Interesting way to look at a famous figure. I enjoyed most of the 40 stories on Churchill. A great way to learn about Churchill without having to read a deep and long biography. It is a quick and easy read. Great introduction to Churchill as it covers the good, the bad and the ugly of Churchill.

I didn't know much at all about Winston Churchill before I read this. It was markedly different from a typical, straightforward biography, but in a good way. There were 40 different chapters-one was a timeline, one was a map, one was true/false, one was all photos. Most of the others were information/analysis.

A chapter I liked a lot was one with funny quotes from Churchill. -Man: "Vote for you? Why, I'd rather vote for the devil!" Churchill: "I understand, but in case your friend is not running, may I count on your support?"
-"Never stand when you can sit and never sit if you can lie down."
-When voted out of office, his wife said: "It may be a blessing in disguise." Churchill: "Well at the moment it's certainly very well disguised."

It seemed thoroughly researched and attempted to be balanced. A chapter about his marriage presented the argument that it was happy, and that it was unhappy. There were similar chapters on Roosevelt, Churchill's purported depression, his alcoholism, and his parenting.

As Rubin wrote, "All biographers decide their stories and include facts to support them." This felt like a well-rounded, inclusive overview. I wish the JFK edition was readily available.

A multidimensional view of one of the most written about figures of the 20th Century. At last an analysis that spins out the complexity of a human being; much to like, much to not like.

For someone who knew pretty much nothing about Churchill, this was a great way to become acquainted. I love rubin's style and find the information presented both in a way that is accessible and interesting.

This was such a fun read. What an interesting man Churchill was. I feel like the author does a lot of work to portray both Churchill's faults and strengths. Overall the emphasis is that he did change the world.

The author has taken many biographies of Churchill and distilled them into this one readable account. She allows for both sides to be told and then concludes with her own opinion of Winston in the last chapter. I enjoyed this format and learned quite a bit.

My own conclusion? He had his faults and was complicated but was in the right place at the right time. I like him.

"It is all true, or it ought to be; and more and better besides. And wherever men are fighting against barbarism, tyranny, and massacre, for freedom, law, and honor, let them remember that the fame of their deeds, even though they themselves be exterminated, may perhaps be celebrated as long as the world rolls around." :Winston Churchill

Biographies pick and choose the picture they present - Gretchen Rubin tries here to present many different facets of Winston Churchill and the complicated and contradictory life he lived by looking at him in forty different ways: father, painter, writer, etc. She doesn't shy away from his racism, insistance on colonial supremacy, and other more negative aspects of his life and worldview. There is some repetition of the same interesting facts (that he wore pink silk underwear has to be in there at least three times) but overall an interesting compilation of Churchill information that is less intimidating than choosing of the the hundreds of bios (or auto-bios) out there.