Welcome! First and foremost, thanks for purchasing a bag of our Churchill roast — we hope it’s fueling you on to many victories.
On this page, we want to provide you with a list of resources to help you learn more about the remarkable life of Winston Churchill. We’ll share the best books, podcasts, and other resources that you can use to better understand the British Bulldog — from learning about his adventure-filled younger years to studying his masterful rhetoric, and clarifying the many misconceptions around him.
As Churchill said, “Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.” Here’s a brief rundown on the resources you need to study one of history’s greatest statesmen.
This is perhaps the greatest single-volume biography of Churchill out there, written by the wonderful Lord Andrew Roberts. While no small read, this biography is thoroughly enjoyable — 1,000 pages detail everything from Churchill’s aristocratic upbringing and adventurous youth, to the fiery speeches, political cunning, and masterful leadership abilities of Britain’s greatest wartime Prime Minister.
The title of the book comes from a quote spoken by Churchill on the night he became prime minister: “I felt as if I were walking with Destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.” There are few better introductions to the life of Churchill than this one.
Published in 1930 when Churchill was 56, My Early Life is Churchill’s own account of his upbringing and first three decades of life.
Equally entertaining and informative, Churchill writes with characteristic wit as he details everything from his schooling to his experiences in as a war correspondent in Cuba, his escape from prison in South Africa, and his role in the Battle of Omdurman where he partook in the last major cavalry charge in British history.
While the events he recounts are of course documented in all serious biographies, there’s nothing quite like hearing them told by Churchill himself. My Early Life is required reading for anyone who’s serious about studying the life of the British Bulldog.
If you’re looking for a larger biography to dive into, The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill is an in-depth, three-part biography totalling around 3,000 pages.
The three books in the series are entitled as follows:
All things considered, The Last Lion goes into a level of detail that, while unnecessary for most Churchill fans, is certainly appreciated by ardent students of history. It’s a long but worthwhile read for those who can’t get enough of Churchill.
If you haven’t read a proper biography of Churchill yet, do that before reading this book. Richard Langworth’s Winston Churchill, Myth and Reality is an entertaining read for those who are already familiar with Churchill’s life, but isn’t ideal for beginners.
Langworth not only clears the air on trivial misconceptions like misattributed quotes, but he also debunks the more egregious accusations against Churchill — for example, the claims that he caused the Bengal Famine, was responsible for the firebombing of Dresden, etc.
While not for everyone, Langoworth’s is certainly a good book to pick up if you want to prepare a robust defense of Churchill — it provides great insight for you to use when others seek to slander his name!
For those who have neither the time nor interest required to read through the biographies and works like Winston Churchill, Myth and Reality, this brief list of articles will help clarify some of the more common misconceptions about Churchill — specifically those aimed at smearing his name and undermining his legacy:
(If you have more recommendations for this list, use the contact form on our site to let us know, and we’ll get them added!)
The world’s most popular history podcast did a mini-series on Churchill’s early life. It’s an entertaining introduction to the experiences that shaped him in his youth, and which would later serve him well in his role as Prime Minister of the UK.
Here are those episodes for your convenience:
All of the above links take you to the respective episodes on Spotify, but you can of course look them up on your own on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or other podcast listening platforms.
Coming soon! Check back in on this page later to see what we’ve added.
In the meantime, enjoy all the aforementioned resources — we hope they help you in your quest to lead and triumph like Churchill!
