Praise for The Churchill Factor "[
The Churchill Factor] isn't another potted biography. . . . [Johnson] clearly admires his subject, and his book has a boyish, innocent quality that is also an essential part of Mr. Johnson's political appeal."
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The Wall Street Journal "Buoyant, quick-witted and vastly entertaining."
--The Economist "A lively, and pertinent, introduction . . . Johnson has painted his portrait of Churchill with light, learning, and good sense, a wise aggregation of present and past." --
The Weekly Standard "Fascinating . . . [Johnson's] interpretation of [Churchill] is interesting on every page." --Freakonomics
"A bravura performance . . . Johnson has not only celebrated Churchill in this book: he has emulated him with comparable panache." --
Financial Times "A full-throated celebration of human greatness and perhaps the best (and certainly the funniest) . . . introduction to Churchill yet written . . . delightful and effervescent." --
The Daily Beast "Filled with vivid observations." --
The Washington Post "A characteristically breathless romp through the life and times of our greatest wartime leader, Winston Churchill . . . as high on entertainment as it is on providing an appraisal of the great man's achievements . . . Johnson's distinctive writing style is unlike any other used in the countless books that have been written on Churchill . . . It reads at times like a mixture of Monty Python and the Horrible Histories." --
The Telegraph (4 stars)
"An interesting study of a truly fascinating historical figure . . . [Johnson] is a good, sound writer with a very distinct, unique voice . . . It is as if [he] were sitting with you on a long night in a pub over pints telling you everything he knows and think of Churchill."
--Pop Mythology "Johnson has knocked this project out of the park. With this book Johnson has not only managed to create the most readable non-fiction prose I have read all year, but he has managed to clarify myth, destroy recent revisionism and unearth new material. The book amuses and educates in equal measure with a deftness of touch and lightness of learning that is beyond most people. He has done this while holding down one of the country's busiest and most high-profile jobs." --
Quadrapheme "[
The Churchill Factor] is both paean of praise and irreverent romp, with analysis of Churchill's smorgasbord of achievements . . . Its stress on the importance of political bravery, and doing what is morally right, rather than what the polls and press dictate, is a timeless message." --
The Jewish Chronicle "Combine[s] bathos with humour and a welcome clarity of historical argument . . . there is much to commend in this spirited, entertaining tale." --
The Guardian "
The Churchill Factor would have been a worthy contribution without the political overtones. Like Sir Winston--who somehow published 43 books (and won the 1953 Nobel Prize for Literature) while not busy leading the defeat of Hitler--Mr. Johnson is a superb writer. Despite the heavy subject matter,
The Churchill Factor is a light and quick read . . . [Johnson's] brisk style of writing . . . helps keep the book moving, challenging readers with occasional get-out-your-dictionary words and rewarding them with the odd belly laugh." --
Globe and Mail "Like all Johnson's work [
The Churchill Factor] is beautifully written, particularly as, in this case, he rises to the linguistic standards set by his subject . . . it is clear that he not only admires Churchill enormously, but that he was also determined to make a really good job of a timely reassessment on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Churchill's death."
--Saga Magazine "Churchill's own energy--his indefatigable pursuit of excitement, glory, place and power--demands a writer of fizz and passion to do history justice. Johnson is that writer."
--Mail on Sunday "Irresistible . . . chatty, enthusiastic and as funny as you would expect." --
The Spectator "Riveting. It would be a fascinating read [even] without the Johnson Factor--[but] Boris is a superb, accessible writer, with an easy, good-humoured touch. . . . The result is entertaining, informative and teasing." --
The Independent "Readable, engaging and often funny." --
Evening Standard "While there are many accounts of Winston Churchill and his political savvy, one would be remiss to ignore this sprightly written volume. . . . Johnson's history of Churchill is well crafted, amply researched, and a pleasure to read." --
Library Journal "Reading about Churchill is always a delight, and Johnson is an accomplished, accessible writer."
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Kirkus Reviews