Winston Churchill was one of the most extraordinary figures of the twentieth century. Able to see clearly when so many were blind to the threat posed by Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, Churchill was strong in a time of crisis and inspired nations to greatness. His colorful and stimulating prose, his perseverance in facing adversity, his prodigious contributions to literature, his devotion to the ideal of liberty, and his courageous leadership are there for all to see and follow.

Best Little Stories from the Life and Times of Winston Churchill is a collection of stories from the great man's life. Prepared in conjunction with the authors' lectures on Churchill sponsored by Oxford University and the University of Virginia in the summer of 2007, it includes:

• The many times as a boy, youth, and young man he almost died due to illness, accident, or repeated brushes with death on the battlefield
• His prediction during his teen years that one day he would be the defender of London-and England itself-in a horrible war
• Draining a pond to recover a watch-a present from his father, Lord Randolph Churchill-he had dropped into the water
• His capture and incredible escape from the Boers in the Boer War after hiding in a coal mine among a colony of white rats
• His maiden speech in parliament in 1901 at age 26, which was closely covered by England's major newspapers
• Learning how to overcome his lisp from an Irish-born American politician who taught him "how to hold thousands in thrall" as a speaker
• His secret and fortunately mild heart attack suffered shortly after Pearl Harbor while visiting the White House for Christmas in 1941
• His remarkable ascent up the political ladder as a young blue-blood in contrast with his parliamentary partnership with David Lloyd George in creating Britain's early welfare legislation