Chasing Churchill: The Travels of Winston Churchill [Paperback]

Celia Sandys (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2004

Sir Winston Churchill was a well-traveled man. By the time he was twenty-five, his thirst for adventure had taken him to Cuba, India's North-West frontier, the Sudan, and South Africa, as well as to battle, prison, and worldwide fame. During World War II, when as prime minister he held Britain's destiny in his hands, he hazarded arduous journeys not only to confer face-to-face with his allies Roosevelt and Stalin, but also to witness firsthand the action at the front. In later years, his enduring passion for painting prompted travels to locales like Marrakech. (He took President Roosevelt there in 1943, simply to view a splendid sunset.) Celia Sandys actually accompanied her famous grandfather on some of his later travels, most memorably on a cruise aboard Aristotle Onassis's yacht Christina, but for this always-engaging book she herself has retraced his many journeys over seventy years on four continents, and sought the people who knew, entertained, consulted, or simply crossed paths with him. In their long-untold stories she finds her grandfather's character illuminated in new, revealing, and often surprising ways.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sandys (Churchill Wanted Dead or Alive) is the great leader's granddaughter, and her new book is an amiable history of Churchill's many travels. As a young, extremely ambitious military officer and war correspondent, Churchill traveled to Cuba in 1895 to witness a bloody guerrilla war. Later, in India and South Africa, he experienced war firsthand. He was famously captured by the Boers and made a daring escape, which, Sandys says, turned him into an international celebrity and helped launch his political career. Churchill loved the British Empire unreservedly and traveled it widely. Sandys follows in his footsteps, seeking (mostly in vain) for present-day evidence of her grandfather's journeys. She devotes much of the book to describing Churchill's diplomatic trips during WWII. Indeed, Sandys says Churchill's tireless traveling to Washington and Yalta largely created the famous "special relationship" between Britain and the United States. After the war, Churchill traveled all over Europe, especially the south of France, in order to paint and write. Through describing these journeys, Sandys gives a clear portrait of the charismatic leader: constantly smoking his famous cigars, drinking lots of whiskey and living a decidedly nocturnal existence (he liked to work into the wee hours of the night). Sandys accompanied her grandfather on several of his later trips, and she vividly recalls a 1959 cruise on Aristotle Onassis's yacht, with a rather insufferable Maria Callas. While Sandys doesn't reveal anything fresh about Churchill, she does emphasize one thing his world travels helped make him into a legendary leader. B&w photos, maps.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Sandys, Churchill's granddaughter, relates that by the time he was 25, Churchill had traveled to Cuba, India, the Sudan, and South Africa. During the next 50 years, his journeys continued; in middle age, painting became what Sandys describes as "his spur to travel." In the 1920s and 1930s his passion and talent for painting made him seek out places filled with sunshine--Italy, Morocco, and the south of France. His trips entailed both pleasure and work, and sometimes--at least until the end of World War II--danger and hardship. He always traveled in style, Sandys writes; even as a young officer in the British army, he had a soldier to pack his suitcase. In 1946 he traveled with President Truman from Missouri to Washington by train and spent some of the time playing cards. Sandys accompanied her grandfather on some of his later trips, including a cruise aboard Aristotle Onassis' yacht Christina. Containing a foreword by Mary Soames, Churchill's youngest daughter, this book is a fascinating chronicle. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (October 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786713925
• ISBN-13: 978-0786713929
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #749,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A chase any Churchill fan should enjoy, January 14, 2004

By 

Andrew S. Rogers (Stamford, Connecticut) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chasing Churchill: The Travels of Winston Churchill (Hardcover)

Winston Churchill is like a fine gem. Hold him and his immense life up to the light and turn them around some, and you'll always find interesting new facets to explore. (I have a feeling WSC himself would have appreciated that metaphor.) This explains the constant stream of articles and books on the Man of the (Twentieth) Century -- many re-examining old themes and issues, but a surprising number coming up with new aspects or approaches to understanding who Churchill was and what he did.

This title is of the latter sort. Celia Sandys, WSC's granddaughter and author of two earlier books on the man, here presents us with a Churchill biography that focuses on his wide-ranging travels outside the UK. In many cases, Sandys has herself followed in her grandfather's footsteps, revisiting the locales -- and in many cases the actual buildings -- of WSC's visits. Hence the title.

Despite Sandys' encyclopedic chronicle, I suspect it is this latter, personal element that many readers may find especially interesting. What Churchillian hasn't thought how much fun it would be to retrace his footsteps along the armored train track in South Africa? Few of us, however, have Sandys' access to places and people (including Fidel Castro), nor I suspect her ability to tell a story.

Even more memorable, and touching, are the author's memories of her own participation in some of Churchill's later travels, especially aboard Aristotle Onassis' yacht "Christina."

In all, there may be some value to the student in having the dates and places of Churchill's major journeys, including his wartime travels, easily accessible within one set of covers. But for most of us, the true value comes in finding yet another facet through which to view the man and his personality, and to read a few more interesting and entertaining memories. I admit I found myself skimming over the travel details from time to time, but the stories made the book more than worth the time.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Travelogue with WSC's Granddaughter!, February 15, 2004

By 

S. Henkels (Devon, Pa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chasing Churchill: The Travels of Winston Churchill (Hardcover)

Celia Sandys does a terrific job detailing and following in the wandering footsteps of her incredible grandad! Starting with a trip through the Mediterranean with Onassis, and the ever-complaining opera-singer Maria Callas, when the author was about 14, and witnessing luxury on an incredible scale, even for such a famous family (i.e the Churchills). Then she goes back to 1895 New York City, and Cuba. She tell of a cigar smoking contest in 1946 Cuba between her granddad and Hemingway, sponsored by the original "Old Man And the Sea", Mr. Fueuntes, who died in 2002 at the age of 104. As both a Churchill and Hemingway buff, this was a new story for me! And the travels continue through South Africe, World World 1 France, Egypt, and in all the other famous spots visited by her legendary granddad. Some new (to me anyway), black and white photes, plus some color photos of Winston's painting are included as a special bonus. All in all, a great ride, and thanks to Mrs. Sandys for this excellent effort!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Travels with Winston, January 29, 2004

By 

Frank J. Konopka (Shamokin, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chasing Churchill: The Travels of Winston Churchill (Hardcover)

Ah, for the travelling life of the famous! When you read this book by Churchill's granddaughter, you get an intimate portrait of what an entourage WSC had when he went anywhere. There were private planes or yachts, villas or really up-scale hotels provided to him gratis, and a tremendous retinue of extra people to care for him. This seemed to happen even before he became world famous, and continued until his death. I don't ever want to take away the tremendous contributions he made to the peace and security of the world, but he certainly travelled like an Oriental despot! The book details his travels all over the world, and his many trips to America, both before, during and after WWII. If only the rest of us mere mortals could live in this extravagant lifestyle! This is a side of the great man's life that one rarely comes across in the many biographies of him, but it does tend to round out the picture of his life. While there are no new and startling revelations in the book, it is written in a breezy, easy reading style, and was quite enjoyable. As a granddaughter, the author tends to overlook a lot of WSC's faults, but who can blame her? We would all do that for our own family members, given the chance.