Covers the period from the Treaty of Versailles to Churchill's appointment as Prime Minister in 1940.

Churchill's history of the Second World War is, and will remain, the definitive work. Lucid, dramatic, remarkable for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it is universally acknowledged as a magnificent historical reconstruction and an enduring work of literature. This is the third volume of Churchill's own abridgement of his original six-volume history of the Second World War.

Churchill required a vast staff to maintain the intense pace at which he worked, whether it was meeting with world leaders, politicians, or military personnel. Yet behind the scenes, whenever Churchill strode across the world stage, the secretarial and support staff that enabled him to succeed were inevitably filled by women. Though extraordinarily talented and valuable to Churchill and his work, these women remain unheralded. He was not an easy employer....

The first Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722) was a soldier of such genius that a lavish palace, Blenheim, was built to honor his triumphs. Succeeding generations of Churchills sometimes achieved distinction but also included profligates and womanizers, and were saddled with the ruinous upkeep of Blenheim. The family fortunes were revived in the nineteenth century by the huge dowries of New York society beauties Jennie Jerome (Winston's mother) and Consuelo...