Andrew Roberts’ Churchill: Walking with Destiny is a fantastic biography. I really enjoyed it. One of my largest takeaways is what a passionate person Churchill was. Not everything he did was the wisest, or best decision, but he always believed in what he was doing. He let his passions rule him, and in a lot of ways I think that quality allows you to feel like you know him more than other historical figures. He lets you in. Churchill was a writer nearly his entire life, and knew that history would one day be looking over his shoulder. He was cognizant that future generations would be watching, and he actively prepared for it. That is why, although I knew the book would inevitably end with his death, I found it hard. Even though you really don’t, you feel like you know him, and so reading about his last days is difficult. This book has cemented Andrew Roberts as my favorite biographer. I loved Napoleon, and after reading this book, I just think Roberts has a knack for making these historical figures come alive. Also, I have read some other biographies where the author seems a little too in love with their subject, and does not show any of the criticism. Roberts is very cognizant of this; he specifically calls out, in the final pages, his goal of providing a well rounded view of Churchill. Which I believe he accomplished with this biography.

Now, to point out some aspects of the book I found interesting. First, the amount that Napoleon was mentioned and compared with Churchill. This begins, in the introduction to the book, when the author highlights Churchill’s admiration for Napoleon. The parallels between the two figures continues, and comparisons are made by others throughout Churchill’s long life.

“Even Masterman referred to Churchill’s ‘whiff-of-grapeshot’ attitude, referring to Napoleon putting down the Paris mob in 1795.”

Churchill pg.144

It was kind of remarkable to me that, in the same way Napoleon idolized Caesar and Alexander, Churchill idolized Napoleon. And not only that, both Napoleon and Churchill did not only worship their idols, they felt it was their destiny to become them. After reading biographies of both these exceptional men, I am not sure I believe that some individuals are blessed with above average abilities, but I do not doubt that some men are gifted with superior egos. That is not to say I do not think these men worked hard. They understood the importance of history and studied it, so that they might one day take center stage in it’s telling.

One quote I really enjoyed of Churchill’s was the following:

“Sometimes in war…the truth has to be defended by a bodyguard of lies”

Churchill pg. 235

Today, I feel like we are always seeking hard facts. Churchill’s point was that to protect people, sometimes lies are necessary. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes the truth in its purest form does much more damage than the lie. In war especially, when morale always needs to be factored in, I don’t think everyone needs to know the cold hard facts. Just as today, we learn the worst of people all the time on television, I think we would all be happier (to some degree) not knowing everything. Speaking of the modern day, I also found the below passage interesting:

“On 11 May it ran a headline entitled ‘False News’, which read, “Believe nothing until you see it in an authoritative journal like The British Gazette.”

Churchill pg. 319

It seems we always find our modern history to be somehow unique, but in most cases, the problems we face today, such as fake news, have appeared before. A few years ago, I read Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. I was surprised to read that all the great forefathers of our country used to write under pen names to the local newspapers and slander each other. It seems no different than twitter and other platforms today, with people writing under usernames (except our forefathers wrote essays and might have had trouble with character limits).

From a historical perspective one of the parts of the book I found most fascinating was Churchill’s view of America. His relationship with America seemed to be ever revolving, sometimes liking, sometimes not liking so much. In regards to the Navy before WWII though it made things interesting.

“Though from a latter perspective it seems extraordinary, the conversion of Churchill to becoming what was called a ‘Big Fleeter’ was not down to threats from Germany or Japan, but derived from a sense of competitiveness with the United States.”

Churchill pg.328

I just found it funny that one of the reasons the British had such a large fleet before the start of WWII was because they wanted to preserve naval superiority over the rival United States. Churchill’s perceptions of America were fascinating throughout the book, but with him being such an imperialist, the idea of America passing Britain in the seas must have really irked him.

I wish I could write more, I didn’t get through my notes. I loved the biography as you can tell. I would like to read one of the books written by Churchill one day. I found him to be a captivating figure and would love to try and get some further insight from his writings. It made me laugh that this book mentioned the kidnapping of General Kreipe, which was one of the main focuses of the last book that I read. If you enjoy history or biographies, read this book. It is one of those books that you read, and you feel bad for finishing it. Although I am excited about my next book. Churchill read Captain Hornblower by C.S Forester on his way across the Atlantic to his first meeting with Roosevelt, which is one of the reasons I have decided to begin the Hornblower series next. Hope this review helps, and let me know if you have any input below!