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Personal Matters
Remembrances: A Young Irishman at Sir Winston’s Funeral
05
Oct
2023
1
By CHARLES LYSAGHT
“Unlike many Irish children of my generation, I was brought up to admire Winston Churchill. My father, although nationalist enough, always uttered his name with reverence. He believed that he had saved us as well as the British from the evil Hitler. Churchill’s defiant orations, received at home in those perilous years on our crackling Telefunken wireless, had made a deep impression.”
A Remembrance of Lady Williams of Elvel, 1929-2023
24
Jul
2023
By CITA STELZER
“As her prominent role in the life of Churchill became better known, Lady William began to receive speaking invitations. She was reluctant, but gave it a try. Her wealth of experience added to historians’ views—not only of the prime minister but also as a person with family and all the other problems, joys and sorrows. I like to think that the influence of this kind and intelligent woman extends across those years—years in which she helped Churchill serve his country and, indeed, the world.”
Testimony to History: Churchill’s Chartwell Visitors Book
12
Jun
2023
By FRED GLUECKSTEIN
Using the digital Visitors Book, in the Chartwell Exhibition Room, we can view signatures and profiles of all the people who visited over forty of the most historic and challenging years of the 20th century. This great work of many hands provides viewers with a unique, highly specialized opportunity to learn more about the private lives of Winston and Clementine Churchill and their family.
Winston Churchill and his Magnificent Hats
25
Sep
2022
By GARY L. STILES
“One of the most necessary features of a public man’s equipment is some distinctive mark which everyone learns to look for and to recognize,” Churchill said. He nurtured many such features, particularly headgear. His choice of a hat for an occasion was never happenstance but a thoughtfully conceived notion of the image and the impact he wanted to portray. He acquired hundreds of hats in every genre: military, political, formal, equestrian, leisure, even an Indian headdress.
“Getting to Know You”: First Dinners with Winston Churchill
14
Jul
2022
By CITA STELZER
Recently I wondered: How did Churchill introduce himself at first dinners with key people? What were the reactions of those at his table who had never met him before? Here are a few. They tell us much about the man.
A Doctor’s Tale: Lord Moran and Churchill’s Medical History
24
Jan
2021
By JOHN H. MATHER, MD
How accurate were Churchill’s doctor’s diaries? Lord Moran was a skillful and devoted physician, less fastidious as a recorder of events.
Churchill and His Autumn Years: Ways to Live a Long life
09
Jul
2020
1
By DANIEL F. HARRINGTON
The “golden years” are not always golden, but Winston Churchill’s long life offers perspective and encouragement to those of “a certain age.”
Churchill and Polo: The Hot Pursuit of His Favorite Team Sport, Part 2
13
Aug
2018
Churchill and Polo: The Hot Pursuit of His Favorite Team Sport, Part 1
27
Jun
2018
How Would Churchill React to Wedding of Prince Harry?
24
May
2018
Contasino Meets Churchill, 1931: “A World Aglare”
13
Mar
2016
By FRED GLUECKSTEIN
Mario Contasino will forever be connected with the story of an event that almost altered history. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. once asked: “Would the next two decades have been the same had the automobile killed Winston Churchill in 1931 and the bullet killed Franklin Roosevelt in 1933?"
Churchill Solitaire: Victory at All Costs
25
Jan
2016
2
By THE CHURCHILL PROJECT
Winston Churchill loved a good card game. Later in life, he even traveled with a green, velvet table cover to facilitate the pastime. Donald Rumsfeld, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and friend of Hillsdale College, also enjoys playing cards, especially when the game requires strategic decision making. While serving as U.S. Ambassador to NATO in 1973, he learned a version of solitaire from Belgian Ambassador André de Staercke, who claimed that none other than Prime Minister Churchill taught him the game during World War II.