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| Plot Summary of The Last Lion: Alone 1932-1940 |
"The second volume of William Manchester's biography of Sir Winston Churchill encompasses 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. Manchester contends that the two decades between the two World Wars, and not his years as Prime Minister (1940-1945), were Winston S. Churchill's personal "finest hour."
Manchester combines a highly readable historical narrative with brilliantly insightful historical analysis. He asserts that much of the prevailing pacifist attitude in Britain during the 1930s was an outgrowth of the British experience in World War I, when British youth were nearly decimated on the battlefields of Europe and the Middle East.
The author also persuasively argues that the British government's policy of appeasement was not driven by weak-willed men who feared Adolf Hitler. Instead, the author paints Britain's political leaders as cynical and devious men who devised an almost Machiavellian political strategy founded upon the belief that a rearmed Germany would serve as a buffer against an expansionist Soviet Union. Only when it became painfully obvious that all attempts to placate Hitler were doomed to failure did the British nation turn to the one man who, for a decade, had consistently advocated standing up to the Nazi dictator: Winston Spencer Churchill.
"
Mike Powers, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Last Lion: Alone 1932-1940 |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession:
- politician
Job/profession/poverty story
Yes
Politician story?
- Politician trying to reform
Period of greatest activity?
- 1900+
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- politician/elected ruler
Age:
- 60's-90's
Biography of famous person?
Yes
Ethnicity
- White
Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this person?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other people
Physique
- quite fatty
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Century:
- 1930's-1950's
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel?
- encouraged
Commentary on society?
Yes
Commentary on
- decency
- capitalism
- war
- justice system
- wicked white people
Writer's slant towards subject:
- favorable
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of set of events during life
Pictures/Illustrations?
- A ton 16-20 B&W
How much dialogue in bio?
- significantly more descript than dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 76%-100% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story?
- 0-25% of book
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Click here for more information about this book
William Manchester Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
Mike Powers 
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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