Although the speeches were attacked and denounced at the time, they created the political architecture for the post-war period. To a very great degree, the geostrategic world we inhabit today sprung from the words Churchill spoke at Fulton, Missouri and Zurich, Switzerland.
To understand what Churchill intended with these two speeches requires perspective. The daring of his imagination and the scale of his architecture for a new Western Alliance was extraordinary. At the time, not many recognized the vision and symmetry of what was proposed. Alan Watson's well-researched, penetrating and well-written analysis tells the story of how that came about.
U.S. General George S. Patton was also a high profile and vocal critic of the ‘Bolsheviks’ – albeit less eloquently than Churchill. Patton once remarked: “I have no particular desire to understand them except to ascertain how much lead or iron it takes to kill them … the Russian has no regard for human life and they are all out sons-of-bitches, barbarians, and chronic drunks.” After the meeting of the ‘Big Three’ at Yalta, Patton observed: “We promised the Europeans freedom. It would be worse than dishonourable not to see that they have it. This might mean war with the Russians, but what of it?” If it was not for Patton’s car accident and subsequent death in January 1946, Churchill might have had a useful American ally.
Alan Watson is a broadcaster, author, High Steward of Cambridge University, former President of the Liberal Party, public relations consultant and Peer. An accomplished public speaker, presenter, campaigner and consultant, his fascination with Churchill has been lifelong. His enthusiasm for Britain at the interface of Churchill's three circles – Europe, America, and the English-speaking world – remains unmatched.
Churchill's Legacy includes and introduction by Randolph Churchill, Winston’s great-grandson, 16 pages of images, notes, bibliography and index. At Churchill's funeral in 1965, commentators bemoaned the end of an era. In truth, Churchill was the catalyst of a new era – one built upon effective defence, economic revival, and European unity. His legacy, indeed, was long and significant. Churchill’s Legacy is recommended to students of history and politics.
Marcus Fielding

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

'Out of Power' But Still on the World Stage

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 29, 2016

One of the most trenchant and expert practitioners of modern communications, it is appropriate for Lord Watson to examine two of Churchill’s most important speeches and to place them in their historical contexts—history with a capital H and the long view and small h history, i.e. the immediate historical circumstances that provided those speeches’ settings, particularly the better-known “Sinews of Peace” speech delivered in Fulton, Missouri at Westminster College. The latter is frequently referred to as the “iron curtain” speech, because of Churchill’s famous use of that descriptor.

The year is 1946. Churchill has been turned out of power; he is depressed and looking for a way to vault himself back onto the world stage. He receives a letter from the president of Westminster, inviting him to deliver an endowed address. Utilizing the good offices of a college alumnus, President Truman is approached and pens a hand-written note at the bottom of the formal invitation. Truman reminds Churchill that the college is in his home state and he promises to introduce him if Churchill is able to accept. That means two important things: the leader of the free world will be on the dais, listening to the speech and offering priceless imagery; at the same time, since the two will travel from Washington to Jefferson City by train Churchill will have equally-priceless access to the leader of the free world for many, many hours. Since Churchill’s vision is to debunk the Rooseveltian image of Stalin as dear old ‘Uncle Joe’, point to the emergence of a tyrannical dictatorship across eastern Europe and propose a new and more robust alliance between the United States and Great Britain, the stars have come into alignment and provided him the perfect opportunity.

The later speech, delivered in Zurich, is even more ambitious in its argument. Churchill proposes that France reconcile with Germany and establish the foundations for a kind of United States of Europe. Churchill always argued for magnanimity in victory, but this seemed to be a bridge too far at the moment of its crucial articulation. Subsidiary events (the Marshall plan, the establishment of the NATO alliance, e.g.) demonstrate the ultimate success of Churchill’s ideas, at least to a considerable degree. (In the alliance with the U.S. Churchill had even imagined the possibility of dual citizenship for the two countries; with regard to the ‘United States of Europe’ he imagined Britain as a supporter, not a member.)

This is all examined in full detail and Lord Watson includes the texts of each speech. The illustrative plates even include samples from the manuscript of the Zurich speech, demonstrating Churchill’s extreme attention to rhetorical detail, as he edits and re-edits.

Among the many interesting passages one of the most intriguing is the discussion of the impact on Churchill of Bourke Cockran, an Irish-American congressman who was one of Churchill’s mother’s lovers. Cockran took Churchill under his wing before his departure for Cuba and impressed Churchill with his own rhetorical skills, an influence which should be added to all of the Victorian men of letters commonly thought of as Churchill’s important antecedents. He also took Churchill seriously, seeing in him an individual destined for significant action. This is of immense importance to the young and recalls the influence of the now-shadowy figure, Gilbert Walmesley (whose father had represented the city of Lichfield in Parliament), on the young Samuel Johnson.

Bottom line: this is a superb book by an eminent communicator and politician (sometime head of the Liberal Party); Churchill would be pleased by it. The argument is lucid, the details fascinating.

Highly recommended.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

PeterM

Churchill on Europe

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is an impressive and fascinating account, providing a new dimension to two events from the immediate postwar period which many of us still distantly remember. However, the detailed research in "Churchill's Legacy" creates an insight into the context and implications of these two speeches, which make the book extremely readable and provide an important contribution to the history of that crucial period. It is especially interesting today to note that in his Zurich speech, Churchill spoke of a "United States of Europe" - but without the participation of Britain! At that time, he clearly believed that Britain's strength lay in our partnerships with the USA and the Commonwealth.

One person found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Beautiful

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

This brought home to those who doubted Churchill's value to us all. I would recommend it to all who get pleasure from the written word.

Daffodilandrose

Great gift idea

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 23, 2016

Verified Purchase