The most celebrated Prime Minister of the twentieth century and arguably the most renowned British Prime Minister ever, Winston Churchill is an icon of modern history. But, though he was at the forefront of the political scene for almost sixty years, without World War II he might have been remembered as nothing more than a minor player in the dramas of British government. In this brillant account Roy Jenkins analyses Churchill's exceptional character in all its strengths and attendant weaknesses. Using his own experience as well as his formidable knowledge of the political history of Britain, Jenkins illuminates Churchill's parliamentary career through its campaigns, elections, and changes of allegiance, its troughs and its peaks.