The Churchill Literary Society

Churchill and Clemmie at Hendon Air Pageant, 1914. Winston Churchill had been interested in airplanes since the very beginning of their origins. Even in the infancy of a eronautics , Churchill realized how instrumental airplanes could be in warfare. His first proposal on this subject was in February, 1909 – only six years after the Wright brother's first brief but successful flight in Kitty Hawk, and three months after the first "sustained fight" in the UK. "The problem of the use of airplanes was a most important one," he propounded, "and we should place ourselves in communication with Mr. Wright himself, and avail ourselves of his knowledge." The same year, the United States bought the first airplane for its army. Churchill quickly promoted a British air force as well. In 1911 Churchill used his new position as First Lord of the Admiralty to promote what is now known as the Royal Naval Air Service, or RNAS. In a speech on air power in 1913 that he ga

When he was around forty years old, Winston Churchill discovered a hobby that he would enjoy for the rest of his life: painting. Churchill had always had a knack for art (he drew detailed pen drawings of scenes from his time in Cuba), and around the beginning of the First World War, he enjoyed relaxing outside while he painting - especially in France. Churchill completed over five hundred paintings in his life, and w hile he was never considered a master, nearly all critics of his work admitted that he had a talent for art.  Churchill wrote Painting as a Pastime in 1921. It was published as a two-part work that appeared in issues of the Strand magazine. It explains why painting is such a wonderful hobby and is meant to inspire others to start painting themselves. Who knows? Maybe you will enjoy taking a "joyride through the paintbox" just as Churchill did.  You can buy Painting as a Pastime on amazon  here . Note: this version does not contain any copies of Chur

{This article is the first in a series of articles on Winston Churchill's hobbies} Churchill, his wife Clemmie, and his Grandson  Winston S. Churchill Watching a horse race. Most people remember Winston Churchill as the old man who gave stirring  speeches in parliament, wrote many lengthy books, and advised a number of monarchs, presidents, and tsars. But as much as Churchill was dedicated to his work, he still had a number of interesting hobbies. One of these was riding horses. While working as a cavalry soldier in his early carrier, Winston Churchill learned to ride. Before long, this once-necessary skill developed into an enjoyable pastime. Mr. Brough Scott noted in the Express that " h e was in the saddle in England, Ireland, France, Spain, Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic), India, North-west Frontier (now Pakistan), Canada, USA, Sudan and South Africa." Churchill was a superb polo player in his younger days, and later in his life he owned no less