Winston Churchill has rightly been voted the greatest Briton. His nine decades spanned from the era of cavalry charges to the nuclear age, and he was active in both. He had a keen historical perspective and analytical mind, and in the Second World War he was quick to oppose Hitler and see the importance of US involvement, and hence played a seminal part in ensuring the survival of not only Britain but arguably Western democracy itself. That is not to say he was without fault - the disastrous Gallipoli campaign, the creation of Iraq in 1921, his blind spot over India - all these contributed to a reputation for unreliability that dogged much of his public life. But his seven decades in the public spotlight, and in politics show that Winston Churchill deserves the stature that posterity has given him.
Few characters in history have written as much as Churchill, and his writings and the photographic record happily provide the opportunity to put together a unique illustrated portrait of this remarkable man, featuring revealing facsimiles of his personal letters, documents and speeches which draw attention to the unforgettable power of his oratory, which added a heroic dimension to a leader who was undoubtedly a true statesman.