Winston Churchill: The Second World War Vol. 1 'The Gathering Storm' by Mariner Books - Democratic Statesmanship

Winston Churchill: The Second World War Vol. 1 'The Gathering Storm' by Mariner Books - Democratic Statesmanship

Introduction

Winston Churchill was blessed with substantial literary talents that made him distinct as a statesman and leader of historic proportions. These factors present 'The Gathering Storm' as distinctive piece of art. Volume 1 of 'The Gathering Storm' divides in two parts. First part of the book presents Churchill's critical observations on World War I and its implication for Second World War. The second volume includes memoranda and letters of the British government for the part of unprepared involvement into war. This paper presents an analysis of Winston Churchill's “The Gathering Storm” and continuing need for democratic statesmanship.

Discussion

With the possible exception of David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill was the most important British statesman of the 20th century, holding Cabinet office in every decade from the 1900s to the 1950s. Churchill has attracted many biographers; he figures prominently in the memoirs of others and in virtually all works covering the history of Britain from the time of the second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) until after the accession of Elizabeth II in 1952 (Churchill, 1986). Given his immensely active public life, Churchill's own literary output is astonishing. A partial solution emerges in Churchill's writings as overtly less autobiographical and more historical. Here, inferiority towards Randolph is replaced by its apparent opposite - superiority to others. Churchill is not an ungenerous writer; he is generous even to Neville Chamberlain whom he succeeded as prime minister during World War II (Churchill, 1986). But he is sure of his own merit, sure of his predestined place in history. He writes of becoming prime minister in 1940.

During the Battle of Britain in 1940 he was seen ...