'Deeply researched yet highly readable, with fresh and often provocative insights' DAVID REYNOLDS

'A vivid and shrewd reckoning ... setting its assessment in the perspective of today's troubled world' PETER CLARKE

A compelling dual biography of Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle that sheds new light on two of the greatest figures of the twentieth century.

Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle were brought together by war. They embodied the resistance of Britain and France to the existential threat from Nazi Germany, and their ultimate victory over Hitler has ensured that their achievements will never be forgotten. But, as The Last Titans: Churchill and de Gaulle shows, that is only part of a complex story. Both men influenced their countries, and the world around them, long after the war was over.

There was a paradox in the parallel and intertwined lives of these extraordinary men. De Gaulle – tall, awkward, and honest – displayed qualities often associated with the English. Churchill – short, charming, witty, and a bon vivant – resembled the quintessential politician of the French Third Republic. Their working relationship was rarely smooth, but they valued each other’s stature: de Gaulle said Churchill was ‘the great artist of a great history,’ while Churchill recognized de Gaulle as ‘the man of destiny’.

Wolfson Prize-winning historian Richard Vinen explores what made these men exceptional and how deeply they were influenced by their national cultures. Beyond personal intrigue, the book makes a broader point that Britain and France are both haunted by perceptions of past greatness. Vinen traces the paths of two leaders who once governed superpowers but lived to see their nations weakened by two world wars and the loss of empires.

Written with extraordinary narrative energy, The Last Titans: Churchill and de Gaulle offers a fresh look into the lives of de Gaulle and Churchill. By bringing their stories together, each man is seen anew, and we gain new insights into their achievements and their legacies today.

Pages: 400, Year of Publication: 1202, Dimensions: 16.2x16.2cm