Plato

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.

It’s no coincidence that Winston Churchill, perhaps the greatest statesman in living memory, was remarkably well-versed in history and classic literature. His own writing earned a Nobel Prize, much of it on history and the philosophy of government. Churchill had a profound grasp of human knowledge, learning and behavior, transcending both time and culture. Thus he distilled and expressed the essence of complex issues, making them both approachable and politically effective.

Von Heyking offers an interesting scholarly work that places Churchill’s many political friendships within a philosophical grounding.