Churchill

These illuminating essays by British and American historians provide detailed looks at Churchill in varied roles that include his appointed and elected offices, his war leadership and his tenure as political leader of the opposition. His long and turbulent career is assessed in components, some of them relatively minor (for instance, his appearances on radio and in film) but most of large scope, such as the lessons Churchill learned during WW I that were applicable during WW II. Among other topics explored: Norman Rose theorizes that ``few Englishmen have had a better record on behalf of Zionism''; John Keegan compares Churchill's skills as a strategist with those of Abraham Lincoln; Stephen E. Ambrose analyzes Churchill's wartime relationship with Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower; Roy Jenkins writes on Churchill's second government (1951-1955), which, he remarks, ``was too much dominated by its chief's stubborn battle for survival to be a splendid affair.'' These 29 pieces bring Churchill into clearer focus. (Mar.)