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Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert, Henry Holt Publishers, 1991 (paperback) |
The eminent British historian (and official biographer of Winston Churchill), Martin Gilbert, does a splendid job of writing about the life of Churchill. However, Mr. Gilbert's job is probably made easier by the fact that Sir Winston Churchill lived a very interesting life. Although we know him as the triumphant British Prime Minister -- and the symbol of defiance against Hitler -- we may not have known him in the way that this book recounts. Churchill -- along with his many successes -- had many 'failures' as well (although many of these 'failures' seem to be more the work of petty rivals rather than Churchill's own mistakes). Gilbert makes little excuse for Churchill when he was wrong (which was rare), but justly defends him when Churchill was in the right -- no matter what Churchill's critics might have thought. After reading this magnificent biography of one of history's great characters, one is left to wonder: if the despairs of Churchill had prevented his triumphs, what kind of a dark world would we all live in today?
This book is filled with quotes and anecdotes of the UK's greatest Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. Reading through the often humorous, as well as serious, pieces in the book, people should get a sense of how great an orator, writer, and a wit Winston Churchill was.
Many have criticized this controversial book due to their objections to the idea that ordinary Germans (and not just the SS or other Nazi party members) could have actively supported and participated in the Holocaust. In my opinion, these people should read the book first. Daniel Jonah Goldhagen -- Harvard University professor of government -- has done an excellent job in supporting his central thesis.
One of the most important contributions of this work of Holocaust scholarship is the attention toward violence against the Jewish people that was prepetrated by members of the German security forces not heavily indoctrinated into the Nazi frame of mind. Prof. Goldhagen clearly demonstrates that the spirit of anti-Semitism that existed in Germany (as well as in other parts of Europe, I might add) made it possible for these lightly indoctrinated perpetrators to carry out their gruesome deeds.
Dear Sir,
I bring to your knowledge the existence of the only book which was written according to the rules of academic freedom by a member of the staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva. Junod, Dominique, The Imperiled Red Cross and the Palestine/Israel conflict, kegan paul international, 1996. *Preface Saul Friedlander. This is the first controversial book which was written on the subject. Far from being a pious chronicle of the good works of the International Committee of the red cross, this uncommonly independent/minded book leads the reader to the very heart of the endangered institution, which was under attack at the end of WWII for having failed to help the victims of the concentrations camps, especially the Jews. Its activities during in Palestine/Eretz Israel were influenced by its institutional concerns. The Israeli/Arab conflict became the backdrop for another crucial though little/known struggle / that of the International Committee of the Red Cross for its very survival. The Junod-s book is swhowing how the I.c.r.c., threatened with dissolution, developed its defense through the policies behind its activities during the arab/israeli conflict. After having written it, the author had to leave the i.c.r.c.
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