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Q & A
Churchill on the V1 Bomb: “Mass Effects Overwhelm Detached Sentiment”
Churchill’s comments on the V1 reveal a rare quality: a genuine appreciation of enemy cleverness, albeit overwhelmed by “mass effects.”
Elizabeth Layton in “Darkest Hour”: The Annexe and War Rooms
Questions on the role of secretary Elizabeth Layton in the 2017 film, and the Annexe where Churchill really ran the wartime government.
“The fascists of the future will call themselves anti-fascists.” Not WSC.
Churchill never said this: he was far too fastidious to apply such a term generically. He knew his fascists, and identified them more specifically.
What did Winston Churchill mean when he said, “Man is Spirit”?
Churchill is interested in the ultimate ground of human freedom. He is the guardian of that freedom, of the right to be fully human: Man is spirit.
Tracking Churchill’s Famous Slogan, “You can always take one with you”
I have often wondered however what would have happened if two hundred thousand German storm troops had actually established themselves ashore. The massacre would have been on both sides grim and great. There would have been neither mercy nor quarter. They would have used Terror, and we were prepared to go all lengths. I intended to use the slogan “You can always take one with you.” - Winston Churchill
Which Historical and Contemporary Figures were Churchill’s Inspirations?
These are just a few of the classical authors Churchill read in his self-education as a young man. They form an adjunct to the more recent and direct inspirations, the figures of more recent centuries.
Winston Churchill’s Stand-up Desk: Vital Equipment at his “Factory”
Hillsdale was founded thirty years before Churchill’s birth. Its mission was to spread “sound learning” so as to help preserve “the blessings of civil and religious liberty” and “intelligent piety,” sentiments we believe were shared and typified by Churchill’s life’s work.
How Winston Churchill Spent Christmas, Part 2: Sterner Days
Christmas, 1941: “By our sacrifice…these same children shall not be robbed of their inheritance…. And so, in God’s mercy, a happy Christmas to you all.”
How Winston Churchill Spent Christmas, Part 1: Halcyon Days
Christmas at Chartwell: “No matter how humble the gift, he accepted with surprise and pleasure. ‘For me?’ he'd ask, his eyes lighting up. ‘How very kind!’”
Did Churchill order the Little Ships to rescue the soldiers at Dunkirk?
It was not a broadcast appeal to the nation. Nothing so vague as that for Winston S. Churchill. It was his order to the Admiralty on 20 May 1940. The Admiralty then formed the Small Vessels Pool, in which private owners registered their craft for the mission and were given routes and charts.
Constant Revision: How Churchill Polished and Improved his Writing
Whether the product was profound or simple, like his vast correspondence, even his first iteration was close to the mark. Grace Hamblin, a longtime secretary, recalled: “His dictation wasn't difficult because it was very, very slow and he weighed his words. As one knows he had a tremendous command of the English language, but he didn't use it loosely. He considered very carefully what he was going to say.”
Churchill’s Memorable Allusions to William Shakespeare’s Richard II
Churchill knew his Shakespeare and had a near-photographic memory. Darrell Holley’s Churchill’s Literary Allusions tells us he alludes to Shakespeare more than any other English author. King John, Richard III and Hamlet are his most frequent references. Henry V also moved and inspired him. He also closely read Richard II, generally accepting Shakespeare’s portrayal of his cruelty and vindictiveness.