Boris Johnson is the very popular and internationally known mayor of London. Educated at Oxford, he began his career as a journalist, writing for The Times and The Telegraph (for whom he still contributes a regular column), and working his way up to editor of The Spectator. He is also the author of Johnson’s Life of London. He was elected to the House of Commons in 2001 and served there until he was elected mayor in 2008. He lives in London with his wife and four children.
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.”
—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.”
—Kirkus Reviews
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