The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940
“Churchill went around Britain speaking to half-empty rooms about the Hitler menace. Read The Last Lion: Alone.”
Why it is worth your time
The Last Lion: Alone is the second volume of William Manchester's Churchill biography, published in 1988. It covers 1932 to 1940, the years Churchill spent out of office warning about German rearmament while most of the British establishment backed appeasement. Manchester was an American journalist and historian who had served as a Marine in the Pacific in World War II. He died in 2004 before finishing the third volume, which Paul Reid completed in 2012. Sacks posted about it in Oct 2011 and pointed to Churchill speaking to half-empty rooms about Hitler. Churchill is a recurring reference for him on the podcast, usually as the model of holding an unpopular position and being proven right. It suits readers who want narrative history with a clear hero. The caveat is length. The volume runs past 700 pages.
