No defense minister in modern times has faced the challenges that Winston Churchill did during World War II. Fortunately, he had a unique and intimate inside knowledge of all three services, which allowed him to assess their real needs—a crucial task when money, material resources, and manpower were reaching their limits. Beginning with Churchill's 1896 induction into the army, Brian Lavery offers a portrait of the future statesman through his participation in the Boer War, his contentious stint as First Lord of the Admiralty during the Great War, and his steady leadership as Britain stood firm against German aggression.