Memories and Adventures [Hardcover]

Winston S. Churchill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1989

Born at Chequers as the bombs fell in 1940, the grandson of Britain's wartime leader, Winston S. Churchill's childhood included Blitz-torn London as well as sunnier peacetime days at his grandfather's Chartwell home. His memories include his father, Randolph Churchill, brilliant journalist but failed politician; and his mother, the sparkling centre of a distinguished circle of friends. But primarily he shows us Winston, the most famous Englishman of the century as a loving and playful grandfather, and in hitherto unpublished family letters. Embarking on a career as a war correspondent he covered conflicts in Yemen, the Congo and Borneo. He participated in airstrikes in Vietnam and reported the Middle East War of 1967. An ardent pilot, he gives us an account of his 20,000-mile flight in a single-engine plane around Africa, of meetings with Emperor Haile Selassie, and of eating crocodile-meat with Albert Schweitzer in the equatorial jungle. In this book Winston S.Churchill, himself elected to Parliament as the youngest Conservative MP in 1970, combines family memories and the adventures of a young man eager to see action and the world. Winston S. Churchill is the author of three previous books - "First Journey", "The Six-Day War" (with Randolph Churchil) and "Defending the West".

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The grandson of Winston Churchill here recalls happy childhood days at Chequers, the official country residence of Britain's prime ministers, his years at Eton and Oxford, his daring flight around Africa in a single-engine plane in the early 1960s and his experiences reporting conflicts in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. His recollections of the great man whose name he bears form the core of this modest, charming memoir, however. Sir Winston doted on his grandson, sent him encouraging letters, tried unsuccessfully to teach him to paint, and when the young man came of age took him to the gaming tables at Monte Carlo--an altogether ideal grandpapa. The author provides glimpses of famous folk including Albert Schweitzer, Ernest Hemingway, John and Robert Kennedy, some of them behaving unexpectedly: Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery playing croquet with grandfather, Greta Garbo removing her underpants at the dinner table because room the room was stuffy. The book concludes with a touching tribute to the author's father, journalist and would-be politician Randolph Churchill, an "enchanting companion" who was unable to master his temper or his drinking. Winston Churchill, now 49, has served as a Conservative member of Parliament for 20 years. Photos.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Grandson and namesake of the great Sir Winston, this Churchill is a journalist, author, and member of Parliament. His rather slight memoir, by no means a formal autobiography, covers his recollections of his Churchill grandparents (including, verbatim, most extant correspondence such as luncheon invitations), and accounts of such adventures as a flight around Africa, the Six-Day War, and a stint of reporting from Vietnam. He concludes with the death of his father, Randolph Churchill, in 1968. There is nothing new for the historical record, but famous names abound, and the "adventures" are not uninteresting. For large popular biography collections or for comprehensive collections of Churchilliana.
- Nancy C. Cridland, Indiana Univ. Libs., Bloomington
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicholson; First Edition edition (September 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555841686
• ISBN-13: 978-1555841683
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,109,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Churchill's grandson a great writer, July 30, 2011

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This review is from: Memories and Adventures (Hardcover)

I can't get enough of or about the greatest human to walk the earth and guide good Christian men. This book is a wonderful view of Winston Spencer Chruchill.