Meeting Churchill

A Life in 90 Encounters

Sinclair McKay

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Paperback

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English

Penguin
03 December 2024

Biography: historical, political & military; History; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Second World War

Churchill through the eyes of those who met him, published for the 150th anniversary of his birth

This insightful portrait of Winston Churchill delves beyond well-known political events, incorporating perspectives from various individuals who encountered him throughout his life. From Bletchley Park codebreakers to Hollywood stars, Harold Wilson to Gandhi, these lesser-known interactions reveal glimpses of the man behind the legend.

We meet Churchill the mischievous schoolboy with a penchant for singing obscene songs, and Churchill the elder statesman shedding a tear in the House of Commons smoking room. Other incidents include a young journalist rudely dismissing a call from Churchill as a prank, and a visiting Dwight D. Eisenhower dreaming of being strangled, only to awake entangled in Churchill's borrowed nightshirt.

The book showcases the profound transformations during Churchill's lifetime, which ran from Benjamin Disraeli's premiership to the release of the Rolling Stones' Route 66, and the shift from steam to atomic power. Examining controversial aspects of his legacy, this multifaceted portrait challenges preconceived notions, inviting readers to reconsider the complexities of Churchill.

By: Sinclair McKay
Imprint: Penguin
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 130mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 260g
ISBN: 9781405962551
ISBN 10: 1405962550
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 03 December 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Sinclair McKay is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Meeting Churchill, Berlin, Dresden, The Secret Life of Bletchley Park, The Secret Listeners, Bletchley Park Brainteasers and Secret Service Brainteasers. He is a literary critic for the Telegraph and the Spectator and lives in London.

Reviews for Meeting Churchill: A Life in 90 Encounters

"""Anecdotally rich . . . McKay's sparkling prose and expert mining of archival material results in a memorable study of a city."" ―Publishers WeeklyonBerlin: Life and Death in the City at the Center of the World ""McKay's rich narrative and descriptive gifts provide us with an elegant yet unflinching account of that terrible night... to be recommended as a very readable and finely crafted addition to the literature on one of modern history's most morally fraught military operations."" ―Wall Street Journal onThe Fire and the Darkness: The Bombing of Dresden, 1945"