Churchill and Hitler: In Victory and Defeat - John Strawson

An outstanding example of biography in the service of history, John Strawson's Churchill and Hitler chronicles the Second World War by telling the stories of that conflict's greatest hero and its most decrepit antihero. The author is a British major general, and the book is presented from a distinctly Anglo point of view (he refers to England as "these shores," etc.). A great admirer of Churchill, Strawson makes no bones about this being a subjective history. Indeed, the book contains a moral dimension that many contemporary historians regrettably have forsaken in their own work. The narrative has a leisurely feel, even as it consistently maintains the reader's interest. Every now and then, Strawson drops a memorable line. A good example is the very first sentence of the first chapter: "If we wished to select one area of military activity for which Britain has shown a singular aptitude, it would be that of avoiding defeat." The tale of how Churchill helps his little island avoid defeat at its most perilous hour is an inspiring example of determined leadership. It's also a lesson in the exercise of good and evil, a meditation on why one dynamic man followed a path to virtue while another chose villainy. --John Miller --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.