“The Last Lion, Winston Spencer Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1847-1932,” by William Manchester. 973 pages, illustrated. Volume I of his detailed biography gives us the years of his early education, the pathos of his neglect by both parents (his American mother an adventuress and courtesan of the Prince of Wales and future King of England, but influential in promoting her son into an ambitious career), and his time as head of the British navy – and as general busybody in preparing all the armed forces for the onslaught of the Great War in Europe. The vast scope of his life includes an informative picture of the social conditions of his time and creates a large canvas of the world in war and peace, leading us to: “The Last Lion, Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965,” wherein this leading figure is considered to have saved civilization from the madness of the Teutonic hordes which had again overrun Europe in their quest for lebensraum and Aryan purity. His own search for help as England underwent a blitzkrieg of rocket bombs brought him into constant meetings with Franklin Roosevelt and later Josef Stalin before the final end to the hostilities. In all, the books bring us into contact with a wide cast of world characters equal to any you might find in all the annals of war and peace. Just read it.
“A Vineyard in Tuscany: A Wine Lover’s Dream,” by Ferenc Mate. 273 pages, with some recipes and no pictures, although the author does give a vivid account of his travails in restoring an ancient, crumbling ruins into a fine residence and enough arable land to put in a sizable vineyard. The picturesque account is a page-turning delight and can be found in our surprising wine library on the shelf at 914.55. You will love it.
