Churchill, Master and Commander

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From his earliest days, Winston Churchill was an extreme risk taker, a trait he carried into adulthood. Widely regarded as Britain's greatest wartime leader, he was fundamentally a warlord. Like his contemporaries Stalin, Hitler, and Mussolini, Churchill insisted on personally directing the strategic conduct of World War II, positioning himself as both political master and military commander. This often led to ignoring the advice of his generals, resulting in disasters in Norway, North Africa, Greece, and Crete during 1940-41, as well as a failed Dodecanese campaign in 1943. His stubbornness over the Italian campaign, despite the Riviera landings, even led him to threaten to resign and destabilize the British Government. However, he also demonstrated decisive leadership, as seen in his refusal to surrender in 1940, the miraculous evacuation at Dunkirk, and victory in the Battle of Britain. He made tough decisions, such as destroying the French Fleet to prevent it from falling into German hands and waging war against Vichy France. Acclaimed historian Anthony Tucker-Jones delves into Churchill's record as a military commander, examining how his formative experiences influenced his controversial decisions during World War II, revealing both his successes and failures in high office.