This is a strictly time-limited opportunity I noticed, so run, do not walk, to the RosettaBooks website or the Kindle Store to pick up, absolutely free, “The 8-Volume Official Biography of Sir Winston Churchill, written by Randolph Churchill & Martin Gilbert.” These are available until April 11th, so now is definitely the time to act. And yes, normally I wouldn’t do a blatant plug, but in this case we’re talking a totally free offer, about one of the greatest historical figures of the previous century, and one of the greatest warriors against totalitarianism of all time.

The publisher’s blurb reads:

In the definitive biography of Sir Winston Churchill, his son Randolph—and later Sir Martin Gilbert, who took up the work following Randolph’s death—had the full use of Sir Winston’s letters and papers, and also many hundreds of private archives. The work spans eight volumes, detailing Churchill’s youth and early adventures in South Africa and India, his early career, and his more than fifty years on the world stage. No other statesman of modern times—or indeed of any age—has left such a wealth of personal letters, such a rich store of private and public documentation, such vivid memories in the minds of those who worked closest to him. Through these materials, assembled over the course of more than twenty years, one is able to know Churchill in a way never before possible.

I freely confess to being a complete Winnie buff, and my main worry for months ahead is going to be finding enough time to read all of these. But my appetite is keenest for the volumes authored by Martin Gilbert, eminent Churchill scholar and Holocaust historian, whose one-volume distillation of this epic has been described as “the most scholarly study of Churchill in war and peace ever written.” Michael Foot said of Gilbert’s 20+-year stint as official biographer that: “Whoever made the decision to make Martin Gilbert Churchill’s biographer deserves a vote of thanks from the nation. Nothing less would suffice.” And one of my favorite Churchill books is Gilbert’s Churchill: The Power of Words, which demonstrates how, as John F. Kennedy said, “he mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.”

And if anyone’s worried about too much hagiography and whitewashing, note what Gilbert said in a 1991 interview: “I’m called the official biographer, though to the enormous credit of the Churchill family they’ve never asked to see a single word of what I was writing until the books were printed and bound and ready for sale to the public. They never asked me to delete a word or to skirt around a particular issue. So ‘official’ is a misnomer if it’s thought to mean a censored or restricted biographer.”

When last seen on retail, these volumes were on sale at $45.00 apiece, so the whole offer represents a saving of $360. As well as endless inspiration and edification. Unmissable.

1 COMMENT

  1. I’d second this article. When Martin Gilbert died not long ago, they was widespread sorrow among those who research, write, and read history. He was a historian’s historian. He was also an exceptionally decent human being. And as busy as he was, he was kind enough to respond personally when I sent him a copy of a book that I’d written, Chesterton on War and Peace.

    If Churchill interests you in the slightest, take advantage of this offer. You’ll rarely see its like again.

    Like Paul, since I downloaded the set, I’ve been asking myself, “How am I going to find the time read all this?” Fortunately, my aging Kindle 3 does text-to-speech, and I just checked. Reading these books aloud via TTS is enabled. I can make this series my bedtime story book after the lights go out.

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