“I never gave them courage. I was able to focus theirs.”
Few figures can match the magnitude of Winston Churchill. A massive figure both as a statesman and as a man, Churchill is a figure who has unified and divided people ever since making his first mark in history. A volatile and later disgraced MP who rose to lead his country to victory out of the darkest of days against Fascism, Churchill’s views, morals and private personal characteristics have enthralled and fascinated readers for over fifty years after his death. Join us at What We Reading for the 11 best books on Winston Churchill!
My Early Life 1874-1904 – Winston Churchill
Who better to start off with than the man himself? In My Early Life 1874-1904, Churchill takes readers through the opening thirty years of his life as a way of giving readers insight into the makings of one of modern history’s most defining figures.
The book covers Churchill’s early years, his schooling, his experiences as a war correspondent in South Africa during the Boer War and his first encounters as a young Member of Parliament. Not only is this a valuable resource shedding light on a criminally underrepresented portion of history, but it is also a beautiful read into Churchill’s influences and motivations in his formative years.
Winston Churchill As I Knew Him – Violet Bonham Carter
Daughter of former Liberal Prime Minister Herbert Asquith and grandmother to the Academy Award-winning actor, Violet Bonham Carter was an acclaimed British politician and diarist. As a leading opposer of appeasement and a huge figure in her own right, she was Winston Churchill’s closest female friend, besides his wife.
Mainly covering the period during the years of the First World War, Winston Churchill As I Knew Him is a personal collection of unique and private moments from the man himself, showcasing his vulnerabilities and insecurities from one of the darkest points of his life.
Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes – Tariq Ali
Winston Churchill is a figure whose attitudes and ideals have been increasingly scrutinised as time has gone on. A fierce advocate for Imperialism and the preservation of the British Empire during his life, his darker beliefs are put under the spotlight in Tariq Ali’s Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes.
This 2022 historical nonfiction book covers some of the lesser-known actions conducted by the former PM that was entrenched in the sorts of values most would consider racist today. From suppression of women’s suffrage, the Bengal Famine, war crimes in Kenya, the advocacy of poison gas against local tribesmen and the 1955 election slogan ‘keep Britain white’, Ali’s 2022 biography is essential for understanding Churchill from all angles.
The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History – Boris Johnson
One former British PM details the life and times of another in Boris Johnson’s The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History.
This political biography, released to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of his death, details how Churchill’s eccentricities helped to fashion a career that shaped his world, and our one today. There is obviously quite a lot of awe-struck about the book, but Boris Johnson’s admiration for Churchill gives the book so much character and serves to illustrate the influence and legacy Britain’s wartime leader has left behind.
Churchill: Walking With Destiny – Andrew Roberts
Possibly one of the most acclaimed books on Winston Churchill ever written, Walking With Destiny comes from the skilled mind of historian Andrew Roberts, author of Napoleon and The Storm of War.
In the book, Roberts gets given access to never-before-seen transcripts, memoirs, notes from King George VI and personal letters that had previously been withheld from the public to present Churchill in a new light. Walking With Destiny details the fuels and motivations behind the man, attempting to shed light on how one man proved himself to be one of the most unwavering in contemporary history.
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The Splendid And The Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz – Erik Larson
The summer of 1940 was a period in British history known as ‘the Blitz’. In an effort to drain British war efforts and pummel morale to the point of surrender, the German Luftwaffe’s constant bombing raids over British cities have gone down in infamy as the country’s ‘darkest hour’.
Nominated for Best History & Biography (2020) in the Goodreads Choice Awards, Erik Larson’s The Splendid and the Vile details how Churchill’s defiance in the face of the worst odds imaginable was forged and passed on to the British people. Featuring diary entries, archival evidence and newly classified intel, this WW2 book follows Churchill and his family during their day-to-day existence, detailing everything from his wife’s illicit lover to the members of the PM’s ‘secret circle’.
The Wicked Wit Of Winston Churchill – Dominique Enright
Along with his staunch ideals, Winston Churchill has gone down in history as one of the quintessential sharp-tongued, snarky Englishmen.
Dominique Enright’s 2001 book The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill features the best collection of quips, questions, remarks and comebacks from his lifetime. From his quick wit to his profound understanding of humanity and the horrors of war, it is one of the most invaluable books on Winston Churchill for those looking for a quick read to better understand the complexities of his character.
Churchill: A Life – Martin Gilbert
Consisting of eight volumes that took over a quarter of a century to write, Churchill: A Life is the single edition of acclaimed historian Martin Gilbert’s work on Britain’s WW2 PM.
The official biographer of Winston Churchill, Gilbert takes readers through his entire life, how his steadfast beliefs helped steer Britain through its most vulnerable days, but also how he showed himself to be a trailblazer when it came to technology and warfare. Helping to pioneer the use of aircraft, anti-aircraft and tank technology, Gilbert’s work helps showcase how Churchill has become the enduring face of the Second World War.
Churchill And The Islamic World – Warren Dockter
Churchill and the Islamic World: Orientalism, Empire and Diplomacy in the Middle East the 2014 historical biography from Warren Dockter. In it, Dockter examines Churchill’s orientalist views and how they shaped British colonial relations during his lifespan.
And whilst he might be best remembered for his actions in the Western hemisphere these views and opinions drastically helped shape the modern Islamic world we see today. From securing valuable commodities such as oil, and preventing Russian expansion all the way to preserving British Imperialistic values, Dockter masterfully weaves all of these into one valuable resource here for one of the best books on Winston Churchill.
Churchill And Secret Service – David Stafford
David Stafford’s biography, Churchill and Secret Service, takes readers on a thrilling journey through Winston Churchill’s deep fascination with the world of espionage and secret intelligence.
From The Great Game between Russia and the United Kingdom to his influential role in the Anglo-American coup that toppled Mussadiq in Iran in 1953, Stafford’s absorbing account reveals how Churchill helped establish the contemporary Secret Service. With vivid details and a compelling narrative, Churchill and Secret Service is a must-read for anyone interested in this intriguing aspect of Churchill’s life.
The Iron Curtain: Churchill, America and the Origins of the Cold War – Fraser J Harbutt
Churchill’s remarkable career was characterized by both extraordinary achievements and significant setbacks. While his 1945 election defeat was one of the biggest electoral upsets in British history, Fraser J Harbutt’s The Iron Curtain shows how this disappointment played a key role in solidifying Churchill’s iconic status in the United States.
Through Harbutt’s insightful exploration of Churchill’s contribution to the onset of the Cold War, readers are invited to witness Churchill’s rise as one of the foremost advocates of Western democracy during a time when much of Eastern Europe was being engulfed by Stalin’s Communist regime.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
