The Wit & Wisdom of Winston Churchill (Paperback)

by James C. Humes (Author), Richard M. Nixon (Author) "Next to the Bible and Shakespeare, Churchill is the most frequent source of quotations..." (more)
Key Phrases: House of Commons, United States, First Lord of the Admiralty (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An enormously entertaining compendium of witticisms, anecdotes, and trivia about Winston Churchill by a former White House speechwriter.

About the Author
James C. Humes is a lawyer and public speaker who has served in the White House, the State Department and the state legislature. He has written speeches for corporate executives, governors, senators and five U.S. presidents.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060925779
• ISBN-13: 978-0060925772
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #103,207 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your finest hours will be spent reading this book!!!, August 25, 2003

By	chris meesey Food Czar (The Colony, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Be forewarned. The words of Sir Winston Churchill are not for everyone. If you are too timid, sensitive, politically correct, Victorian in outlook, or do not drink, you are not the ideal audience for this book. However, if you love stirring speeches, great epigrams, and explosive wit, then Winston is your man. Divided into several sections, the first deals with epigrams concerning subjects in general, for example; History--"A nation that forgets its past has no future." The next section deals with excepts from his most famous speeches: Their Finest Hour, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, etc. Then, Coiner of Phrases, a section dealing with famous words or sayings first attributed to him, such as Destroyer, for "light search and destroy vessel." Next, Saints and Sinners, a section reserved for his opinions of the great (and nearly great) of the world; his opinion of former Prime Minister David Lloyd George: "He could talk a bird out of a tree." Finally, the last (and best) section, Escapades and Encounters (aka Winston's Wit). Yes, here we have the famous Lady Nancy Astor story (I won't spoil it for you here), another famous (and politically incorrect) encounter with Labourite Bessie Braddock, and the hilarous story The World Is Not My Oyster, in which the eighty-six year old Churchill blames his indisposition on the oysters served at the Savoy Grill, not the numerous glasses of wine he consumed there. So, grab a glass of your favorite port or sherry (or a snifter of brandy, if you must), sink into a comfortable chair with a favorite snack and this book, and INDULGE YOURSELF. Trust me, it will be one (or more) of your finest hours.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliance and Hilarity in One Package, February 21, 2000

By A Customer

While I expected to be swept away by Churchill's superb grasp of the English language and his intelligence on a multitude of topics, I was suprised at how much I laughed out loud at this book. Churchill's wit was truly timely and amazing, and it is well-packaged here.

One notable quote was missing, however. Churchill was once reported to have said, after meeting Eleanor Roosevelt: " I have faced war, and I have faced Eleanor. I prefer war."

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Words, wit, Winston, Wow !, June 6, 2003

By	Marc Cenedella "www.cenedella.com/stone" (East Village, New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a big fan of these types of collections, and have been distressed in recent years as series publishers have pumped them out. James C. Humes, however, avoids the path of ready material and produces a book of Churchilliana as comprehensive and broad as the man himself.

There are all the favorites here: the Lady Nancy Astor tea story, the acerbic prepositional rejoinder to the supercilious editing of an assistant, the choice between sherry and adultery, and so on. More importantly, one begins to acquire a notion of the extent to which Churchill, as Shakespeare before him did, has shapped our language, our thoughts, and our clichés: "trade no aid", Iron Curtain, and "blood, sweat, and tears."

Every page is a gem, and this is the perfect book for bed or bathroom, if you are a lover of words, wit, and Winston.

p.s. The very nice, concise introduction by Richard M. Nixon is a quirky little joy as well.