Martin Gilbert was hired to work on Randolph's multi volume life of Sir. Winston, Randolph's father. Two Volumes into the work, Randolph died. This is partly the story of how Martin Gilbert became the continuator of what became the most complete biography written in English so far. It's also a manual about how to create a biography of a public figure. it's a companion to the big book, taking the place of the author's preface for all nine volumes. (And the edited set of accompanying letters and documents.) ( )

Martin Gilbert's life of Winston Churchill runs to eight main volumes with more than 15 supplementary volumes. He began working on the biography 25 years ago, when he was summoned by Randolph Churchill to his home in East Bergholt. He expected this to be a day's visit, but he was taken on as Randolph's assistant, and after his death appointed as his successor. In search of the "true" Churchill, Martin Gilbert has travelled all over the world in Churchill's footsteps: the Western Front, Gallipoli, Palestine, India and the sites of the World War II Allied summits. In the course of writing the book, he met all the surviving political leaders of Churchill's era and has many stories to tell about them. This personal account of Martin Gilbert's quest to capture the most famous Prime Minister of Great Britain is also in part a history of our times. The author combines these two in a narrative balanced in argument and anecdote.