5 comments about The Churchill Factors: Creating Your Finest Hour.

1. I have followed Larry Kryske's career for many years. As a motivational speaker he has reached thousands with the leadership principles of Sir Winston S. Churchill in a lively and practical way. In one conference that I attended some years ago, Mr. Kryske shared the same platform with a world-renowned historian on the life of Churchill. The "renowned historian" gave a written, and read, presentation on some aspect of Churchill, which droned on for over an hour. The audience was visibly bored and fidgity. Then afterwards, Larry got up and gave a 45-minute presentation on the "Churchill Factors" employing humor while at the same time, fleshing out his presentation with an oil painting demonstration! To say the least, the audience was mesmerized and completely engaged with his presentation. Larry is also a talented artist!
   
   "The Churchill Factors" is an anthology of a lifetime of personal study and public presentations at conferences and other venues. Mr. Kryske is a recognized leading authority on the life of Churchill, but far beyond that, Larry has a rare gift of sifting through massive material in order to provide the listener -- here the reader -- with a life-changing study of practical wisdom. I keep a copy of his book handy both at work, and at home at the kitchen table, and make time to read a page here, and a page there, then contemplate the basic message to apply to my life.
   
   "The Churchill Factors" has practical information for everyone, young and old, no matter what job you do in life, no matter what position you hold. The message is clear: you are on this planet for a purpose, and your finest hour is yet to come!



2. Churchill was, without question, a fine man and example for us to follow. Learning more about Churchill, what made him great, and how he influenced history is a worthy endeavor.

   Being motivated and inspired to pursue higher objectives in life, to really make a difference in the world is also a worthy endeavor. Emulating features of Churchill's life to craft your own success is also worthwhile.

   As I began this book, I found myself reading sections to my wife. Good stuff here! The author's own words as well as the quotes from Churchill and other luminaries were getting my attention. I began to understand why several of my friends are such devoted students of Churchill and his influence. The first 37 pages were great.

   Then Chapter 5 hit me like a bucket of ice water. I discovered to my astonishment that the author is also a distributor of behavioral style learning materials produced by Inscape Publishing. Most of the balance of the book is a description of the four principal behavioral styles and how various aspects of Churchill's attributes relate to the styles. I was tempted to toss the book away as a blatant commercial for Inscape products. There was nothing on the cover of the book, in the introduction, or in the title that suggested that this was the kind of book I discovered . . . unless you look closely at the category on the back cover and note that the words "SELF HELP" follow "BUSINESS."

   The four behavioral styles of drivers, influencers, supporters, and conceptualizers were each presented with some explanation. Churchill's traits were related to each, apparently to validate for persons with each style that they, too, can be like Churchill. I felt some were rather force-fit. As a disclosure, I have used Inscape instruments and behavioral style knowledge for two decades and am a former national contract trainer for the company; I am quite familiar with the products and their philosophies.

   At the end of the book is a blatant promotion for a wide range of Inscape products. For those readers who are interested in learning more about behavioral styles, it's helpful to have this catalog available. For those who were really interested in what made Churchill great-from an author touted as a Churchill expert, it's offensive.

   I almost rated this book with three stars instead of four (out of five), but there is some good content. Kryske does relate some strong material, particularly in the forepart of the book before he got into the behavioral styles. The book is heavily seasoned with quotes (as call-outs); there's a quote from someone on almost every page. Many of the quotes are from Churchill, but also cited are other historical figures and present-day motivational speakers.




3. The Churchill Factors: Creating Your Finest Hour was very easy to understand. The message was simple, clear, and practical. Too many self-help books are mumbo-jumbo consultant hype about approaches that never really work. I found this book was honest and extremely usable. Everyone will be able to identify with at least one of the styles in the book. There are several chapters for each one. By applying the Action This Day questions at the end of the chapters helped me to overcome some of the obstacles I deal with at work and at home. I definitely was surprised that this was more than the usual leadership book about a famous person. The Churchill Factors made it easy for me to see why Winston Churchill was such a multi-faceted personality. Everyone would benefit from using his methodology. It's worked for me!



4. I am a high school senior who had to write a report on a famous leader. I selected Winston Churchill. I didn't really know much about him but found exactly what I needed in this book. I ordered it online and it arrived three days later! The book told me how I can become a leader. I could identify with some of the problems Churchill had during his life. His life was full of problems but he was still able to be successful. I think this book will help me when I go on to college next year. I already have some new ideas I want to try out at work. I would really recommend this book to others.



5. I'm a great admirer of Winston Churchill. This book is not another biography. Rather, I found a clear, understandable explanation of Churchill's leadership formula. This book showed me how to use the Churchill Factors in my life. The goal setting chapters were the best I have found on the subject. I also liked the author's encouragement concerning taking risks and overcoming obstacles.

No comments about Churchill: Man of the Century.

No comments about The Last Lion Part B: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone, 1932-1940.

No comments about Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years.

No comments about Disraeli.

5 comments about Their Finest Hour (The Second World War).

1. In the first half of Vol. 2, 'Their Finest Hour', Churchill covers the Battle of France. As new Prime Minister he sets up his Coalition Government to fight the 'common cause' and prepare for the War. Germany was already in France and the Western Front was under attack. The Belgian Government was striving to remain neutral and soon all was being lost in the 'deluge of disaster'. The Germans broke the Maginot line and soon the Battle of France was lost. There was the successful deliverance of the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk and the preparations to defend the home front.
   
   The second half deals with the Battle of Britain with Hitler preparing for 'Operation Sea Lion'. In order for the invasion of England to be successful, Germany first had to control the air. London and various areas were shaken but neither the spirit nor the Country destroyed. Italy was on the move, in the Mediterranean, and invading the African coast. The Battle of Britain was won and the RAF had 'Their finest Hour', but the War was far from over. This volume covers the timeline of May 10, 1940 to Jan. 5, 1941.
   
   It should be noted and remembered that England stands in a different position militarily than France. England is a small, ancient, insular island that has withstood many centuries of assaults and attempted invasions. So when Hitler and his forces sought to make the same attempt, not only the RAF and the Royal Navy but history was standing against them. Also it wasn't just England alone that was fighting. It was also their devoted Commonwealth, Dominions and Empirical Attachments that were involved in the war. England was pulling resources from all over their Empire. For instance, Australia and New Zealand were fighting on the African coast and in Greece.
   
   America, under FDR, was moving closer to the war with the Lend-Lease Act and Japan was watching in the wings. Hilter was changing his war direction and moving into the Eastern Front. Stalin was changing his alliance with Hitler and moving closer to Britian and the United States. The impact and weight of the World's destiny was in the balance and starting to slowly shift. Nothing was yet certain and U-Boat packs still prowled the ocean.
   
   This is another of those 'deserves to be read' books. Churchill fills in the volume with his correspondence and hindsight. It is good to read and become acquainted with Churchill's thoughts and this fateful time, in history, so that hopefully there will be no repeating of these terrible events. Well worth adding to the Library.



2. Americans have a warped view of history, and little understanding of the role of aristocracy and class in history--our own or Britain's. Churchill was a card carrying member of the aristocracy; one of the small group of men who ran England up to, and through, World War II. Their Finest Hour is an amazing documentation of the very height, and at the same time, end, of the all powerful aristocracy in England.
   
   Churchill's second volume of his Six Volume history of the Second World War begins with May, 1940, as the German army is rolling through Luxembourg and Belgium (both clinging to their neutrality right up to the minute the German tanks crossed the border), toward a woefully unprepared France (still reliant upon the Maginot Line, which in turn depended on Luxembourg and Belgium neutrality.
   
   Churchill has just assumed the post of Prime Minister, after having spent the prior year (and several before that) as an outsider bemoaning the refusal of Britain (and France) to prepare to meet the rising German threat. Those years of exile are the subject of volume one.
   
   The present volume focuses on the extraordinary difficulties Churchill and others in the British government faced once the war actually began. Once France was forced to surrender, Germany was left in what most of us think of as continental Europe without any enemies. It had allied itself with fascist Italy, made peace with Stalin, conquered Poland and France, neutralized Spain, and occupied Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, and the Netherlands.
   
   In this sense, Britain stood alone. There was a very real risk that Germany could invade and conquer Britain in the Summer and early Fall of 1940. The German bombing of London was increasingly effective, and the British army was in total disarray, having just been forced to abandon France, leaving most of its equipment behind. Just how worried Churchill was comes through clearly and terrifyingly in this volume. Had Germany succeeded, the world might look very different today--the Second World War would have been transformed into a truly intercontinental war, with Asia and Europe allied against North America.
   
   Of course, Britain was not really "Alone." Greece and Turkey were firm allies; Bulgaria and Yugoslavia stood against Hitler and Italy; and Britain controlled most of what we today think of as the third world--from Gibraltar at the southern tip of Europe, to Egypt, to South Africa, India, Malaysia and Burma, and Australia. Only by adopting a firmly eurocentric view of the world (which Churchill clearly had) can he title this volume "Alone."
   
   Churchill and the rest of his government were able to move seamlessly into power, and immediately take control of this world wide empire precisely because of the peculiarly insular class system that ruled Britain. Even as an outsider, Churchill clearly had full access to all of the centers of power. He could not bend and shape them, but he was fully in the loop. Personal relationships and lifelong associations meant that he regularly met with leaders at all levels of the power structure--including most importantly (but by no means exclusively) top politicians and naval personnel. This sort of access by "losing" politicians in the United States today is unimaginable. Can anyone seriously envision Bush allowing the head of the CIA to meet regularly with Howard Dean to review the intelligence about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
   
   The only weakness in this volume is Churchill's over reliance on his own contemporaneous telegrams and memos. he was absolutely prolific, apparently having dictated dozens of multi-page memos daily--yet still finding time to run the government. While fascinating historically, they really are bureaucratic memos. The first volume, by relying more on narration and less on historical documents, allowed Churchill greater reign to his incredible skill with the English language. Here, long sections read like just what they are--official documents written in haste, for the historical record.
   
   That said, his brilliant use of words shines through. The most stirring passage is toward the end--his eulogy in November, 1940, for Neville Chamberlain, who more than anyone was responsible for "appeasing" Hitler. Rather than lapse into "I told you so", he marshals some of the most stirring words ever written to praise Chamberlain; urging history to judge him on the strength of his character rather than the results of his actions, which are subject to the fickleness of history.
   
   In sum, this is a remarkable book, chronicling a remarkable time in history, written by a remarkable man who played a central roll in events. I can think of no other book by anyone at anytime which brings together all three of these elements--and is well written!



3. After reading this book, you truly begin to see how narrow minded the average American perception of World War II really is. Not to discount the magnificant American battles such as the landing at Normandy or the Battle for Midway, but the Battle for Britain was absolutely the finest display of honor and courage throughout the entire war. This tiny island and it's courageous people stood alone and stood tall against not only the behemoth Nazi-German menace, but at the same time fought the Mussolini in northern Africa and awaited the Japanese onslaught in their Australasian colonies. It's an absolutely inspiring work, and it's an absolute sin that American schools don't teach the story of how the British people shined so brightly during their darkest hour.



4. "Their Finest Hour" is in my opinion the apex of Churchill's 6-volume series on World War II. It tells the tale of the perilous Battle of Britain. At this stage in the war, victory was anything but certain for the United Kingdom, which struggled against the Nazi menace alone.

   Like the rest of "The Second World War," the tale is told from the vantage point of Great Britain's indefatigable Prime Minister and War Minister, Winston S. Churchill. Few historical works that I have seen have the authority of being written by a principal player in the narrative.

   Churchill makes liberal use of offical and personal documents from the period, including his ongoing correspondence with President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

   As a piece of literature, the series shines. Forgetting the importance of the series as an historical document, Churchill's mastery of the English language makes for worthwhile reading.

   As someone who writes for a living, I find that the quality of my own writing goes up a notch when I read Churchill.




5. In this second-of-six volume series on Great Britain's role in World War II (WWII) British Prime Minister Winston Churchill details his nation's involvement in the conflict beginning with France's unexpected capitulation in May, 1940, to the defeat of Italian forces at Sidi Barrani in Africa in January, 1941. At a time when Britain stood alone, only an iron will to persevere and the English Channel prevented a Nazi takeover. In Churchill's words, this may very well have been, "Their Finest Hour."

   Churchill narrates an almost daily account of activities worldwide that affected Great Britain and the British Empire. He recounts the Battle of Britain and analyzes the reasons for Germany's defeat. It was here, he made his famous statement regarding the Royal Air Force, "Never has so much, been owed by so many, to so few." He also goes into great detail on his on-going negotiations with Franklin D. Roosevelt for American aid. This early correspondence would develop into the alliance that ultimately proved fatal to the Nazis.

   This first-person account of some of the most momentous events of the 20th century is essential reading for any serious student of the war. Churchill provides numerous insights, that are largely unknown to American readers schooled only in the, "we hit the beach at D-Day and Germany surrendered," mentality. Written in simple, yet elegant prose, Churchill explains exactly what happened and why from the British perspective. , Detailed, readable and authoritative, "Their Finest Hour," has inspired me to read all six volumes of this important work. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking insights into this tragic and exciting period of world history.

No comments about Margaret Thatcher's Revolution: How It Happened And What It Meant.

4 comments about Official Assassin: Winston Churchill's Sas Hit Team.

1. As a former soldier from the British army who had a lot to do with the S A S between 1980 and 1993 , as well as studying military history , I have to say that at least 75% of the information would poserble be correct ,
   A sargent peter mason served with the paras , transfeared to the S A S and belonged to the S I S hunter killer teams that tracked doen the germans who killed S A S and S O E operatives that were captured in operations during the secound world war ,
   He was promoted to officer rank and worked for both M I 5 and our M I 6 conducting Intelligence operations in Europe .
   accourding to my friends still serving in our security Intelligence services the large part of the book, 75% could very well be true ,
   I suspect that if I was to go and ask a certain friend who has access to all ex S A S operatives who have ever served in the S A S over the years , he would be able to give me chapter and verse on this gentleman , I like to keep my friends as friends

   I would say that this book is a good insight to the covert world of special forces activitys , and poserble the closes a none member of the regiment would get to the information ,
   I look forward to reading his next book called official assassin 2 when it's released as well as viewing the film that is ear marked for production .
   Ex Soldier of the British army




2. Having had the opportunity to serve in a number of U.S. Army and Air Force Special Operations Forces(SOF) units during my dual-service career--and therefore having some sensitivity to security concerns in this field--I approach with skepticism anyone making such flashy "I had a license to kill" claims. Beyond the outright wannabes, there is another group that has learned enough of the SOF lingo and lore to give their tales a seeming touch of reality when delivered to those who have never served in the clannish & closed Special Operations community. And as an author myself of three non-fiction SOF books, I find it unsettling when an author claims "writer's license" (Foreword, p. vii) with such apparent ease in writing what he himself admits is a composite picture of his adventures. Who can know what anecdotes actually happened? For all I know Peter Mason is everything he claims and more. But unfortunately what comes across in this book is someone needing to make some money after his military pension was "impounded" as the author reports.



3. While I don't doubt the author's credentials as a special forces operator and small arms expert, it seems to me that he has taken too many fictional liberties in an attempt to make the book more readable. In the book he tells one (not quite believeable) story of how he killed the nazi war criminal Ortgies, while on the tv documentary about his exploits a completely different version is told. This could have been a major exposé in the tradition of "Spycatcher" and "By Way of Deception", but unfortunately the book is written like a cheap spy novel. However, if the author had found a good ghost writer, I'm sure the book would have been an international bestseller like the two above mentioned books.



4. I found this book - a few interesting bits heavily padded with material intended to provide color but which failed to engage my interest - to be the literary equivalent of a hamburger sandwich that is long of bun and short of beef.

1 comments about Churchill and De Gaulle.

1. Excellent description of the complex relationship between these two
   famous WWII leaders. Both faced tremendously difficult odds against
   Germany in June 1940, when the German armies quickly invaded
   Benelux and France, throwing the British divisions back to England.
   At a time where the US was only standing by, and France was overwhelmed by
   a vastly superior ennemy, Churchill had the courage and vision to support De Gaulle's refusal to surrender and subsequent negation of the (collaborationist) Vichy government. The author also provides an excellent
   description of the two men, describing their trials and highly tempestuous relationship, including their enduring -if severely tested- friendship. In the end, it becomes clear that both men indeed truly loved France -and what it stood for, expecting it to fulfill its European role after the war. The book also describes Roosevelt's persistent attempts to undermine De Gaulle while pressuring Churchill to do likewise -- perhaps the origin of the strained rapport betwen France and the US ?

No comments about Sir Winston Churchill: His Life and Times.