Richard Vinen, "The Last Titans: How Churchill and De Gaulle Saved Their Nations and Transformed the World" (Simon & Schuster, 2026)

Mar 4, 2026

Richard Vinen, Professor of history at King's College London and author of The Last Titans, offers a concise dual portrait of Churchill and de Gaulle. He contrasts their backgrounds, wartime paths, personalities, and fraught wartime partnership. Brief scenes cover political rises, crises like Dakar and Paris, postwar exits, de Gaulle’s 1958 return, and their complex mutual respect.

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INSIGHT

Churchill Studied Roosevelt To Win Support

Churchill cultivated an intense personal relationship with Roosevelt, studying his whims to secure US support.
Roosevelt reciprocated less emotionally and treated Churchill as a necessary partner among many priorities.

INSIGHT

Why De Gaulle And The US Stayed Estranged

De Gaulle had poor relations with US leadership because he lacked personal ties to America and clashed over US dealings with Vichy and support for rival Giraud.
Yet US public opinion sometimes admired de Gaulle independently of Roosevelt.

INSIGHT

Paris Liberation Was Political Theater

Liberation of Paris became a political clash because de Gaulle prioritized symbolic French sovereignty while US/UK saw military necessity and preferred moving east.
De Gaulle staged a symbolic French-led liberation to claim political legitimacy.

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A compelling dual biography of Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle that shines new light on two of the greatest figures of the 20th century.
Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle were thrown together by war. They incarnated the resistance of Britain and France to the existential threat from Nazi Germany, and their ultimate victory over Hitler has ensured their achievements will never be forgotten. But, as The Last Titans: How Churchill and De Gaulle Saved Their Nations and Transformed the World (Simon & Schuster, 2026) shows, that is only a part of a complex story. Both men influenced their countries, and the world around them, long after the war was won.
There was a paradox in the parallel and intertwined lives of these extraordinary men. De Gaulle—tall, gauche, and incorruptible—exhibited qualities often associated with the English. Churchill—short, charming, witty, and a bon vivant—resembled the quintessential politician of the French Third Republic. Their working relationship was rarely smooth, but they appreciated each other’s stature: de Gaulle said Churchill was “the great artist of a great history,” while Churchill recognized de Gaulle as “l'homme du destin.”
Richard Vinen explores what made these men exceptional and how profoundly they were influenced by their national cultures. Beyond personal intrigue, Vinen makes a wider point that Britain and France are both haunted by perceptions of past greatness. He retraces the paths of two leaders who once helmed superpowers but lived to see their nations weakened by two world wars and the loss of empires.
Written with extraordinary narrative verve, The Last Titans offers a fresh exploration into the lives of de Gaulle and Churchill. By bringing their two stories into one, each man is seen anew and we gain fresh insights into their achievements and their legacy today.

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