Great Speeches by Winston Churchill

WHENEVER I feel I need a boost in confidence or feel slightly down due to some unexpected hitches along the journey of life, one of my remedies is to reach out for that book on Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches.

I have lost count of the times when I read the speeches again and feel that andrenaline rush through my body and mind. Minutes later, I will feel the optimism and confidence cruising through my veins again.

This is the effect that the words of Churchil have on me. Just imagine the effect it had on the English people during those difficult and troubled years of World War II when German planes flew night after night and blasted parts of England into oblivion.

But it was always Winston Churchill who urged most passionately to his people to hold on, hang on and fight on. If there was ever a time and a man who had a destiny to fulfil, it would have been Churchill.

He himself felt he was born for one reason, and that was to lend a hand to his country and her people when the need was most dire.

Hitler was pounding on an almost hapless England and there was no more place to run. Then a familiar voice came booming over the BBC, urging the English people never to give up, never to give in and to fight on the beaches, the fields, the streets, and NEVER SURRENDER.

The English people took his exhortations to heart and before long, and after the Battle of Britain, Churchill was compelled to say: "Never in the field of human conflict, has so much been owed by so many to so few."

Churchill was referring to the British pilots who won a hard fought air battle with the Nazi planes which came to destroy England. In the final outcome, the German air force was given such a fearsome beating that the Nazi generals called off their air attacks against England.

England had had experienced many difficult moments in her illustrious history but the Second World War would surely rank among the top five and almost brough the nation to her knees.

However, God had provided a "lion" to strengthen the resolve of the frightened English people when the hour seemed most dark, and he was none other than Winston Churchill from the House of Malborough.

Churchill's words have echoed through the pages of the English history and continue to do so. We who live so far away from the white cliffs of Dover have often heard Churchill's fighting speeches through books, CDs, and magazines.

After more than half a century, the speeches of Churchill continue to inspire, persuade and convince many of us that in our lives, there are times when the going becomes utterly difficult but like everything worth fighting for, they are worth every minute of our life and our limited energy.

In the dark hours of the Second World War, Churchill stood alone and unafraid, facing a formidable enemy and so solution in sight. Despite those overwhelming odds, Winston Churchill, a child of the 19th century, carried out stoically against great odds, never giving up, never giving in and always pushing forward.

In the end, his patience and persistence became the crucial keys to a new future for England the the English.

Churchill's speeches are as relevant today as they were during the last great war. Today, as the world teeters on the brink of an economic precipice, we are reminded by a man who has departed in 1965 to carry on, push on and NEVER TO GIVE UP.

For that, we must all be reminded again and again and be grateful.

The Last Lion by William Manchester

Winston Spencer Churchill has always been one of my favourite authors since the day I accidentally bumped into his book "My Early Years" at Bleham Palace, England.
It was one of those fortuitous meetings that bridged the gap of yesteryear and the immediate in congenial surroundings.
I was a decade or two young then, and everything seemed so fresh and inviting. Churchill afterall was one of the greatest 20th century Prime Ministers of Britain. So it was indeed an honour to be introduced to him via the literary route.
I had a couple of weeks to spare. It was the springtime of my professional career. Back at the Royal Commonwealth Society room where I resided for a while, I took some time off to read and expand my horizons on things English.
Winston Churchill's My Early Years somehow blended perfectly with my sojourn in the "old country".
Naturally, I fell in love with England, Britain or UK, as some might call it. The Last Lion dropped onto my lap many years later. The author, albeit an unknow writer to me, had penned a thick volume on Churchill from the years1932-1940.
Since I am a biased reader who unashamedly admires the late Churchill, I am quick off the block to conclude that it is a fantastic read.
Even if you are not very keen on British history or on the lives of historical figures like Churchill, you will be compelled to digest the book with interest because of the way Manchester has spun the tale.
The Last Lion takes you down the path that few men have ever seen or heard or experienced. Churchill is one of the rare ones who was born to "save" Britain when the chips were down.
Those who have lived through those tumultuous years when German planes came in waves to bomb England to the Stone Age will no doubt recount how Winston Churchill "galvanised the English language and took it to war".
Many proud citizens of England will recall how Churchill through his radio speeches summoned the courage of all English people and took them never to surrender.
His famous words: "We will fight on the beaches, we will fight on the hills, we will fight in the streets, we shall never surrender" roused the entire nation to give its best and beat back a ferocious German attack and finally convinced Adolf Hitler that he could not conquer England.
William Manchester takes the reader through the halls of the home and schools where Churchill stayed and lived and gave a vivid account of what went into the making of a man who was destined to lead England out of the ashes of near defeat and into the smoke laden battle fields of victory.
With his bulldog tenacity, Churchill marched into the front lines of South Africa, India and other forgotten trenches and emerged more determined than ever that his was a life dedicated and devoted to the study of war and see the solutions amid a maze of confusion and deception that usually followed immediately after the first shots of war were fired.
This book gives an excellent account of Churchill during the years leading to the Second World War. It tells of the politics of war and administration. It focuses on his personal struggles and joys of family life.
It casts a long shadow of a man who saw the world teetering on the precipice of a gigantic conflagration and warned repeatedly that the Nazis were on the warpath long before anyone was totally convinced by their sinister intentions.
The Last Lion is a book to be digested at leisure. Put yourself in Churchill's shoes. Follow in his footsteps and see the avenues down which Churchill strode.
Listen to the voice of William Manchester as he narrates the events of the pre-war years and how Winston Churchill prepared himself and England for the long, hard years ahead.
You won't regret reading The Last Lion because today our war too stands gingerly on that precipice that reflects the jagged edges that separate global peace and worldwide conflict.
What would leaders like Churchill do? Look back on history and learn.

The Collection by Peter Ackroyd

I stumbled on to this book by accidental at a Borders sale.

Ackroyd's literary expressions are refreshingly precise and concise. There's no unconscious display of verbosity or even a hint of superiority that is generally common among some of the lesser known authors.

It has been a long time since I have come across a writer of Ackroyd's calibre. The last time I found someone whom I thought had an unusual way with words was Thomas Babington Macauley.

Macauley lived in 19th century England. Sometimes as one journeys nonchalantly across the dominion of words, one meets a stranger who offers more than a friendly nod or a warm shake of hands.

Peter Ackroyd is a wonderful writers. He can spin a tale, tell a story or reviews a biography with the touch of a learned ancient one.

I would have been pleased if we could meet over coffee and discuss books and life in general without any forethought of carrying the friendship beyond the dining table.

England has produced many fine writers through the ages. Ackroyd just happens to belong to our century - the 21st.

May he continue to illuminate this realm of words that serve as a beacon for us searching for that wonderful turn of phrase and a clutch of artistic expressions that will sustain our literary interest in our hours of solitude.

Surfing the Himalayas by Frederick Lenz

There are some books about spirituality that are meant for relaxation and not deep reflection.

This is one of them. I found and bought this book at a low-profiled book store in the city. Normally, I would read the synosis on the cover jacket and try to imagine what the rest of the book is all about.

One of the considerations that led me to purchase this book was its low price. I thought it was worth a couple hours of my time.

This book can be said to be a modern version and a watered down remake of Lobsang Rampa's books that began with The Third Eye.

It is interesting but somehow I got the feeling that you can interpret it whichever way you want but the bottomline is: don't be obsessed by it.

As with most of books of this genre, there's an unlying message. But don't fret if you can't figure it out. It is an interesting journey into what-ifs and if-it's-ever-possibles.

I confess I had a good time digesting the book and Mr Lenz gets a pat on the back from me. There are some inherent truths in his discourse about his imaginary journey in the Himalayas.

If you must, the whole plot sounds a bit Hollywood-ish but it's all in good fun. Frederick Lenz became what I perceive and believe to be a mini-celebrity among those who clamour for New Age religion.

But this book is not so much about religion as it is about self-discovery if you don't look too deeply or take life too seriously. That's one of the reasons why I found the book so refreshingly light.

Somehow I wish there were more books like this one. Books that skims the surface of that deep pool called spirituality are mostly dry-as-dust tomes. Who has the time to digest such books.

The first five paragraphs are enough to turn on the television. A writer can only succeed if he or she captures and hold the attention of his audience for an indefinite period of time.

Surfing the Himalayas is a bit of an adventure, a touch of inner self-exploration and a glance at the lighter side of life.

Frankly, life is meant to be enjoyed - fully. And if you must get serious about anything, it's all about gladdening the heart and soothing the soul. I hope that is not too cryptic for you guys.

If you want to read a book on religion mixed with a light dose of spirituality, this could very well be the title for you.

Even if you don't gain an ounce of spirituality in between the pages, you will have the honour of partaking in some of the antics that the writer indulged in throughout the chapters.

There's a thinly veiled sense of humour somewhere in the pages. That's the idea. Have fun, gain some knowledge but mainly watch time stand still as your mind skips the corners and bounce over the hurdles of life's imaginary obstacles.

Never Give In! The Best of Winston Churchill's Speeches

For several decades now, I have been a "Churchillian". In other words, I am an admirer of Britain's greatest Prime Minister in the 20th Century.

In fact, England has never had a Prime Minister as popular or as dynamic as this man from the 19th Century. Winston Churchill was born into an illustrious lineage. His dad was Randolph Churchill, who himself was a man of means and some political clout.

Churchill was a product of some of England's most prestigious institutions of learning. At an early age, he joined the Royal Scots Fusilliers. In his military career, Churchill gained battle experience in Sudan, South Africa and India.

Then he later went on to become a war correspondent and gained fame from his writings to some of the notable English dailies.
What propelled Churchill to the stratosphere of national prominence was his speeches in his career as an aspiring politician and later as the Prime Minister of Britain during the Second World War.

Churchill's war speeches became the stuff of history. One of the most famous quotes about Churchill was "he mobilised the English language and took it to war." The man who said it was right indeed.

Today, there are numerous books on Churchill's speeches. The Best of Winston Churchill's Speeches is a compilation of some of his most memorable words ever spoken.

I have long admired Winston Churchill's affinity with words English. He could fire the imagination of his audience in an instant and aroused their passions with a few choice words.

For example, "I have nothing to offer, except blood, toil, sweat and tears." And "we shall fight in the hills, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the streets, we shall never surrender!"

Even today about half a century after his death, Churchill's stirring words echoed across his motherland and sometimes across the globe. What made a man like Churchill so special?

Perhaps it could be his romantic attachment to battles, the smell of gunpowder, the wave of human emotions attached to inexorable human will to survive, the passion to excel and exceed beyond all expectations that brought out all those words from his awesome library of English words to the fore.

Whatever it was that excited Churchill, it cannot be denied that his speeches will long be remembered for their power to galvanise a nation to take up arms and fight victoriously against overwhelming odds.

It was Churchill who steered a frightened nations to the shores of victory in Normandy in the final months of the war. It was this "English bulldog" who bit off more than he chew and then startled his adversaries by biting off some more.

Churchill's speeches have to be read, ponder over and than digested for their full effect. Long after all of us have spent our limited time on earth, the shadow of Winston Churchill will continue to loom over England in the form of the printed word.

People not only in England but elsewhere are constantly in need of motivation, inspiration and celebration. In Churchill's speeches, they find all they need and more.

Get to meet the Mind Map Maestro Tony Buzan

Some of you may already know or have heard of Tony Buzan. If you are into mind mapping, you will invariably bump into this guy.

Buzan has written a series of books on how best to make use of your brain and mind. Both of them meaning much the same thing but their definitions may differ, depending on who you are speaking to.

Mind mapping is an art that can be cultivated to work to your advantage. The gist of it simply translates to compartmentalising all bits of information into neat little packages that your mind will store and be recalled in an instance.

It helps if you are studying for a post-graduate degree or if you are a professional who needs to be very versatile mentally.

Few people really know how to make use of their brain. We all have it but for some of us, it is still in pristine condition.

I used to have a standing joke with my close friends and colleagues. Sometimes when I am in the mood, I will tell them that I wish to sell my brain when I die because it is in pristine condition on account of the fact that it is hardly used.

Thank God for someone like Tony Buzan who came along to help those of us who want to use our brains to our maximum advantage but don't know how to.

Many years ago, there was another chap by the name of Edward De Bono. He too had published a series of works on the human mind and the ways and paths through which we can tread, so that the best can be squeezed out of the grey matter.

But some people may find De Bono a bit too high falutin for them. In other words, he may be found to be talking "above their heads". It is no fault of De Bono because he's like that.

Buzan on the other hand has simplified the entire process and has successfully made his books reader-friendly.

I strongly urge all those who want to get the best out of their brains to digest Buzan's books, one by one and internalise all his lessons.

Apart from using common sense, Buzan's tips on mind mapping is the next best thing. My late mum didn't have a high school education, let alone, a university degree but she had more common sense than a lot of heads of state.

Her common sense came from hard knocks from the university of life. There were many things she unconsciously taught me when I was growing up. One of them was not to ignore people like Tony Buzan when he comes along.

We are all not too old to learn. Learning new things is a wonderful pastime. They say you can't teach an old dog tricks. I beg to differ. You can, and you should. Otherwise, all the old dogs would be good for nothing except wait to be put to sleep.

Make up your mind to make use of your mind. It is easy. I have tried it and it is like a walk in the park.

How about that 2000-year-old book?

Once I happened to mention to a friend regarding a book that seemed to be popular among some readers: "That's an old book."
"So is the Bible," came back the quick reply. My friend continued: "I believe it is still widely read." On hearing that, I learnt my lesson.

And what a valuable lesson it was too. If only more people read the Bible, not out of religious obligations but because it has some of the most fascinating stories told to men, it will achieve instant worldwide record sales.

As we all know, the Bible has been around for two millennia. It has been translated into scores of languages. It continues to find its way into countries and regions where it is banned for reasons unknown.

Amid some controversies that sometimes dogged its continued publication, the Bible has continued to gain readers from all ages.

Is it the most important book ever published? Frankly, I can't say for sure. What I do know is that you won't lose a cent if you browse through several chapters without any preconceived notions.

I have a Muslim friend who told me that he has read the Bible four times! Now, that's dedication for you. I dare not challenged him on his knowledge of scriptures after hearing his declaration.
I was quite sure he will win.

There is the Genesis and then there is the Book of Revelations. Such captivating tales of ages gone by. People who have walked the holy land, and from the sea of Galilee to the mountain of Sinai, blood had been shed, souls had been saved.
The Bible has recorded all these momentous events and then some. Kings had risen and many more had fallen.
Trouble over the holy land continued from before the birth of Jesus to today when man has landed a spacecraft on Mars. These are the times when perhaps we need to reconsider our priorities.

Without sounding too much like a religious fanatic, we should now and then flip through the pages of the Bible and know that God lives through the word and is the Word. So it was in the beginning, so it shall in the end of time.

So if you are wont to look for a bestseller, to quench that thirst in your soul and assuage the hunger in your mind and heart, dip into the waters of Biblical times and swim to the shores of Enlightenment.

Fore there you shall find comfort and solace, as have millions of others who have lived before you in times forgotten, and will continue to be read by others who will come thousands of years after you have graced this lovely planet.

Have a conversation with God

Conversations With God, Book One is one of those books that I enjoyed reading very much.

I haven't had so much joy out of a book for decades, until I came across this particular title.

The writer Neale Donald Walsch wrote this runaway bestseller in 1995. It stayed on the New York Times' Bestsellers List for 137 weeks. That's almost three years.

Since then, Walsch has published eight other books. The first one was easily the most satisfying for me. I found a lot of answers that I have been looking for in Book One.

The language is simple, the wisdom profound and the messages stirring. I guess in a way, God must have felt he came down to our level and tell us as it is. If you are one of those who like to skirt along the Milky Way searching for answers to life's most peculiar moments, this could be it.

Neal Donald Walsch has visited Malaysia back a couple of years. He's actually an ordinary person with extraordinary books to his name.

Sometimes when you grope for answers in the backalleys of a mundane existence, you will be surprised what you may find.

Conversations with God continues to impress those who are searching for solutions and pieces of jigsaw to the grand puzzle of their own lives.

When you read this book, expect nothing, hold no prejudices and open your mind to all possibilities. Perhaps then, the light will shine for you, too.

Good luck.

Read Guideposts

I have had the immense pleasure of reading copies of Guideposts in certain crucial years of my life.

Guideposts is one of those Christian magazines that uplifts the spirits and bring cheer to lonely moments.

We all know about kind deeds and generous hearts but we soon forget all these in the rat race that more or less describes our daily lives.

Since we are mortals and frailty is part of the human package, we need to be reminded that there are many, many good people in this world.

And these people of performing fantastically good deeds quietly, in their own way, in their own time.

That we should follow their examples goes without saying but first, we need to have our hearts and souls re-energised so that we can live a full life.

Without the vitality that is part of kindness and love, our souls will wither and our hearts will harden. We need mercy, compassion and kindness in our lives just like plants need water and good nutrients in the ground to grow and thrive.

Feel free to read all that inspires you, and you can begin with Guideposts.