Clementine: 1

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Numa delas Churchill dizia-lhe: “My greatest good fortune in a life of brilliant experience has been to find you & to lead my life with you…”

I'm left wondering if Winston Churchill would have made it through WWII if it weren't for Clementine. (She would probably be appalled at my use of her first name here.) She certainly made her own contributions in organizing the work of women and concerning herself with the people, such a equipping air raid shelters, but managing Winston and taking care of him was probably her greatest contribution. He was not an easy man to work for or with and she often acted as a buffer as well as being the only person who could approach him about certain things. She also was much more aware of how his actions were perceived among his staff and the public. I was surprised at how much more politically astute she was than Winston. Winstonas - Clementine per keturiasdešimtąsias jų vestuvių metines 1948 m. rugsėjo 12 d., Antibo kyšulys. Purnell does a superb job explaining the complexity that is Clementine. Many people believe that Winston Churchill saved Western Civilization ... and that Clementine kept Winston sane. Both WSC and CC came from wretchedly neglectful parents. Sadly, they had serious shortcomings in their own parenting. Historians have mostly ignored Mrs. Churchill. The only biographer until now was her daughter Mary Soames. Purnell appears to have been fair minded and scrupulous in her biography. The book is well written and researched. There are lots of pictures to peruse.Clementine Churchill lived an amazing life. She was incredibly under appreciated, both in her time, and now. I feel like I know a fair amount about Eleanor Roosevelt who was an incredible advocate. Clementine Churchill may well have done more for Britain (and the free world) than Eleanor, but has received almost no credit. Born into impoverished nobility, she was about a decade younger than Winston Churchill. This book draws heavily from the copious correspondence between Winston and Clementine. They were generally not model parents, and the book does not sugar coat their shortcomings in this area. Clementine was privy to most of what Winston dealt with (including state secrets). She advised and challenged Winston, and was often the only one who could challenge him. She tempered him in many ways, and often re-wrote speeches and memos. For a book where you know how it will end (there are no secrets about history), it was a gripping read. I even pushed it ahead of other books on my "to read" pile. An intimate biography of a powerful woman, a woman behind a "throne" of one of the most powerful, influential men of our times. I have to confess that I do not like biographies. For me they are dull and too full of put-you-to-sleep details. I read this book for a book club and though I did like it I allowed myself to be distracted by my interesting fictional books. On the other hand, Ms. Purnell is not a particularly good writer, and has, in fact, a tin ear for language. A clunky stylist, she also misuses words like "remiss" and "diaphanous." More seriously, there are several errors of fact. (I defy you to figure out the relationship between Diana Churchill and Diana Mitford--she is variously described as Clementine's niece and as Diana C's 2nd cousin. [I think the latter is correct, unless you agree with Ms. Purnell that Clementine's biological father was Lord Redesdale!]) Ms. Purnell seems somewhat careless in small matters, which always makes me feel uneasy about the large ones. This is a biography of Clementine Churchill who was arguably married to one of the most significant man of the 20th century, Winston Churchill. They were married for over 55 years; it was not an easy marriage. Winston was always on the move. Clementine had to keep up and adjust to his many different roles throughout the long years.

The audiobook is well narrated by Charlotte Strevens. The pronunciation is British rather than American and it should be so. It took me a while to accustom myself to this. Once I got the hang of it I had no trouble understanding. The speed was good. She was unflinchingly respectful of the man she married. He was quirky and self-absorbed by any standard. But she held fast to her belief that he was a great man, and she never belittled him, it seems, in public or in private. On their first anniversary he wrote, I feel so safe with you & I do not keep the slightest disguise. This doesn't mean she acquiesced to whatever he said; she edited his speeches, challenged his thinking, and was hard on him, if need be.

Recommended for its broad scale portrait of two immensely important personalities, neither of whom were particularly likable individuals in their personal lives--if you can tolerate a certain amount of infelicitous writing.

They had five children (one daughter Marigold died at just over two and a half years of age). They were not good parents, being frequently absent and subjecting their children to a never-ending rotation of guardians and teachers who sometimes quit because of the irascibility of the children and/or the low salary. Their son Randolph was an absolute cad and grew up to be a drunkard. There were frequent loud scenes when Randolph was present. Only their last-born daughter, Mary, was “stable”, likely because she only had one enduring governess while growing up. The author makes some comparisons between the Churchill and Roosevelt families. Both offspring had innumerable divorces and absentee parents. By Winston Churchill’s own admission, victory in the Second World War would have been “impossible without her.” Until now, however, the only existing biography of Churchill’s wife, Clementine, was written by her daughter. Sonia Purnell finally gives Clementine her due with a deeply researched account that tells her life story, revealing how she was instrumental in softening FDR’s initial dislike of her husband and paving the way for Britain’s close relationship with America. It also provides a surprising account of her relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt and their differing approaches to the war effort. The events of the First and Second World War are drawn from a British point of view, in a concise and clear manner only referring to those events directly related to the Churchills. The Dardanelles disaster, Winston’s “wilderness years” of the 30s and the efforts of him and his wife in drawing America into the Second World War are told from a perspective I have not read before. Hearing of Clementine’s views and behind-the-scenes involvement is eye-opening. I appreciated the explanation of why even after victory at the end of the Second World War Churchill failed to be reelected. Generally a victor is honored! How Churchill reacted and how Clementine reacted to losing the election in 1945 and what they felt and did is interesting to observe. I found it revealing to compare the respective couples - the Roosevelts and the Churchills. Clementine was so very different from Eleanor, yet both helped, guided and opposed their respective husband in their own way. One views markedly different personalities and different cultures. The close look at Clementine’s importance to Winston and her role in his career has not been covered with such depth in the other books I have read as it is here. Unlike her American counterpart Eleanor Roosevelt, Clementine Churchill has received relatively little recognition or approbation from history. Eleanor is heralded as one of the great women of the century in her own right; indeed, she lived such a separate life from her equally famous husband Franklin Roosevelt that her role as a wife is very much the least of the hats she wore. In contrast, whatever fame or recognition Clementine has earned over the years, her name is always coupled with that of Winston, never independently. This biography certainly emphasizes the personal, which I like. There is a chapter entitled “Operation Seduction USA” which shows how Churchills’ daughter Sarah was “involved” with Gil Winant (the newly appointed U.S. ambassador); both were married at the time. Their daughter-in-law Pamela (married to their son Randolph) was openly carrying on an affair with Averill Harriman (the U.S. lend-lease representative in London). Likely the Churchills’ felt sorry for Pamela in her tempestuous marriage with their son.Despite her being intimately involved in his political career, they really didn’t agree on politics. One example the author cites is woman’s suffrage. She was a suffragette from an early age, but he was adamantly opposed until forced to accept the reality. When Labor overtook the Liberal Party as Britain’s second major party and Winston returned to the Tory’s, their political views rarely agreed after that. That didn’t stop her from working on his behalf and she was a major factor in keeping him in office. This is a well-written comprehensive biography of a woman who probably hasn't gotten enough credit for her contribution to the war effort. I'm speaking from the perspective of an outsider, an American, as opposed to a citizen of Great Britain. Perhaps Clementine's work is better known and appreciated within her own country. It seems as though it was at the time, although the extent of her involvement in and knowledge of high level meetings probably wasn't known. Engrossing…the first formal biography of a woman who has heretofore been relegated to the sidelines.” –The New York Times First: her name rhymes with mean, not mine. And while we're talking about words one reads but never pronounces, the audio preview taught me that brougham sounds like broom! I really cannot say I have any complaints with the book. I thought first I should give it five stars because of this very fact. Instead I am going by my gut reaction; I REALLY like the book so I am giving it four stars. For me a five star book has to have something that makes it shine exceptionally, an element of superb imagination. The book is a very good analysis of the complex relationships found within the Churchill family and a clear review of the individuals’ lives. There are zillions of books on Winston Churchill and his role in the wars but this book fills a gap not covered before!