... a thoughtful study of a father-son relationship during the storms that rocked the 20th century ... Josh Ireland here confronts his bittersweet Life with Father, adding fresh insights and thoughtful appraisals to our understanding of the great man and his offspring ... Ireland avoids...pat summations. With no apparent axe to grind, he limns the 45-year Winston–Randolph relationship, good, bad, and ugly. There are a few errors and skewed judgments that put an uneven gloss on events ... The prologue is brief, eloquent, and a good omen, but after the first two chapters of potted background I was ready to toss this book, with its superficial accounts ... What follows is increasingly good ... This is the best account one may read of Randolph’s rollicking political apogee.
On casual inspection Randolph was a failure, his career in journalism, politics and the army blighted by marital discord and drunken oafishness. Josh Ireland’s Churchill & Son chronicles these faults vividly, but suggests that there was more to Randolph than the two bottles of whisky and 100 cigarettes he was consuming daily before his terminal decline ... No matter how low Randolph’s reputation plummeted, Winston’s love remained undimmed and this fine book may now allow the rest of us to appreciate the younger Churchill’s merits.
... a reader would have to be ice-cold of heart not to pause to take a sorrowful breath ... Mr. Ireland may be too generous here. For all its scrupulous portraiture, a mere biography could not, alas, repair so much damage or redeem so wrecked a life.
Ireland depicts their story in an eloquent, lively manner overall, with sympathy for both of them ... A comprehensive account for those who like biographies about important historical figures.
... throughout the book, Ireland too often slips into amateur psychology ... a well-written, extensively researched book that explores the interesting but troubled relationship between a world-famous father and his son. But its attempt to shift blame for Randolph’s behavior to his father is flawed. Randolph Churchill made his own choices throughout his adult life—mostly bad ones. And just as a son cannot be blamed for the sins of his father, Winston Churchill should not be blamed for the sins of his son.
Ireland delves into the psychology of Randolph’s complex personality and his volatile relations with both his adoring father and his chilly mother. No hagiographic treatment, this joint biography offers a decidedly unpleasant version of each subject. Students of father-son relationships will find this treatise compelling and full of eyebrow-raising anecdotes.
Journalist Ireland...delivers an immersive account of British prime minister Winston Churchill’s tempestuous relationship with his only son, Randolph ... Consistently entertaining and insightful, this deep dive will reward even the most knowledgeable Churchill buff.
In this detailed, engaging narrative, Ireland demonstrates that there is more to be learned about one of the most written-about political figures in history ... Ireland draws unforgettable sketches of life in the Churchill circle ... Throughout, Ireland is generous with the bijou details ... Tragedy as well as triumph in this meticulous, fascinating tale of three generations of Churchills.
