The Second World War: Alone cover art

The Second World War: Alone

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

The Second World War: Alone

By: Sir Winston Churchill
Narrated by: Christian Rodska
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £14.18

Buy Now for £14.18

Summary

"After the first forty days we were alone," writes Churchill. This edition is part two of Churchill's own abridgement of his original six-volume history of the Second World War.

Please note: This book was originally published in six volumes:

1. The Gathering Storm
2. Their Finest Hour
3. The Grand Alliance
4. The Hinge of Fate
5. Closing the Ring
6. Triumph and Tragedy

Churchill then condensed these into four volumes, which have since been released as one, rather hefty, publication. This is an unabridged recording of Churchill's condensed volume, broken up into four parts, as follows:

1. Milestone to Disaster
2. Alone
3. The Grand Alliance
4. Triumph and Tragedy

©2008 The Estate of Winston Churchill (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Winston Churchill Inspiring Scary Thought-Provoking War

Critic reviews

"Succinct it most definitely isn't, but then if your legendary bulldog-breed leadership had won the war you'd probably take your time about it. It was originally published in six volumes (now you see why Norman Stone is the lick), but Churchill himself abridged it to four, each lasting around 10 hours. I meant to get Volume 1, but never mind - I'm riveted by events between March 1940 and July 1941, especially Hitler's detailed plans to invade Britain by laying a narrow corridor of mines under the Channel. Though without Christian Rodska's wonderful voice - dare one say it's better than Churchill's - I might just have dozed off during the statistical bits."( The Guardian)
All stars
Most relevant
Although we know the final outcome of the Second World War this is a moving account of the dark days when Britain was going it alone against the odds told by the man who held the country together and inspired such heroism and sacrifice by the population at home and service-men and women. It makes one proud of our parents or grand-parents generation who were so stoical and brave. It must have been a frightening time of great uncertainty with many set-backs until Hitler's fatal blunder of invading the Soviet Union. Churchill's words and speeches are still powerful and uplifting and this book brings home just what a knife-edge Britain was on during the prelude to the aborted invasion of Britain by Hitler and the debt we owe to the young airmen who fought in the Battle of Britain.
As in the first part of this quartet of books, Christian Rodska does an excellent job of the narration.

Stirring account told by a master storyteller

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I’ve long avoided Churchill as an author for his long-winded language and slow narrative. But I have to admit now that I’ve been wrong to do so: these audiobooks are gripping, in their own way, and Churchill’s strengths and weaknesses are all laid bare: his certainty, his pomposity, his his generous praise and his indomitable scorn. To hear first hand from the one observer of the whole war who was so intimately involved is a treat: a treat made all the better by a reader who really captures his “inner Winston”. A delight, warmly recommended.

Another cracker

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
lots of interesting insights into his decision making process, his defensive strategy for the defence of the United Kingdom brilliant.

What a Man

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
great reader's performance and of course a poignant record of a tumultuous, tragic epoch. if you are interested in history, this is a must-listen audiobook. I think I will buy the books as well.

excellent throughout

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If anyone was at the heart of the UK's take on WW2, whose memoirs better to read than those of Winston Spencer Churchill? He led the wartime cabinet, and much of the policy followed was his. The pursuit of the French navy and its destruction because of its admiral's refusal to accept terms offered must have been a heartbreak, but if it was to be kept 100% out of Hitler's hands, it's hard to see there was a lot of room to manoeuvre.
The reading by Mr Rodska is a tour de force of excellence. He manages to sound remarkably like Churchill's distinctive voice, which adds to the effect of authenticity in the performance.
Also. Audible performances are a very mixed lot. There are many whose performers do little more than read out the text, and take limited care with stressing the necessary points in their delivery. No such charge can be made against these performances. Rodska was an ideal choice for these seminal works.
It's been said that Churchill underplayed his errors or misjudgments. I'm not competent to agree or disagree, but every account you'll read of such events has by definition been the result of human memories, and those are inevitably subject to the filtering in memories of what is felt strongly about, be that welcome or otherwise. Therefore it is good practice to read more than one account of history if a rounded version is to be obtained by the reader.
For me, I am Also working through the account of WW2 by Anthony Beevor. He is quite critical in places of Churchill's decisions. After I've finished with both of these, I'll check for another well regarded account of WW2, but think I'll stop there.
These are lively and well written accounts of Churchill's wartime experiences - and I commend them to you.

Outstanding in every way

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews