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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
The storyline tied the lives of these 2 men together even if they never met. Interesting, but not fantastic.
A nice & unique approach to a double & parallel memoir of these two famous & historically important people. Echoing the author's note towards the end, I do, indeed, wonder what would Orwell have written about the current state of affairs of most of the countries/states/governments of the world today. Churchill was undoubtedly more influential & famous during their lifetimes. Yet now, Orwell has surpassed Churchill's legacy many times over. I find that so interesting.
dark
informative
slow-paced
Interesting comparison of two brilliant Britons from the first half of last century. Lots of previously unknown (to me) info.
Дуже цікаво написана книжка про дві визначні постаті ХХ століття. Автор заглиблює нас у їхнє життя, відкриваючи всі перемоги і промахи, використовуючи безліч джерел. Бомбардування Лондона і стійкість його мешканців, британсько-американські стосунки, нацисти серед британської аристократії, «рятуюча» роль Черчилля і «пророча» Орвелла.
Відгукується дуже зараз, бо історія іде по колу, на жаль… Сама назва «Битва за свободу» резонує з нашим сьогоднішнім життям, а висновки автора підтверджують, що ми все робимо правильно, бо боремось за найцінніше.
Відгукується дуже зараз, бо історія іде по колу, на жаль… Сама назва «Битва за свободу» резонує з нашим сьогоднішнім життям, а висновки автора підтверджують, що ми все робимо правильно, бо боремось за найцінніше.
A biography of Churchill and Orwell in one book. While they never crossed paths in real life, they admired each other from afar and both sought to destroy authoritarian government and maintain democracy. Interesting in parts, dull in others. Learned that Orwell was a deeply anti-Semitic asshat despite seeing the horrors of the Holocaust. He also viewed humanity negativity solely based on his over active sense of smell.
Good mini biography of Churchill. Good mini biography of Orwell. I still don't fully agree with putting them in the same volume, but a decent read in any case.
I was skeptical at first—how would the author approach these two wildly different persons?—but Tom Ricks’s dual biography is deeply satisfying, showing both men’s battle against totalitarianism. I guess was intrigues me most is to consider that while Churchill took center stage during WWII (as prime minister) and Orwell (Eric Blair) largely overlooked (while he lived he never received fame), it is now Orwell who, through his books, has the dominant influence on culture more so than Churchill.
A fantastic dual biography that traces the disparate paths taken to a common anti-totalitarianism by these giants of the twentieth century, and also their reputations after death.
From the mid-1920s onward, aristocratic politician and writer [a:Winston S. Churchill|14033|Winston S. Churchill|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1306133803p2/14033.jpg] was a right-wing democratic capitalist. During the same period, little-known novelist and journalist [a:George Orwell|3706|George Orwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588856560p2/3706.jpg] was a left-wing democratic socialist. Before, during, and after World War II, both Englishmen were convinced of the wrongs of Hitler's Nazism and Stalin's communism, and both fought them in their own ways through words and deeds.
For an earlier take on this topic, see The Two Winstons, the final episode of [a:Simon Schama|695|Simon Schama|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1250448182p2/695.jpg]'s great documentary, A History of Britain.
From the mid-1920s onward, aristocratic politician and writer [a:Winston S. Churchill|14033|Winston S. Churchill|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1306133803p2/14033.jpg] was a right-wing democratic capitalist. During the same period, little-known novelist and journalist [a:George Orwell|3706|George Orwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588856560p2/3706.jpg] was a left-wing democratic socialist. Before, during, and after World War II, both Englishmen were convinced of the wrongs of Hitler's Nazism and Stalin's communism, and both fought them in their own ways through words and deeds.
For an earlier take on this topic, see The Two Winstons, the final episode of [a:Simon Schama|695|Simon Schama|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1250448182p2/695.jpg]'s great documentary, A History of Britain.
I picked this book up because of Orwell. The Churchill parts were a pleasant surprise, but they re-confirmed my belief that Churchill is someone who was wrong about everything but Hitler.
The parts on Orwell were fantastic.
The parts on Orwell were fantastic.