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1、AHISTORYOFTHEENGLISH-SPEAKINGPEOPLES[1952-1957](CohenA260)(WoodsA138)Churchill'slastgreatworkwaspublishednearlytwentyyearsafteritsfirstdraftwaspennedinthelate1930s,justafterChurchillhadwrappedupMarlborough.Thisenabledhimtoutilizetheliteraryteamhe’dassembledforthebiography,towhichheaddeddozens
2、ofoutlineshehadsolicitedfromscholars.InhisPrefaceheremarksthatthebook"slumberedpeacefully"until1956,"whenthingshavequieteneddown."Theyhadcertainlyquietedforhim;forthefirsttimesince1922-23,whenhewasbrieflyoutofParliament,hisvoicenolongercountedatthesummitofaffairs.Readingreportsofthelastdecade
3、ofhislife,oneisstruckbythecentralinteresthisHistoryrepresentedinhisfinalyears,howrapidlyhesankintodeclineanddepressionafterthefinalvolumewaspublished.HisprewarcontractwithCassellcalledforhimtobepaid£20,000;theworkeventuallyearnedmillions,wasrepeatedlyreprinted,andremainsinprinttoday.Initsfina
4、lformtheoriginalsinglevolumeevolvedtofour,eachofwhichwaspublishedsimultaneouslyinBritain,theUSAandCanada—afirstforChurchill'sworks.Eachvolumeisdividedintothree"books."VolumeI,TheBirthofBritain,takesusfromtheprimitivetribeswhoformedthe"IslandRace"tothedevelopmentofthenationthroughtheFeudalAge,
5、endingwiththereignofRichardIII.VolumeII,TheNewWorld,spanstheperiodfromtheconsolidationoftheTudordynastyin1485tothe"greatandglorious"Revolutionof1688,theemergenceofEnglandasagreatpower,andtheestablishmentinNorthAmericaof"livelyandassertivecommunities"ofEnglish-speakingpeoples.VolumeIII,TheAgeo
6、fRevolution,wasperhapsChurchill'sfavourite,coveringasitdoesthe1668-1815period:fromWilliamIIIthroughtheageofMarlboroughandQueenAnneandtheAmericanwarofIndependence,toTrafalgar,WaterlooandthedefeatofNapoleon.Ourauthorremindsusthatthiscriticalperiodproducedthreerevolutionswhich"profoundlyinfluenc
7、edmankind.Theyoccurredwithinthespaceofahundredyears,andallofthemledtowarbetweentheEnglishandtheFrench."VolumeIV,TheGreatDemocracies,ismoredetailed,coveringonlyeighty-fiveyearsof19thcenturyhistory:recoveryaftertheTreatyofVienna,themid-centuryr
