Winston Churchill's key role in the outcome of the World War II brought him international renown and made him the most significant figure in 20th-century British politics. Born into an aristocratic family in 1875, his life spanned nine decades of personal, social and political change, and it is against this background that the author, a leading historian of modern British politics, discusses the remarkable ups and downs of Churchill's career. After election to Parliament in 1900, Churchill rose quickly to high political office. But he changed parties twice, bringing his character and judgement into question, and during the 1930s he became politically isolated. His warnings of the need to deter Hitler were largely ignored and it was only after the failure of appeasement in 1939 that his reputation rose again. As a much-admired war-time prime minister, and subsequently during the Cold War, he travelled the globe tirelessly in pursuit of alliances and detente between America and Russia. This concise biography is illustrated with photographs, paintings, cartoons and documents, including personal correspondence, reflecting Churchill's dedication to literature, art and family alongside his tremendous public achievements.