He is commemorated throughout the world in museums and statuary, on street signs and in gift shops; even more prominently, Winston Churchill's monumental presence persists in shelves upon shelves of biographies and histories, dozens of which were written by Churchill himself and have been international bestsellers. While political figures are routinely the objects of intense posthumous scrutiny, few have achieved such pervasive and ongoing influence, and fewer still have so adeptly orchestrated their own place in history. Man of the Century is the often surprising story of how Winston Churchill, in the last years of his life, carefully crafted his reputation for posterity, and it reveals him as the twentieth century's pioneering, and perhaps most gifted, "spin doctor." It is also a far-ranging account not only of Churchill's continuing impact on British, American, and European politics, but also of the powerful legacy of his vision of a common destiny and heritage for English-speaking peoples around the world. In the first book to examine the full scope of Churchill's postwar influence, John Ramsden draws on fresh material and extensive research from three continents to argue that the statesman's force of personality and romantic, imperial notion of Britain have contributed directly to many political events of the last several decades-including American involvement in Vietnam and the role of the Anglo-American alliance in promoting and protecting a certain vision of world order. Man of the Century captures the complexities of Churchill's story and political legacy as well as the spirit and irreverent power of the statesman who became a modern legend.

Man of the Century is the often surprising story of how Winston Churchill, in the last years of his life, carefully crafted his reputation for posterity, revealing him to be perhaps the twentieth century's first, and most gifted, "spin doctor." Ramsden draws on fresh material and extensive research on three continents to argue that the statesman's force of personality and romantic, imperial notion of Britain has contributed directly to many of the political debates of the last decades-including American involvement in Vietnam and the role of the Anglo-American alliance in promoting and protecting a certain vision of world order.

About the Author
John Ramsden is professor of modern history at Queen Mary in the University of London. From1995-6, he was visiting professor of British history at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri; in 2000 he was a Winston Churchill Fellow in New Zealand, and in 2001 a Distinguished Academic Visitor at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of the acclaimed, An Appetite for Power and the general editor of The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century British Politics. He lives in Woodford Green, where Churchill was for forty years the Member of Parliament.

Reviews
Ramsden gives us a wry, readable, and comprehensive study of the depth and roots of Churchill's legacy. Library Journal With meticulous research, Ramsden explores the way in which Churchill projected himself throughout the world after 1945, how that self-projection was received, and how well it has stood the test of time...The book clearly and logically deduces how his fame was created, perceived, and marketed. -- George Cohen Booklist A thorough and careful scholarly exploration of the 'Churchill Legend' as it took shape after 1945... Ramsden extends his examination of Churchill's postwar apotheosis beyond Britain to Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the US, where an Americanized Churchill still bulks large in public discourse. This fine book helps explain why. Highly recommended [for] all libraries. Choice Ramsden is a highly talented historian at the peak of his prowess. Scotland on Sunday Ramsden is a canny historian... He is a master of the illuminating detail... The result is an excellent piece of sustained scholarship as well as a good read. Literary Review A marvellously informative and splendidly written account of the mythologising of Churchill. BBC History Magazine This book is a must: atour d'horizon of all things Churchill by the dean of Conservative Party historians. Only John Ramsden with his encyclopedic knowledge of twentieth-century British politics could have produced this magnificent work. -- David Freeman International Churchill Society Magazine Man of the Century is an impressive scholarly achievement, well written and convincingly argued... a provocative book, one that Churchill scholars will find essential. -- Michael H. Shirley History: Reviews of New Books Ramsden's study is a worthy addition to the growing Churchill literature. He succeeds in putting the Churchill legend and myth in historical perspective. -- John Rossi Society



Book Information
ISBN 9780231131063
Author John Ramsden
Format Hardback
Page Count 672
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press