Shawn just wrote a post about Obama and PM Brown's gifts to one another. News reports and a National Review blog entry describe the Martin Gilbert biography as seven volumes.
I'm certain the press has gotten the number of volumes wrong or described the books incorrectly. The award winning bio in question was begun by Winston Churchill's son Randolph. He wrote two volumes before dying. The rest of the bio was finished by Gilbert. Total amount of volumes Gilbert wrote? Six.
Where am I relying on this information from? Two places, Amazon and Wikipedia. Some of the volumes can still be bought. I'll list them-
By Gilbert
* Winston S Churchill: Volume Three: The Challenge of War: 1914-1916, (1971)
* Winston S Churchill: Volume Four: The Stricken World 1917-1922, (1975)
* Winston S Churchill: Volume Five: Prophet of Truth 1922-1939, (1979)
* Winston S Churchill: Volume Six: Finest Hour 1939-1941, (1983)
* Winston S Churchill: Volume Seven: Road to Victory 1941-1945, (1986)
* Winston S Churchill: Volume Eight: Never Despair 1945-1965, (1988)
By Randolph Churchill
# Winston S Churchill: Volume One: Youth, 1874-1900 (1966)
# Winston S Churchill: Volume Two: Young Statesman, 1901-1914 (1967)
All eight books had companions, companion one was done by Randolph, Martin Gilbert did two after Randolph died, and all the rest.
The actual bio is eight volumes, six by Gilbert and two by Churchill's son. Was the press mistaking the companions for the actual bio? Then seven would be right, but that isn't the Churchill biography.
You can check this all at Wikipedia and Amazon if you want. The reporting of this story is wrong, and facts are important.
I began reading the bio but didn't get past the second volume. That's because I moved and no longer had access to the books I was getting from a public library in Maryland.
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Barack Obama, Books, Media
Comments (9)
Bill,How did you l... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Shawn | March 5, 2009 8:35 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Bill,
How did you like what you read?
Churchill is a fascinating figure.
-Shawn
1. Posted by Shawn | March 5, 2009 8:35 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2009 20:35
2. Posted by Bill Jempty | March 5, 2009 8:38 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The first two books were very good. Gilbert also did a one volume bio on Churchill in the late 80's or 90's, which I did read. That was an excellent book.
2. Posted by Bill Jempty | March 5, 2009 8:38 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2009 20:38
3. Posted by Andrew X | March 5, 2009 8:44 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Bill, on this topic, any news on what the kids were given? I heard via radio that the Brown's gave some very nice clothing and such to the Obama kids, and in turn the Brown kids were given model Marine One helicopters that are sold at $15 per from the White House gift shop.
Tacky right down the line. But I don't have a link, so at the moment that is heresay.
Anyone who can help with that?
3. Posted by Andrew X | March 5, 2009 8:44 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2009 20:44
4. Posted by Shawn | March 5, 2009 8:54 PM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
"Sarah Brown gave Sasha and Malia Obama an outfit each from Topshop, which has just opened its first American store in New York. She also picked six children's books by British authors which are shortly to be published in America.
In return, the Obamas gave the Browns two models of the presidential helicopter, Marine One, to take home to sons Fraser and John."
From the first link in Bill's piece.
4. Posted by Shawn | March 5, 2009 8:54 PM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2009 20:54
5. Posted by GarandFan | March 5, 2009 9:30 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Wow, the Obama's put a lot of thought into those gifts....what'd it take, 2 maybe 3 seconds tops and a quick dash by an aide down to the gift shop?
Real class there.
5. Posted by GarandFan | March 5, 2009 9:30 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2009 21:30
6. Posted by ExSubNuke | March 5, 2009 9:53 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
You can check this all at Wikipedia and Amazon if you want. The reporting of this story is wrong, and facts are important.
Since when have facts been important to news agencies in the modern era?
6. Posted by ExSubNuke | March 5, 2009 9:53 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2009 21:53
7. Posted by irongrampa | March 5, 2009 11:10 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
In a different world, a competent staffer in charge of protocol would have been invaluable.
I find it hard to comprehend Obama NOT making use of same. That episode was the epitome of tackiness.
7. Posted by irongrampa | March 5, 2009 11:10 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2009 23:10
8. Posted by epador | March 6, 2009 9:23 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Remember all the Peanut Farmer jokes about Carter? I haven't seen any MSM jokes about hick Chicago organizers born and raised in third world countries. That would be racist. And we're all a nation of cowards, right Mr. AJ?
8. Posted by epador | March 6, 2009 9:23 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 6, 2009 09:23
9. Posted by DSL | March 6, 2009 11:48 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Andrew X
Checkout Cassy Fiano's blog from earlier in the day on 3/5/09. It's entitled The Obama's are narcissistic? She has all the info available about the children's gift exchange.
9. Posted by DSL | March 6, 2009 11:48 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 6, 2009 11:48