This is a collection of 25 short biographical essays about famous people, written and published by Winston Churchill before his first tenure as Britain's Prime Minister from 1940-1945.


The original collection of 21 essays was published in 1937, mainly written between 1928 and 1931. This 1939 edition contains four additional essays on Lord Fisher, Charles Stewart Parnell, Lord Baden-Powell and Franklin D. Roosevelt.


"THESE essays on Great Men of our age have been written by me at intervals during the last eight years. Although each is self-contained, they throw from various angles, a light upon the main course of the events through which we have lived. I hope they will be found to illustrate some of its less well-known aspects. Taken together they should present not only the actors but the scene. In their sequence they may perhaps be the stepping-stones of historical narrative.


The central theme is of course the group of British statesmen who shone at the end of the last century and the beginning of this -- Balfour, Chamberlain, Rosebery, Morley, Asquith and Curzon. All lived, worked and disputed for so many years together, knew each other well, and esteemed each other highly. It was my privilege as a far younger man to be admitted to their society and their kindness. Reading again these chapters has brought them back to me, and made me feel how much has changed in our political life. Perhaps this is but the illusion which comes upon us all as we grow older. Certainly we must all hope this may prove to be so. In the meantime those to whom these great men are but names -- that is to say the vast majority of my readers -- may perhaps be glad to gain from these notes some acquaintance with them."


"By far the most important, thoughtful edition of Churchill's famous personality sketches ever published... The indispensable 'desert island' text for any marooned Churchillian." -- Finest Hour


"Interesting, well written and worth reading." -- Kirkus Reviews

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