The Wit & Wisdom of Winston Churchill Review

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(More customer reviews)Be forewarned. The words of Sir Winston Churchill are not for everyone. If you are too timid, sensitive, politically correct, Victorian in outlook, or do not drink, you are not the ideal audience for this book. However, if you love stirring speeches, great epigrams, and explosive wit, then Winston is your man. Divided into several sections, the first deals with epigrams concerning subjects in general, for example; History--"A nation that forgets its past has no future." The next section deals with excepts from his most famous speeches: Their Finest Hour, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, etc. Then, Coiner of Phrases, a section dealing with famous words or sayings first attributed to him, such as Destroyer, for "light search and destroy vessel." Next, Saints and Sinners, a section reserved for his opinions of the great (and nearly great) of the world; his opinion of former Prime Minister David Lloyd George: "He could talk a bird out of a tree." Finally, the last (and best) section, Escapades and Encounters (aka Winston's Wit). Yes, here we have the famous Lady Nancy Astor story (I won't spoil it for you here), another famous (and politically incorrect) encounter with Labourite Bessie Braddock, and the hilarous story The World Is Not My Oyster, in which the eighty-six year old Churchill blames his indisposition on the oysters served at the Savoy Grill, not the numerous glasses of wine he consumed there. So, grab a glass of your favorite port or sherry (or a snifter of brandy, if you must), sink into a comfortable chair with a favorite snack and this book, and INDULGE YOURSELF. Trust me, it will be one (or more) of your finest hours.

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An extremely entertaining compendium of bon mots, anecdotes, and trivia about Winston Churchill from a leading Churchill lecturer and performer -- useful for speakers, students, of history, and World War II buffs, as well as general readers.

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The Definitive Wit of Winston Churchill Review

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(More customer reviews)There are a number of collections of the Wit of Churchill. This one calls itself the definitive collection. It has twelve chapters: Thrusts and parries, Maxims and reflections, Stories and Jokes, Churchillisms, Great communicator, People, Britain,Empire and Commonwealth, Nations, War, Politics and Government, Education ,Arts and Science, Personal.It has a small appendix on 'Red Herrings'.
I eagerly bought this book in part because in the back of my mind are a number of remarkable quotations by Churchill, including those of the Great War Speeches. Those utterances were not simply 'remarks' but were world- shaping historical events. The hero Churchill who rallied the British at their darkest hour and made it into their finest hour is one of the great human heroes. One of his quotations here is in praise of Courage, the first of all virtues and no one in those dark days exemplified and inspired it more than him.
Nonetheless despite my great admiration for him and the power of his language at the most critical historical times I was somewhat disappointed in the tenor and quality of many of the quotations here. Perhaps even a great man must be allowed his trivia. But should it be gathered in the collection of his most notable utterances? Is it possible that his truly memorable and great utterances are not in the thousands or even the hundreds, but rather in the tens?
I too do not think isolating utterances and presenting them on a wide variety of problems, people and situations really helps us understand Churchill's view on a particular matter.
But enough crabbing.This book does contain many gems from one of mankind's greatest heroes. Here are a few gems from a book in which there are no doubt more than I have noticed.
"Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because, as has been said,it is the quality which guarantees all others."
"Death is the greatest gift God has made to us"
"Meeting jaw to jaw is better than war"
"It is always more easy to discover and proclaim general principles than to apply them."
"Fearthought is futile worrying over what cannot be averted or will probably never happen."
"But you ought to let the Jews have Jerusalem; it is they who made it famous."
"In war,Resolution. In defeat, Defiance. In victory,Magnaminity. In peace,Goodwill."
"All wisdom is not new wisdom."
"One always measures friendships by how they show up in bad weather."
"The power of man has grown in every sphere , except over himself."

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Charismatic, erudite, and often controversial, Winston Churchill was one of the most inspiring leaders of the twentieth century, and one of its greatest wits. His much-celebrated sense of fun and mischief has led to many of his jokes and ripostes becoming almost as well known as his famous wartime speeches. Gloriously comprehensive, The Definitive Wit of Winston Churchill includes all Churchill's most famous quips and witticisms, and even an appendix of quotes falsely attributed to Churchill. The only book of its kind to be sanctioned by the Churchill estate and to track down each quotation to its source, it captures the great statesman at his most eloquent, witty, and engaging and makes a great gift for the holidays and special occasions year-round.

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The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: An A-Z Compendium of Quotes from the Most Eloquent of American Presidents (Meridian) Review

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(More customer reviews)Abraham Lincoln showed a talent for sensing the future in the course of economic policy way back in 1863. Lincoln said then: "The money power preys upon the nation in times of peace and conspires against it in times of adversity. It is more despotic than monarchy, more insolent than autocracy, more selfish than bureaucracy."
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed," Lincoln said.

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