Winston Churchill: British Library Historic Lives (New York University Press)

Winston Churchill's key role in the outcome of the Second World War brought him international renown and arguably made him the most important figure in twentieth-century British politics. Born into an aristocratic family in 1875, his life spanned two centuries and nine decades of personal, social and political change, and it is against this background that Stuart Ball, a leading historian of modern British politics, discusses the remarkable ups and downs of Churchill's career.

After election to Parliament in 1900, Churchill rose quickly to high military and political office. But he changed parties twice, bringing his character and judgment into question, and during the 1930s he became politically isolated. His warnings of the need to deter Hitler were largely ignored and it was only after the failure of appeasement in 1939 that his reputation rose again. As a much-admired war-time prime minister and subsequently, during the Cold War, he traveled the globe tirelessly in pursuit of alliances and detente between America and Russia.

This concise biography is extensively illustrated with photographs, cartoons and documents, including personal correspondence, reflecting Churchill's dedication to literature, art and family alongside his tremendous public achievements."