The Great Marlborough and His Duchess

Virginia Cowles biography of John Churchill and Sarah Jennings Churchill is a splendidly told story. Neither too long on boring detail nor too short on juicy controversy, the book ably explains the Duke's great battles while simultaneously shedding light on the beautiful, driven, vivacious Sarah. Witness 90 years and five reigns as England emerges from Cromwell's puritanical Commonwealth to become a modern world power, with Marlborough's help. If you don't have time for Winston Churchill's double volume biography and you are interested in both John and Sarah's fascinating lives, then this work will serve you well.