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My Early Life: A Roving Commission [Paperback]

Winston Churchill
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Pocket Books (1 Jun 1996)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0684823454
  • ISBN-13: 978-0684823454
  • Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.2 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 747,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Winston S. Churchill
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Product Description

Lord Deedes

the best of all his books --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Roy Jenkins, Churchill

some would put it as one of the outstanding works of the twentieth century --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (16)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars An amusing and inspiring read, 18 May 2005
By 
A. K. Johnston "(www.andrewj.com/books)" (LEATHERHEAD United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: My Early Life (Paperback)
What surprised me most about this book was the humour. I expected the familiar story of our greatest leader's early life, I expected an insightful account of Britain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, I expected a stirring tale of a young man who was a practical adventurer just as much as politician and author. I didn't expect to laugh out loud regularly for much of the story.

If you've seen the film "Young Winston", based on this book, you will be familiar with some of the events. Other programmes and books have adequately explained his war leadership and his contribution to many serious political issues. However, the films and documentaries I have seen fail to capture the mischievous spirit communicated through this book.

This a fascinating study of a bygone age, when Britain maintained a great empire, when most politicians took the title Lord, and when politics and army officership were sports for those of independent means. Interestingly despite his aristocratic bloodline Churchill's family was not particularly wealthy and some of the most poignant lessons stem from this.

Sometimes the sentiments in the book appear bloodthirsty or imperialistic, but you have to realise that at least part of the time Churchill is writing satirically, reflecting common values which you suspect he did not always share himself. When he is sincerely expressing his own serious ideals it is usually easy to detect.

These beliefs link both his skilful analysis of historical events, and Churchill's account of his own development. For example he explains the British government's failure to be magnanimous after the early victories of the Boer war as the reason that a relatively fast-moving and honourable conflict descended into "shocking evils" on both sides. The same failing is shown as a prime force in the leftward drift of Churchill's own politics.

Churchill was a great writer, but it's instructive to learn that his facility with English developed largely because he was judged early on to be too dim to cope with Latin and Greek. The classics loss was our gain, the legacy including both Churchill's great deeds and great writing.

The last chapter is slightly disappointing, with Churchill's early parliamentary career an anticlimax, and the story stops rather than ending on a major event. That apart, the pace, interest and humour are consistent throughout.

This book was written in 1930, when Churchill was already 56, but in the "wilderness years" before he regained high office and led Britain through the Second World War. It is interesting to speculate whether the book would have been very different if it were written either much earlier or later.

If you want adventure, read this book. If you want to understand a great man, read this book. If you want to do both and have a good laugh, read this book.

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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Straight from the horse's mouth, 15 Oct 2003
By 
G J GRAY (Edinburgh United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: My Early Life (Paperback)
I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone with an interest in the life and ideology of Winston Churchill. From tiny acorns grow giant oaks - well, this your chance to witness the development of one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century written by the man himself. In addition to telling a compelling adventure story, this book radiates with vitality, wit, humour and intelligence. One of the best, if not THE best book I've ever read. Go on, buy it. You won't be disappointed!

Inspirational!

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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An absorbing and exciting read, 17 April 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: My Early Life (Paperback)
This book, written by the man himself, is VERY easy to read. It will give you an insight to the man and the events that occured in the first twenty five years of his long and eventfull life. I found this book funny/sad/exciting and 'warm', never dull. His writings in this book shows his thoughts and feelings of the time. I certainly recommended it
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