The Second World War: Triumph and Tragedy:

I have been enthralled by listening to all four parts of this inspiring story of the Second World War of which this is the final book. Christian Rodska's fine narration has added to the experience. This last part high-lighted for me how history can be changed by individuals for good or ill. The duplicity of Stalin, once a cherished ally; the premature death of Roosevelt; the surprise result of the 1945 General Election ousting Churchill: all had ramifications that coloured the rest of the 20th century. By the end of these books I felt a great sadness over the huge waste of lives, but also inspired by the peoples' bravery and tenacity. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Churchill who worked tirelessly for five years against the odds. Not only was he a great leader, but also a great writer able to convey in such a riveting way the fears, triumphs and tragedies of war.

Winston Churchill is a great writer besides being a great Prime Minister. Really good to hear it form his point of view rather than from others writing about him or the war. You definitely realise this was a man ahead of his time, and one of the few to really get Hitler.

I would not dream to say anything new on this fascinating work of Mr. Churchill's. However, two topics in the book might be worth underlining at the present moment. On one hand, the scaring and astonishing similarities between the finacial crisis we are enduring and the 1929 crisis, as explained in the book. And, on the other, Mr Churchill's analysis on the causes and motives for the nationalists uprising in july 1936 against the Spanish republican goverment who, as the author states, had lost its legitimacy through its atack on the same republic they nominaly represented, trying to establish a communist totalitarian regime through revolutionary means. His short, but nevertheless clarifying comments, will surely be embraced with enthusiasm by the politicians and intelectuals who, after decades of peace and reconciliation among spaniards are trying to revive, via what they call \"Memoria hist?rica\" (Historic Memory,)past and happily forgotten tragedies.