Starved For Book Three

About 13 years ago, I wrote a letter to William Manchester. I informed him that I was suffering a severe case of "Last Lion" withdrawal and wanted to know when I could expect the final volume of his Wintons Churchill biography.

He actually wrote me back. I still have the letter. He told me that he was having health problems and that it would be a few years before he could finish the book.

William Manchester died earlier this week without ever finishing "The Last Lion."

However painful is that loss, there was also some gain. After initially announcing that he would not finish the series, Manchester did resume work, and recently consented to having another author finsh the final book. The publisher expects to have the book on the shelves by 2007. I can hardly wait.