The lion caged …

An outstanding American historian takes a highly unusual look at the century’s greatest Englishman. Winston Churchill in the 1930s: out of power, out of favor, generally considered a bloodthirsty anachronism, an embarrassingly bellicose creature to a government set on keeping peace by placating Hitler. He lived in a sort of political exile at his beloved estate, Chartwell, which he maintained solely on the earnings of his books and articles. In a tour de force of historical reconstruction, William Manchester follows Churchill through a single, typically frenetic day—and in so doing illuminates not only the well-springs of his character but also the mulish, confident strength in adversity that in time would save us all.

The history crisis …

“The remarkable story of the American past is not being handed down in any satisfactory way to our descendants,” says the historian Bernard Weisberger, who has spent a lifetime in the field. Why isn’t it? Weisberger’s efforts to find the answer took him on a journey to campuses around the country and into his own past. The strong, controversial essay that grew from his researches places the blame —and suggests what we can do before it’s too late.

Fences …

They mark the boundaries not only of our lands, but of our eras. In a handsome portfolio, a photographer/historian reveals what these ubiquitous architectural features can tell us about the people who built them.

Plus …

A trip to the Cotton Club with the King of Siam’s retinue … a fond but tough-minded tribute to Bellevue Hospital on its 250th birthday … the greatest moments in a “girl’s” life, as defined by turn-of-the-century postcards … the battle over the Lincoln Memorial … a contemporary painter’s tribute to the state of Virginia … and, although the above would seem enough for two magazines, more.