Book Review Churchill - A Graphic Biography

Churchill.
A Graphic Biography.
Delmas, Regnault, Cammardella, Kersaudy




Pages: 120
ISBN: 9781784385125
Published: 10th February 2020
Churchill


As soon as I see one of these historical comics, I immediately think 'French', and this is indeed from a 2018 original, published in English this year. Read enough of them over the years to gain the impression they're much more of a thing in France. No idea why they seem to have a whole layer of 'light' history that we haven't really. Occasional translations usually spotted in Museum gift shops.
Maybe the splendid legacy of Asterix is something to do with it, but there's not many UK equivalents I can think of, from magazines to stuff like this.

My 10-13-ish self would've loved it, though after 40 years of buying comics I know it's not exactly going to challenge the greats, but it's not trying to be Sienkiewicz or Miller; it's a competent, accessible, if a tad stilted, dramatised biography of WSC, mostly looking at World War Two.
There's a slight hagiographic ring, but comics maybe require a hero, and it's kind of charming that some Frenchmen created a tribute to one of our best.
There's also ten pages of text & photographs at the beginning that form a slightly more traditional article about the man.
Getting Andrew Roberts in to write the Foreward quite a coup too.

Credit is definitely due to the print quality. Sometimes these niche comics have fallen apart before you're half way through, but the colours are good, no blurred lettering & that nice smell of decent Ink & paper.

I imagine it wouldn't do a great deal for many here, but if you're a Churchill completist, or know a history-intrigued kid that you need to buy a civilised pressie for, then why not.

Maybe hand out copies to crowds in Parliament Square to improve people's historical understanding.
They can at least look at the pictures...

Cheers to P&S/Greenhill for the review copy.
~A