In Review: Winston Churchill

The International Icon

In an attempt to nourish a more, international palette, I turned to looking for a book about a man (or woman) who was so important to the America we know today as well as to his or her home country. I wanted someone as American, and well placed into the annals of American history as possible, yet still retain an outstanding foreign background ( Only by reading the book did I learn that my pick was actually half American). The person I was looking for was summed up for me in a book by Paul Johnson, aptly titled: Winston Churchill. This book highlights the birth, childhood, and star struck career of one of the most multifaceted and enthusiastic world leaders to ever grace the international stage. Mr. Churchill, as he preferred to be called, filled many positions in his political career, which spanned over half a century; with his charisma, charm, and dedication allowing him to surmount feats obstacles that admittedly, no one else of his generation could have faced.
The Man who Lived

Paul Johnson's late 2009 book, Winston Churchill, delves deep into the the life of one of Europe's, and indeed the world's, most celebrated men, revealing the vast array of experiences and attributes that helped form the man who quite literally saved the world. Born to an MP father and an American socialite mother, a young Winston received very little attention and care from either parents. Indeed, if any figure from his youth affected him, it was his nurse, a Miss. Elizabeth Anne Everest who showed him true love and compassion. Her love for him helped develop his his caring nature for the less fortunate and his ability to ignore class divisions (Miss Everest was extremely impoverished in comparison with the wealthy lifestyle enjoyed by the Churchill's).

After being labeled an academic failure by both parents, his father placed him into a military school in order to try and save what he considered a failure of a son. It was not long after this that his father, Randolph Churchill, would commit political suicide by pushing to far to the fringe and threatening resignation if his demands were not met (basically the Prime Minister called his bluff and he was forced out of office) and then underwent a slow but sure mental decline, dying when Winston was only 24 years of age.

Winston's career in the armed forces was highly decorated, receiving 13 medals from different countries and even being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II (an honor he had long declined because he hated changing his name). He also directly participated in the last cavalry charge ever commissioned by the British government. His rise was meteoric and he soon won his first MP seat at the tender age of 26, yet his career was often considered less than stellar. He had been a 'made man' two different times during his life, yet both times he was knocked off his feet and forced to climb the ladder of power three rimes in order to ensure his survival and prominence. He was even the subject of one of the most vulgar and hostile House of Commons reprimands and insults in recorder history. Yet this magnificent man never gave in and upon his third try, he would reach a level that few politicians in the world would ever achieve.

One of the most interesting aspects about this man, and indeed the book as well, is his time as Prime Minister from 1940-1945. This was the time during the Second World War, and as Johnson points out, Winston Churchill alone did save Britain. And if Mr. Churchill saved Great Britain then he indirectly saved the world from Nazi domination, for without Britain occupying so much of Germany's time and resources, the Eastern Front would have been stalemated, if not overrun, leaving the United States as the sole power removed from Nazi control. Not only does Europe owe Winston Churchill much thanks, so does America for he allowed us to forge the life we live today.

Perhaps the most unusual piece of this book is the part about the Atomic bomb, because suddenly US history classes do not match up with Mr. Johnson's tale. According to Johnson, Britain led the research for the A-bomb and they were the most advanced in nuclear technology. The only reason the bomb was developed in America was that Churchill deemed it to hazardous to build that unstable of a weapon in a country that was under constant threat and bombardment from Nazi Germany. this goes against everything taught about the Manhattan Project in high schools across the nation, and sadly I do not know the truth of the matter. Still, it makes for a very thought provoking read.

The life of Winston Churchill was a life well lived. He is a man hailed in American history books and who's bust once rested in the Oval Office, the very seat of power in our nation; yet his most cherished, and valuable resource may have gone unnoticed by most historians. His was the power to heal. He healed himself from a damaging childhood, constant career setbacks, and even being hit by a car. He was known as a man harbored no malice, and only wished to get the job done, and employ the right people for it. If that meant reaching across the aisle, then so be it. I think this is a lesson that every government, especially our own, needs to relearn. Churchill lived life and lived it well, through a stellar career, as well as various artistic talents such as painting and writing, and the biography by Paul Johnson, entitled Winston Churchill, presents a fitting epitaph for so great a man and so great a career. The In Review rating for this short, 166 page book is 4 out of 5 stars. I loved the writer's British colloquialisms, but the overuse of British terminology and history sometimes left me wondering what the author had really said. Oh, and brush up on British history, that is of course you already know who Lloyd George is. Anyways, it is still a highly recommendable book.

Later,
Cody



(Photo: Courtesy of AfterAmerica.com)