Winston Churchill was one of the central statesmen of the 20 th century and, almost 50 years after his death, remains a subject of enduring fascination. Part of the current interest in this venerable

Unfortunately, after completing the second volume, Manchester ’s health declined and the rest of the project stalled. So great was public interest in the long-delayed final volume that it was the subject of a front page story in The New York Times.

Eventually, in 2003, Manchester asked his friend Paul Reid to complete the trilogy. Now, nearly a decade later, Reid has published The Last Lion, the final piece of this monumental undertaking. Reid starts when Churchill was appointed prime minister in May 1940 and follows him through his death in While most of this volume is appropriately devoted to World War II, it also includes the vast expansion of the British welfare state following the war, the start of the Cold War and the enormous dangers it carried, and the loss of the British Empire.

Reid has written a thorough and complete analysis of these years, and it is a worthy finale to the first two volumes. Exhaustively researched and carefully written, it draws on a full range of primary and secondary materials. This book will be essential reading for those who enjoyed the first two volumes and those with a deep interest in understanding this seminal figure and his place in history.

Reid does a wonderful job of capturing Churchill in all his complexity. He gives Churchill great praise for his personal courage and inspirational leadership during the dark days whenBritain stood alone, but he is equally clear about Churchill ’s poor strategic judgments, such as the efforts to defend Greece andCrete, the Allied assault on Anzio, and the decision to send the battleshipPrince of Walesand battle cruiser Repulse to theSouth China Seawithout adequate air cover where they were promptly sunk by the Japanese.

He highlights Churchill ’s naivet é in dealing with Soviet Premier Stalin in the early years of the war, but praises his prescience in anticipating Stalin ’s land grab in Eastern Europeat the end of the conflict. Reid also gives welcome attention to aspects of the war ― such as Churchill ’s fear that the United Statesmight decide to put its primary emphasis on defeating Japan regardless of the “Germany first ” understanding he shared with Roosevelt that have received little attention in other books.

What can be known about the two biographies of Churchill？

A.They were written in an interesting style.

B.They were written prior to Churchill ’s death.

C.They are mainly written from a historical point of view.

D.They have helped intrigue the readers over a long period.

Why did the biography once become a front page story in The New York Times？A.People were looking forward to the publication of the final volume.

B.Readers were angry with the author for the delay of the final volume.

C.The publication of the final volume was then a heatedly discussed issue.

D.Readers wanted to know who would be the new author of the final volume.

Why does the third volume prove to be worthy？A.It is widely read and welcomed by readers.

B.It involves enough details in Churchill ’s life.

C.It is based on thorough and reliable research.

D.It offers a unique understanding of Churchill.

What can we know about Churchill through the third volume？A.He is a man with complexity.

B.He pulled Britain through WWII.

C.He made many strategic mistakes.

D.He is courageous and inspirational.