The Churchill Literary Society

Winston Churchill c. 1950       Many historians have named Sir Winston Churchill the 20th century's best orator — some even go as far as stating that he was arguably the best British orator ever. Either conclusion can't be all that far from the truth. Churchill's speeches  –  especially his wartime speeches  –  are brilliant. From fighting on the beaches and the landing grounds to offering nothing but blood, toil, tears and sweat, Churchill was a master at summing up certain thoughts and feelings in his speeches. "He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle," said President Kennedy of Churchill. The sheer amount of speeches that Churchill produced is also incredible. Churchillian Richard Langworth notes, "To be precise you’d have to count (I won’t!) the speeches listed in the Winston S. Churchill: His Complete Speeches 1897-1963 . Rough estimate: there are forty speeches per page of contents, about eight contents pages per volume, and eig...

Churchill standing above the crowd at the Ministry  of Health balcony giving the famous victory sign. On May 8th of this year the world celebrated the 75th anniversary of VE day. Although celebrations were sadly different from the festivities that had been planned (no parties in the streets or celebratory cream teas with friends and neighbors, this year), there were still many ways to celebrate. Allan Packwood of the National Churchill Museum hosted a webcast with Celia Sandys, Churchill's granddaughter, as a guest; a pianist played the popular World War Two song "We'll Meet Again" in the church of St. Mary which was broadcast all over the UK; and Churchillians everywhere (including me) flashed the iconic "V is for Victory" sign every few minutes while proudly reciting Winston Churchill quotes for all to hear. I enjoyed VE day under lockdown with tea, a  Victoria sponge, and cucumber sandwiches. Although these proceedings aren't quite as nice as the annu...

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...

Churchill in 1912; shortly after  founding the Other Club Winston Churchill had been in parliament for nine years by 1911, and during this time he had become notoriously controversial. Churchill had already changed political parties once (he was to do so again in 1922), he staunchly supported free trade, a largely unpopular ideal, and he also fought for Irish Home Rule campaign - a movement that many members of Parliament strongly opposed. To support him was often seen as supporting contentious political ideals. It is because of this that Churchill and his friend, F. E. Smith (Smith, who held many political beliefs similar to Churchill, later became the 1st Earl of Birkenhead) were blackballed when they asked to enter one of the most prestigious and renowned political clubs in England: a fortnightly dining club known simply as "The Club." Founded in 1764 by the artist Joshua Reynolds and the essayist Samuel Johnson, the Club was to be "composed of the heads of ...

In 1929, Winston Churchill visited Virginia and made Richmond's elegant Executive Mansion, the oldest in the United States, the base of his operations. Edwin Slipek Jr. notes: "In May 1929, the energetic Churchill, 54, suddenly found himself out of political power and with a rare chunk of time on his hands…. He lost his position as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and not unimportantly, the salary that came with it....Seeking to generate some income, Churchill decided to step up his writing, a skill for which he also was widely recognized. His new projects included a biography of John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, an ancestor, as well as a series of 10 newspaper articles for London's Daily Telegraph that would chronicle his North American trip." Churchill relished the trip, and when he wasn't writing or socializing with his hosts, Gov. Harry F. Byrd and his wife, Anne Beverley Byrd, he could often be found tramping through Civil War battlefields and ...

Many readers may not have known that Winston Churchill came to visit Franklin Roosevelt just two weeks after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. On the day when Roosevelt delivered his famous "day of infamy" speech, December 8th, 1941, Churchill offered to make a special trip to the White House. “We could review the whole war plan in light of reality and new facts,” he eagerly wrote. FDR was concerned about the German U-boats, but after Churchill convinced him that he would somehow stay perfectly safe, and the President replied that he would be “delighted to have you here at the White House." Two weeks later, Churchill arrived in Washington for a three-week stay at the White House. He celebrated Christmas 1941 with FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt, who despite being an extremely accommodating hostess, was slightly annoyed at the English Prime Minister. Roosevelt had forgotten to tell his wife that Churchill would be staying so long, and she had been under the impression that he w...

Most people who have read about the life of Winston Churchill will agree that, as mentioned in earlier posts, he was not only a leading figure in WW2 history, but also a prominent statesman in the Edwardian era. One of the marking events of the late Edwardian times (I regard the Edwardian era, as many people do, as the rule of King Edward VII and the early years of King George VI's rule), however, is often separated and singled out from the politics of that time.  Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty in 1912 The sinking of the RMS Titanic is one of the most famous and controversial events of the Edwardian age, and Winston Churchill, one of the most famous and controversial people of that glittering era, was the First Lord of the Admiralty during the year 1912 - the year that the Titanic sank. His position put him in charge of the general administration of the Naval Service of the United Kingdom. It would seem that the man whose job was to review all of the Royal Briti...

A helpful resource that I have referred to many times for noting Chu rchill's main accomplishments is "Churchill's Chart of Achievements" by the International Churchill Society - one of the most, if not the, prestigious and accurate sites dedicated to the life of Winston Churchill. I hope that you enjoy this helpful tool. Thes e m ajor initiatives and evaluations are compiled by Steven F Hayward, from his book Churchill on Leadership (Rocklin, CA: Prima, 1998). p.24, and Richard M. Langworth, former editor, the International Churchill Society. Churchill's Chart of Achievements - The International Churchill Society

Winston Churchill was born of November 30, 1874 at Blenheim palace. He grew up to become a giant in world politics. By the close of his political career, he was recognized by many people as the most revered statesman on the globe. On his eightieth birthday, in 1954, parliament awarded him a portrait of himself painted by the revered portrait painter, Graham Sutherland, in gratitude of his years of service. Sutherland's Portrait of Churchill Sutherland's paintings were rather controversial at the time, for their earth-toned color schemes and smudgy, slightly Rembrandt-esque look gave them an appearance that greatly differed from the crisp, formal appearance of traditional portraits. Parliament, however, was willing to take the risk; this was a terrible decision. When Sutherland finished, it was obvious that the portrait was a total failure. The painting depicted Churchill as old, feeble, and weak, and the quality of the work was also terrible. For some reason, Churchill ha...

What were Winston Churchill's interests? The Punch magazine stated them accurately in a 1902 comic sketch, shortly after he had first entered Parliament: "the House of Commons—and its reform. The British Army—and its reform. The British Navy—and its reform. The Universe—and its reform."  From the very beginning of his political carrier, Winston Churchill set out to ameliorate everything he was able to. This exasperated a large number of people, but, luckily, others were open to reform. Regardless of if they supported him or not, quickly became clear to everyone that Churchill had ambitious plans, and few doubted that he wouldn't rise to a prominent position in the British government.  Churchill electioneering in Manchester, 1908. "It seems to me," remarked Harold Begbie, a reporter who interviewed young Churchill, to a friend, "that, given health, it is safe to prophesy that he may become on of the great figures in political history." ...

November 11th is Veterans Day in the USA, but it has not always been so. Now recognized as Veterans Day, November 11th was once celebrated as Armistice Day in the allied nations. On this day at eleven o'clock, World War 1 officially ended. A year after the first Armistice Day, Winston Churchill made a speech thanking General Pershing and his fellow Americans for securing the victory. The speech, humorously titled "Farewell to 'the Beer of Old England'" reflected on the new prohibition laws, and how soldiers returning home were effected by it. However, Churchill first spoke of Armistice Day before introducing this topic. Here is an excerpt from his speech:  "We are all delighted to see General Pershing and his gallant Americans over here. We are passing through a phase of intense rejoicing almost reaching the extremes to which human beings are capable, and the rejoicings after the great war are like everything else in that great war - on a scale and in ...

Today, Winston Churchill is the only person that most people think of when the hear the last name "Churchill." However, even before Winsto n Churchill became a well-known historical figure, his last name was already famous. George Spencer-Churchill ( 7 December 1793 – 1 July 1857) was the 6th Duke of Marlborough, and a eminent politician at the time. He served as a Tory member of Parliament during Victoria's rule, and later served again the House of Lords.  Winston Churchill's father, Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill, was also a prominent political figure at the time. He served in Parliment, as a radical Tory  — he coined the term "Tory democracy." Churchill Family Tree Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill, and Memories and Adventures by Winston S. Churchill