European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Gilberts writing offers wider View of Churchil by Herbert Mitgang the new York times cd on the whole i think 1 would rather have lived through our lot of troubles than any of the others a prime minister Winston Churchill wrote in 1953 to lord by Averbrook the newspaper publisher a though 1 must place on record my regret that the human race Ever Learned to  with foresight about where the 201 h Century was heading Churchill himself had Learned to Pilot a plane before world War i had recognized the need to build up the Royal air Force before world War ii and proudly wore the uniform of an air Commodore. But he had witnessed the destruction caused by the Luftwaffe in London during the Blitz followed by British bombers retaliating against Dresden and other German targets and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by american planes. Although Churchill said he never doubled the Wisdom of using the atomic bomb to Speed the end of the War against Japan he still expressed regret about the inhuman uses of air Power. Wars run like wild flames through Martin Gilberts magisterial Churchill a life. This thousand Page biography of one of modern history a greatest leaders who at the Pinnacle of his Powers denied Hitler ism by the Force of his words As much Ashy arms is written by Churchill a official biographer and it hears the stamp of authority. Gilbert has succeeded in creating a single volume out of his detailed eight volumes of biography and the 13 volumes of Churchill documents that he edited. The result is a biography that is the most scholarly study of Churchill in War and a peace Ever written. The biography helps balance Churchill s own six volume account of world War ii which was conceived from his High level perspective As prime minister. Those memoirs while invaluable because none were written by Roosevelt or Stalin. Seemed to justify Churchill s geopolitical adventurism such As his futile Effort to restore the greek monarchy and Eairy the War into the Balkans. Where Churchill a life excels is in presenting lets about his heritage his Early military career and his lesser known non military activities As a Cabinet member and a member of parliament. Gilbert draws surprising conclusions to dispute the commonly held belief that Churchill was a hidebound tory in incr and no one is belter equipped to tit so and Oiler supporting evidence. Gilbert writes that both in his Liberal and conservative years Churchill was a Radical who believed in the need for the slate to Lake an Active part in ensuring minimum standards of life labor and social Well being for All Cili Cus. Among the areas in which he took a leading legislative role were prison Reform unemployment insurance state aided pensions Lor w idols Anil orphans Pein Iannel Alibi ration machinery for labor disputes stale assistance Tor people searching Lor employment Shorter wot King hours and improved conditions in factories. Winston Churchill president Truman and Josef Stalin at Potsdam Germany in 1945. The Reader learns that Churchill was also an advocate of policies usually identified with the labor party a National health service wider Access to education taxation of excess profits and profit sharing. During his first Public speech in 1897, three years before he entered parliament Churchill said he looked Forward to the Day when labourers would become shareholders in the businesses where they worked. Rather generously Gilbert maintains that Churchill was Quot a consistent and lifelong Liberal in Outlook Quot one of the values of this single volume biography is that certain of Churchill a lifelong attitudes emerge More clearly. Gilbert who is also the author of major works on Auschwitz the holocaust and Arab Lar Ali conflicts is especially Strong in trucking Churchill a personal involvement in Middle Eastern affairs his support for an identifiable jewish brigade in the British 8th army in Italy during world War 1 and his influence in supporting the creation of a jewish state after the War. For these views Churchill sometimes found himself at Odds with his own conservative party but As usual he stuck to his guns. Again and again the author illustrates Churchill s fortitude and Long Range sense of history. During the crisis Between Egypt and Israel in 195b, Lor example Churchill informed a w Havering president Eisenhower Quot i am of course a zionist and have been Ever since the Balfour declaration. I think it is a wonderful thing that this tiny Colony of jews should have become a Refuge to their compatriots in All the lands where they were persecuted so cruelly and at the same Lime established themselves As the most effective fighting Force in the area. I am sure America would not stand by and see them overwhelmed by russian weapons especially if we had persuaded them to hold their hand while their Chance  Churchill made his Iron curtain speech about soviet domination of Eastern Europe in 1946, yet Gilbert provides a Host of facts to show that he could he conciliatory toward the Kremlin and regularly tried to Cool the cold War by diplomacy. In this respect Churchill was far less enamoured of Eisenhower As a president than As the supreme Allied commander. Commenting privately on Eisenhower selection Churchill said a i am greatly disturbed. 1 think this makes War much More  Churchill warned Eisenhower against getting involved in a War in Indochina which he called Quot the danger of War on the  Gilbert writes that in answer to Churchill a Appeal for increased Trade with Russia a Eisenhower replied that he did not want the russians to have the benefits of Western consumer  such nuggets of information which the Reader can find All through Gilberts Churchill a life make for essential diplomatic history and enlightening personal history about his finest hours. Page 8a sunday november 17, 1991