Winston Churchill, Historian

Ã?¢??Very seldom have great statesmen and warriors also been great writers.Ã?¢?Ã?  So began the 1953 lecture by author Sigfrid Siwertz awarding the Nobel Prize in Literature to Sir Winston Churchill.  Indeed, throughout his extraordinary life, Churchill would successfully perform the role of historian, statesman, and military strategist on the world stage.  He relished the opportunity to make history and write it at the same time, proclaiming more than once about the Second World War, "I will leave judgments on this matter to history Ã?¢?? but I will be one of the historians."

From his literary debut in 1898 with his campaign report, The Story of the Malakand Field Force, to his massive six-volume chronicle of the Second World War (1948 Ã?¢?? 1953/54), ChurchillÃ?¢??s vision of history remained focused on political and military events.  For Winston Churchill, history was driven by heroic figures rather than social or economic forces.  His histories are brilliantly entertaining and engaging, if not entirely objective, and are truly a combination of history and memoir.

The writings of Winston Churchill encompass family history, including a biography of his father, Life of Lord Randolph Churchill (1906), and autobiographical works based on his brief but eventful early career in the army.  However, it is for his histories that ChurchillÃ?¢??s claim on posterity as an author relies.  They include The World Crisis (1923 Ã?¢?? 1931), The Second World War, and his History of the English-Speaking Peoples (1956 Ã?¢?? 1958).  ChurchillÃ?¢??s narratives are among the longest works of history ever published, with The Second World War running to more than two million words. 

This September, the Queen Mary 2 will embark on a cruise that will offer a revealing portrait of Churchill and his England.  Join Churchill author and political scientist Dr. James Muller on a voyage that will include seven luxurious days aboard the worldÃ?¢??s largest ocean liner, as well as lively presentations on ChurchillÃ?¢??s personal and political life.  Upon arrival in England, the tour will include a visit to ChurchillÃ?¢??s country home, Chartwell, with his granddaughter, Celia Sandys, a tour of Blenheim Palace with Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill, and many other highlights. 

Click to learn more information about this unique Queen Mary 2 cruise to England.

Advertisement: