Winston Churchill - A Life in the News is also the story of a rapidly evolving media and news culture in the first half of the twentieth century, and of what the contemporary reporting of Churchill's life (including by himself) can tell us about the development of this culture, over a period spanning from the Victorian era through to the space age.
Cosmopolis
Winston Churchill: A Life in the News sheds a fresh light on one of the best-studied statesmen, exploring the "symbiotic relationship" between Churchill's political life, journalistic career, and media persona.
Stefan Goebel, Journal of British Studies
[An] original study ... Toye is surely correct in seeing the journalism as central to the career of a man whose life was dominated by the news he did much to create.
A.W. Purdue, Times Higher Education
[Toyes] research underpins a clear-eyed, not uncritical but almost always fairminded account of a man whose heroic stature he recognizes but whose prejudices and blunders he also wants on the record. [His] energetic and dedicated scrutiny of Churchills actions, language and image is important and useful work, of interest far beyond academia. There is much good and even original stuff in [this book].
Anne Chisholm, Times Literary Supplement
A timely and engaging volume ... With Winston Churchill: A Life in the News, Toye has made another significant contribution to Churchill studies.
W. Mark Hamilton, Finest Hour, the journal of the International Churchill Society
This meticulously researched and engaging book shows how the consummate statesman created his public image and why his fame and accomplishments have endured.
Dean Jobb, Washington Independent Review of Books
In Churchill: A Life in the News we encounter both the bombastic and the deeply insecure sides to Churchill's complex personality. The book stands not only as a testament to the effects of the media on personal leadership styles, but it forces us to reflect on how the changing media environment affects the way we are governed. It is a timely reminder of the excesses and limitations of the press in the modern political age.
Professor Jo Fox, Institute of Historical Research
Richard Toye once again brilliantly illuminates a critical side of Winston Churchill's complex life. This original, important, and highly-readable book is teeming with shrewd judgements and fresh insights. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Churchill's political career or modern news culture.
Christopher M. Bell, author of Churchill and the Dardanelles and Churchill and Sea Power
Fascinating ... The attention to detail in this book is admirable.
Chris Green, Suffolk and Norfolk Life