Arthur Shlesinger's Churchill

Churchill
Churchill, by Arthur M. Schlesinger, is an autobiography on the world-renowned British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Winston was born on November 30, 1874, and although he would go on to accomplish many different things, he started out unsuccessful. Even though his father scolded him for his behavioral and academic issues, Churchill strove to try his best, and wanted to win the approval of his father by becoming a politician like him. Yet, his grades were his setback, so Churchill decided to enlist as a soldier. After barely passing school, Churchill applied for the military academy, and on September 1, 1893, got into Sandhurst. Soon, he went on to fight in World War 1, and rose in the ranks of the Parliament, eventually becoming
He enlisted in the army and fought as a soldier and wrote as a journalist. He had a particularly unique experience in the Boer War, in which “Churchill and the other survivors were taken to a prison camp in Pretoria, the capital of Transvaal” (Schlesinger 37). To be more specific, as Churchill arrived on the African front, he was not actually in the midst of the fighting, and being as eager as he had shown to be in the past, decided to go to the fighting. Luckily, “Churchill soon had an opportunity to observe Boer capabilities for himself…The captain, who had just been given order to prepare his men for the mission, saw Churchill and invited him along” (36). Unfortunately, soon after embarking Churchill and his unit were under fire and captured. It was in this moment that we can truly see Churchill’s unyielding tenacity. Despite all odds, Churchill tried his hardest in order to be freed from his captors. He tried to use his status as a journalist, but as no one seemed to care, an escape plan was thought up. With that, “Despite the risk, Churchill could wait no longer” and escaped (38). Although the escape was not simple, the effects of it played a key role in Churchill’s life. Since he had already decided that the only way to become a politician for him was to earn glory, the war effort paid off since he was “Greeted as a hero” and “His name was in all the headlines, and is bravery was widely
In the years that Hitler built up his army, Churchill viewed it as a threat and warned his superiors to be cautious. Nevertheless, people paid no attention to Churchill, as politicians viewed him as an aging man who was out of his prime. Yet, on May 10, 1940, Churchill returned strong, being appointed the Prime Minister. Taking office, “Churchill appeared before the House of Commons and delivered what was to become one of his most famous speeches. ‘I have nothing to offer by blood, toil, tears and sweat, You ask, What is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory- victory in spite of all terror: victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival” (75). This speech, now known as Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat, is what bolstered the morale of millions of British people in their fight against Hitler. As much as Churchill wanted to be respected as a politician, once again harboring to his deep admiration for his father, the people respected Churchill for his militaristic knowledge and superiority. Even though Churchill’s career was tainted with sad events, the “never give up” attitude that he had hardened as a child, made him into a fine leader. His words, inspired millions, and ultimately, it was his character that lead the British to prevail against all odds. In his prime, Churchill helped many, and served the people, and even though he went on to serve a second term, the defining