Book Description
James Hume -- who knew Churchill personally -- brilliantly captures the extraordinary life of this gifted, complex, and often troubled leader. A groundbreaking series of illustrated biographies, A & E Biographies combines the smart, concise approach of the hugely popular A&E Biography television series with the illuminating visual approach of DK Publishing to present the lives of history's most colorful figures. Television's longest running, single-topic documentary series Biography on A&E Network is not only one of the most successful shows -- it is one of the most popular. Biography has profiled more than 900 people in its fifteen years.

About the Author
James C. Hume served as a speechwriter for four presidents and is currently the professor of language and leadership at the University of Southern Colorado. He is the author of many books, including Eisenhower and Churchill: The Partnership That Saved the World and The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

James Hume — who knew Churchill personally — brilliantly captures the extraordinary life of this gifted, complex, and often troubled leader.

A groundbreaking series of illustrated biographies, A & E Biographies combines the smart, concise approach of the hugely popular A&E Biography television series with the illuminating visual approach of DK Publishing to present the lives of history's most colorful figures.

Television's longest running, single-topic documentary series Biography on A&E Network is not only one of the most successful shows — it is one of the most popular. Biography has profiled more than 900 people in its fifteen years.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

In this tandem account Plimpton, of Paris Review fame, traces the life and four expeditions of the South Polar explorer and tells of his own recent adventures retracing Shackleton's course. Although a reader needs to keep a close sight on when Plimpton shifts focus, this work is a brisk and eye-opening reminder that-hazards and disasters notwithstanding-human nature's intrepid spirit is unquenchable. An excellent case in point: Plimpton's re-telling of a moment in Shackleton's traverse of South Georgia, when Shackleton and his two companions, with darkness coming on, stand at the top of a snow slope with no idea of whether it levels out below or drops precipitously: "The three arrange themselves as if on an imaginary toboggan, each straddled behind the other..." and push off. Plimpton notes: "It is one of the few moments in the saga of the Endurance that brings a smile to the face-the image of the three of them as if on a sled, a typical winter scene that equates with Christmas revelry on the hill up beyond the barn, and yet in this case in a wintery vastness where no man had ever set foot before." Although not the final word on Shackleton, this elegant tribute is recommended for all libraries with patrons interested in exploration.-Robert C. Jones, Central Missouri State Univ., Warrensburg, MO Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal