Churchill Audiobook By Paul Johnson cover art

Churchill

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

Churchill

By: Paul Johnson
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $11.17

Buy for $11.17

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel
In Churchill, Johnson applies a wide lens and an unconventional approach to illuminate the various phases of Churchill's career. From his adventures as a young cavalry officer in the service of the Empire to his role as an elder statesman prophesying the advent of the Cold War, Johnson shows how Churchill's immense adaptability combined with his natural pugnacity to make him a formidable leader for the better part of a century.

Johnson's narration of Churchill's many triumphs and setbacks, rich with anecdote and quotation, illustrates the man's humor, resilience, courage, and eccentricity as no other biography before.

Winston Churchill's hold on contemporary audiences has never slackened, and Paul Johnson's lively, concise biography will appeal to historians and general nonfiction listeners alike.

©2009 Paul Johnson (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC Historical Military & War Politicians Politics & Activism Presidents & Heads of State Winston Churchill Military Imperialism War Soviet Union Russia Witty Royalty Self-Determination Cold War
Comprehensive Biography • Insightful Personal Anecdotes • Skilled Narration • Well-rounded Portrait • Concise Account
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  

Where does Churchill rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed this book. Now I want to learn more about the man.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Winston of course!

What about Simon Prebble’s performance did you like?

He sounded like the way I thought the book should sound.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I was on a flight from Philadelphia to London.

Any additional comments?

I only wish I would have had time to visit Chartwell.

Quick Easy History Lesson

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A quick, but comprehensive, bio of the greatest man of the 20th century.
One yearns for a leader of his resolve, energy, intellect, charisma, humor, and generosity.

Short but Superb

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great work of biography at a high level. I am motivated to delve into more biographies on Churchill.

An incredible figure in history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a very good "gist" of Churchill's life. If you are not familiar with his story, this will give you a good feel for it. If you are, it may fill in some holes or gaps. The orator has a pleasant way of telling this story.

Short; yet informative.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What made the experience of listening to Churchill the most enjoyable?

The story, very well done! Thanks Mr Johnson!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Churchill?

The struggles that never seemed to let up, even after some victories.``

Which scene was your favorite?

NEVER GIVE UP NEVER GIVE UP

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES

Excellent book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Several reviewers have panned this as "not detailed enough" but I would call this is a starter book on Churchill. If you want detail, do the 3-part The Last Lion by Wm Manchester. This gives you the "flavor" of Churchill without being heavy handed. I had already done Manchester's 1st volume & love the detail & depth, so this seemed a little lightweight to me, but was very informative, all the same. If someone is unsure how they feel about a large tomb about someone they don't really know, start here. The performance of the narrator was excellent!

In depth-no. But a GREAT place to start!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A wonderful reading by an impressive and insightful author on a character whose impact on democracy it would be difficult to overstate. Highly recommend.

Inspirational

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Churchill was an amazing character at a pivotal point in world history and Paul Johnson does a fantastic job of pointing out the key factors in Churchill's background, his character, as well as the factors, that both helped and harmed Britain in both WW1 and WW2. One very interesting detail was Johnson's explanation of the Gallipoli disaster in WW1 that Churchill was blamed for. I think Johnson has it correct and that Churchill was the scapegoat rather than the villain. It can be more difficult to follow historical narratives in an audio version, but Johnson's excellent writing makes this critical time in history understandable.

Excellent account of an incredible man!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It seems the great majority of negative comments or reviews on this title seem to hinge on the fact that this book does not offer a sufficiently detailed account of this, that, or the other incident of Churchill's life or career or facet of the man himself.

Please consider then, that this book is a summary biography of a man who was a prominent statesman on the geopolitical stage through two of the most pivotal conflicts in world history (the two world wars), and overlapping into a third (the cold war), who found the time, energy, and genius to be a prolific Nobel-Prize winning author, a first-rate adventurer, accomplished painter, master orator, wit, and general renaissance man.

DOZENS of books would have to be written to tell the life story of such a man in any kind of detail. HUNDREDS have. Churchill himself published some 43 book-length works in 72 volumes, many of them documenting his own experiences.

If you want to delve into deep details of all, or some or other episode or adventure out of the incredibly broad sweep of this man's titanic life experience, then by all means, jump into the deep reservoir of works on (or by) Churchill. I should think you could easily keep on reading about Churchill in greater depth for the next decade or so; at least. IF you are not quite ready to devote years, and just want to start out with a reasonable-length summary biography of a truly amazing character, this is a very well written text, very well read by the always competent Simon Prebble.

An excellent summary biography.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Like many others, I loved this bio due to its ability to paint a well-rounded portrait of one of the 20th Century's most fascinating characters without getting bogged down in too much scholarly detail. Easy to digest without dumbing down the material. If you're at all interested in history, Churchill or psychology, download this one!

Fascinating Portrait of Fascinating Man

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews