Save: £6.01 (24%)

& FREE Returns

FREE delivery Saturday, January 8. Details

Or fastest delivery Friday, January 7. Order within 3 hrs 28 mins. Details

Only 4 left in stock (more on the way).

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

££18.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Dispatches from

Amazon

Sold by

Amazon

Details

Dispatches from

Amazon

Sold by

Amazon

Add gift options

FREE delivery January 10 - 12. Details

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by The Cotswold Library

Share <Embed>

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See this image

Follow the author

Thomas E. Ricks

Churchill & Orwell: The Fight for Freedom Hardcover – 15 Jun. 2017

by Thomas E. Ricks (Author)

245 ratings

See all formats and editions

Amazon Price

New from

Used from

Kindle Edition

"Please retry"

£4.79

—

Audible Audiobooks, Unabridged

"Please retry"

£0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

£18.99

£4.88

Paperback

"Please retry"

£12.85

£9.76

£7.68

Audio CD, Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

—

£64.94

Note: This item is eligible for FREE Click and Collect without a minimum order subject to availability. Details

Today, as liberty and truth are increasingly challenged, the figures of Churchill and Orwell loom large. Exemplars of Britishness, they preserved individual freedom and democracy for the world through their far-sighted vision and inspired action, and cast a long shadow across our culture and politics.

In Churchill & Orwell, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas E. Ricks masterfully argues that these extraordinary men are as important today as they ever were. Churchill and Orwell stood in political opposition to each other, but were both committed to the preservation of freedom. However, in the late 1930s they occupied a lonely position: democracy was much discredited, and authoritarian rulers, fascist and communist, were everywhere in the ascent. Unlike others, they had the wisdom to see that the most salient issue was human liberty - and that any government that denies its people basic rights is a totalitarian menace to be resisted.

Churchill and Orwell proved their age's necessary men, and this book reveals how they rose from a precarious position to triumph over the enemies of freedom. Churchill may have played the larger role in Hitler's defeat, but Orwell's reckoning with the threat of authoritarian rule in 1984 and Animal Farm defined the stakes of the Cold War and continues to inspire to this day.

Their lives are an eloquent testament to the power of moral conviction, and to the courage it takes to stay true to it.

Print length

352 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Duckworth
Publication date

15 Jun. 2017
Dimensions

24.2 x 3.4 x 16.6 cm
ISBN-10

0715652370
ISBN-13

978-0715652374
See all details

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Thomas E. Ricks
556
Paperback
6 offers from £4.23
Andrew Roberts
3,157
Paperback
34 offers from £7.15
Leo McKinstry
157
Paperback
23 offers from £6.66
Anthony Seldon
88
Hardcover
17 offers from £13.80
Steve Richards
106
Hardcover
19 offers from £11.79
George Orwell
385
Paperback
20 offers from £1.88

Product description

Review

'An inspiring story… highly readable' Andrew Roberts, bestselling author of Napoleon the Great and The Storm of War

'A page turner written with great brio… highly enjoyable' New York Times

'A feast of a book, laden with observations and insights that enable us to see these familiar figures, and through them our own time, in a fresh and illuminating light... studded with arresting vignettes' John Gray, New Statesman

'Ricks gets beyond [their] differences and finds the iron core of both men… highlighting not just their skills and strengths, but the tumultuous times that demanded the highest exercise of their talents' Los Angeles Times

'Entertaining… Ricks succeeds in his adroit use of details' D.J. Taylor, author of Orwell: The Life

'Has fresh things to say about its subjects… poignant' Newsday

'A superb account of two men who set standards for defending liberal democracy that remain disturbingly out of reach' Kirkus (starred review)

'Superbly illustrates that Churchill and Orwell made enduring cases for the necessity of moral and political fortitude in the face of authoritarianism… a bracing work for our times' Publishers Weekly

'The genius of Ricks's method is to tell the story of an ongoing struggle through the lives of two extraordinary men' --Booklist (starred review)

'An eminently readable, frankly inspirational and exceptionally timely tribute' --Minneapolis Star Tribune

'Presents Churchill and Orwell as champions of freedom... their stories are fascinating and segue wonderfully into their times or indeed, any times' --Library Journal

About the Author

Thomas E. Ricks is the bestselling and award-winning author of The Gamble, The Generals, and the no. 1 international bestseller Fiasco - 'the most authoritative account of how the Bush administration and the US Army created a disaster in Iraq' (Max Hastings, Sunday Times). He is a former writer for the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, and has covered military operations across the globe. He now contributes to the New York Times, Washington Post and New Yorker, and has appeared on the BBC, Sky News and in the Guardian and other UK press. He is also contributing editor at Foreign Policy magazine, for which he writes the prize-winning blog The Best Defense.

Start reading Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Duckworth (15 Jun. 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0715652370
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0715652374
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 24.2 x 3.4 x 16.6 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 709,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 345 in UK Politics
- 982 in European Governments & Politics
- 1,085 in Democracy

Customer reviews:
245 ratings

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Thomas E. Ricks
347
Hardcover
19 offers from £0.70
Charles Townshend
70
Hardcover
19 offers from £15.46
Sebastian Payne
123
Hardcover
14 offers from £10.00
Philip Stephens
196
Hardcover
24 offers from £11.45
Andrew Adonis
196
Hardcover
23 offers from £4.05
Anne Applebaum
502
Hardcover
9 offers from £7.35

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Thomas E. Ricks

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

5 star		62%
4 star		25%
3 star		8%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from United Kingdom

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

Michael Bully

Interesting and readable but ignores crucial differences between the two men

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 January 2019

Verified Purchase

Both the lives of George Orwell ( 1902- 1949) and Winston Churchill ( 1878-1965) have been well studied and documented. I didn't feel that the book made any starling revelations about either men. Also felt that there was a lot of confirmation bias .....the author, who is certainly a talented writer and can offer an engaging book ,seemed to be focused on finding similarities between the two men and ignoring a chasm of difference.
A case is well presented to show that both men were individualistic and libertarian by instinct. They showed great courage in being prepared to places their careers in jeopardy in the course of what they considered to be right. And both men were prepared to tell uncomfortable truths -Churchill in the 1930's concerning how deluded the Appeasement Policy was. Whilst Orwell after his experience in the Spanish Civil War, was not afraid to show how Communism had become a totalitarian movement, and the Left media just as capable as the Right in lying to their reader. They both made enemies from their own side as it were.
Yet their differences were immense. Notably Churchill had to deal with the realities of exercising political power, Orwell did not - besides being a police officer in Burma and captain in the Spanish Civil War. Churchill was born in a palace and revelled in wealth and extravagance . Orwell was ashamed of his middle class background. Churchill was a key player in World War 2 and was humiliated in an election defeat in 1945. Orwell was hardly noticed in the 1930's and for most of the War years .
The author rushes over Orwell's writings before 'Homage to Catalonia' , missing that the pessimism of '1984' with the crushing of the individual was already a theme of the early novels. Similar to Thomas Hardy's gloomier tales. Churchill suffered from depression but had the endearing talent to promote optimism against impossible odds during World War 2. This book is worth reading with a massive array of footnotes.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

maria

prompt delivery

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 August 2019

Verified Purchase

good condition

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 September 2020

Verified Purchase

Interesting book. Some useful insights although some connections are a little strained.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2018

"Churchill & Orwell" is well written and an enjoyable read. The book is not a full biography — it’s really about the 1930s and 1940s. Ricks is an admirer of both men and argues that they were key figures in the struggle against “the twin totalitarian threats of fascism and communism.” Neither man followed the crowd and often held views that were unpopular. Orwell warned about the evils of communism and upset his friends on the left by criticizing the Soviet Union. Ricks’ account is the conventional post-war American version of British history. Appeasement was a mistake and the British were often difficult and ungrateful allies. Ricks is an American patriot and fails to question American attitudes towards Britain. I also don’t believe he fully understands what was happening in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s.

Churchill and Orwell never met. Ricks argues that they both made excellent cases for individual freedom. Both attended elite private schools, Harrow and Eton. I read Orwell’s major works over thirty years ago and I enjoyed being reminded of his worldview. Orwell described the miserable existence of ordinary people living in totalitarian societies. His books seem relevant today even though communism is dead. Ricks suggests that we are moving towards totalitarianism lite. Authoritarianism is on the march again. Putin, Erdogan, Xi, Kim, Iran, and Assad are examples. In the U.S. we have an intrusive surveillance state and the public is often manipulated. As in Orwell’s book, 1984, the U.S. is continuously at war and under attack so that is used to justify surveillance by the state. Ricks believes Americans face ever-increasing threats to our individual liberties.

Orwell was an obscure journalist until his breakthrough with Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). He was shot and nearly killed while fighting in the Spanish Civil War. It was there that he developed his hostility to fascism and communism. In Spain, fascists, communists and the police all tried to kill him, which probably helps explain his suspicion of authority. Orwell attended Eton College, where members of the British establishment are often educated. Eton has produced 19 British prime ministers, including David Cameron and the Duke of Wellington. Orwell's Eton education would have presented him with many advantages, which he chose to ignore. Ricks does not really dwell on this or explain Orwell’s strange career choices for an Eton graduate. Orwell became a cop in Burma, a backwater of the British Empire. In the 1930s he wrote about the life of the poor. He always sympathized with the underdog and despised the establishment. Ricks believes that he admired Churchill.

Until 1940, Churchill’s political career had often been disastrous. He was on the wrong side of history on many issues, from opposing Indian independence to returning Britain to the Gold Standard. Ricks focuses on Churchill's opposition to appeasement and on his role in World War 2. He argues, like many Americans, that appeasement was a mistake. Ricks suggests that the appeasers were often unpatriotic and cowardly. The U.S. helped draft the Treaty of Versailles but did nothing to help enforce it. Many British historians believe that Chamberlain had no good options in 1938. A lot of American politicians seem to believe that had Britain threatened war in 1936 or 1938, Hitler would have backed down. However, they fail to appreciate the military realities of the time. Britain declared war in 1939, and Hitler turned his army around and crushed Western Europe.

Britain had lost 723,000 men in WW1, and most people were desperate to avoid another war. Pacifism was popular in the 1930s, and as a result, Britain only started rearming in 1936. The British public did not realize the Germans wanted revenge for 1918. In 1938, the year of Munich, Britain was in no position to fight a war with Germany. Britain’s only real European ally was France, and its leaders did not believe the French had the stomach for a fight. France and the Soviet Union had no interest in using their armies to confront Hitler in 1936 or 1938, so a grand coalition was out of the question. In 1938, Britain’s generals told Chamberlain that they only had two divisions they could send to Europe to fight Germany. Chamberlain was told by his advisers that Hitler had 100 divisions. The RAF only received its first Spitfires in August 1938. It would have been suicidal to attack Germany in 1936 or 1938, Some Americans living in Europe agreed that Germany was unstoppable. The U.S. ambassador to Britain, Joe Kennedy, and Charles Lindbergh advised that resistance was futile. Lindbergh had visited Germany and claimed that the Luftwaffe was invincible. To many in Britain, it seemed reckless to start a war you had no chance of winning. Britain went to war in 1939 and the extra 12 months made a big difference. The country had more planes and trained pilots than it would have had in 1938.

In 1940, Orwell supported Churchill’s rise to the premiership. He believed that there was nobody in British politics with the guts or imagination to fight Hitler. Churchill's only strategy in 1940 was to get the U.S. into the war. This happened anyway in 1941 when Hitler declared war after Pearl Harbor.

Many Britons believe that Churchill had been played by FDR, since Britain emerged from the war poor, and weak. Ricks disputes this and portrays America's leaders as honest, men of integrity who wanted the best for Britain. Other American writers have in recent years questioned this interpretation and suggested that the U.S. was much more Machiavellian. Lynne Olson in her book "Those Angry Days" points out that there was considerable anti-British feeling in America before the war and this was shared by the U.S. military. George Marshall and his top brass had been pro-German before the war.

According to the American economist Benn Steil who wrote “The Battle of Bretton Woods: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the Making of a New World Order," FDR’s administration saw Britain as its main post-war rival. They wanted to be number one and tried to dismantle the British Empire. In terms of aid, the U.S. was much more generous to the Soviet Union and China than it was to the UK. Churchill concluded some disastrous deals with FDR, which Ricks ignores. Britain went bankrupt in 1947.

Ricks criticizes Tony Blair for naively invoking the “special relationship” in his support of the Iraq War in 2003. Blair seemed unaware that it was Canada, Australia, and New Zealand who stood by Britain in its hour of need in 1939, not the U.S. However, Ricks also blames Blair for damaging UK-U.S. relations by supporting the Iraq War. This is a bit rich since Blair was trying to help an ally. He faced fierce domestic opposition, which eventually ruined his reputation. Gordon Brown, who succeeded Blair as prime minister, and was his de facto deputy in 2003, recently claimed in his memoirs that Blair was misled by George Bush. Brown believes that the U.S. knew that there was no evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The British feel they had been duped, and this could be a lot more damaging to U.S.-UK relations in the long term.

Ricks believes that both Churchill and Orwell were concerned about individual freedom. For Churchill, WW2 was a war “to establish, on impregnable rocks, the rights of the individual, and it is a war to establish and revive the stature of man.” For Orwell, “If this war is about anything at all, it is a war in favor of freedom of thought.” Ricks believes that Orwell was primarily concerned about preserving privacy. The book is good on Orwell. On Churchill, Ricks mostly gives us the legend.

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

PJ - UK

Easy to read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 June 2018

Verified Purchase

Cleverley written book, running the two great people in a parallel story line. Easy to read, lots of interesting facts.

Helpful

G. J. Weeks

Not your typical right or left.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 February 2018

historical comparison of these two men is good and informative. Both were dissidents, men who spoke out and suffered for telling the truth they saw. Both fought for it and made a living writing about it. An aristocratic rebel and a privileged missile class one. Nature and nurture interplay in both. Both are involved in war, one seemingly with enjoyment, the other with near fatal injury. One has a brief life, the other long. Not really explored are their mental states. Churchill's black dog is there but does he not show the hallmarks of someone who is bipolar. Nor is the likelihood of depression influencing Orwell considered and a man suddenly bereft of his wife and dying of tuberculosis must have been depressed. Ricks fails to identify the prejudices of Joseph Kennedy as this of an Irish American. At least his son had more courage. One gets a good feel for the early Nazi onslaught and the isolation of the UK. I do not agree with Rick's assessment of Churchill's attitude to Ireland's neutrality. Ricks is not kind to Churchill as the war progresses and concerning his subsequent career. The book does show why Orwell hated the totalitarians. For a start, they nearly killed him in Spain when they were both there to fight a common enemy. The admiration of Churchill and Orwell for each other shows great men rise above the prejudices of petty minds. Ricks is not without his own prejudices on post war history and here my appreciation of the book declined. Iraq was a mistake but I would not join in the condemnation of Bush and Blair.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	AbeBooks Books, art & collectables	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Download Audiobooks	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	DPReview Digital Photography	Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations

Amazon Home Services Experienced pros Happiness Guarantee	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy	Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands

Amazon Warehouse Deep Discounts Open-Box Products	Amazon Business Service for business customers	Whole Foods Market We Believe in Real Food

Select Your Cookie Preferences

Follow the author

Similar authors to follow

Churchill & Orwell: The Fight for Freedom Hardcover – 15 Jun. 2017

Customers who viewed this item also viewed