Jennie: The Life of Lady Randolph Churchill Vol 2: The Dramatic Years 1895-1921

by Ralph G. Martin

If she had simply been the mother of Winston Churchill, her place in history would have been assured. But the Brooklyn-born Jennie was also the most fascinating and desirable woman of her age, the toast and the scandal of two continents throughout her long life.

Volume II, THE DRAMATIC YEARS, tells the second half of her life with its many love affairs, two later marriages and numerous ventures. Through it all she remained if not a devoted mother, then one who encouraged the aspiration of her two sons, one of whom was destined to greatness.

"A captivating biography about a mid-Victorian `modern' woman who was villified, envied, loved, loathed--but never ignored." (The Cleveland Press)

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, British Literature, Royalty

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Ralph G. Martin was an American journalist who authored or co-authored about thirty books, including popular biographies of recent historical figures, among which, Jennie, a two-volume (1969 and 1971) study of Winston Churchill's American mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, became the most prominent bestseller. Other successful tomes focused on British royal romance (Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson in 1974, as well as Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1985) and on the Kennedy family (John F. Kennedy in 1983 and Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. in 1995).

Born in Chicago, Martin was eight years old when his family moved to Brooklyn, New York. He studied at City College of New York and, subsequently, the University of Missouri, where he graduated in 1941 with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Twenty-one years old upon receiving his diploma, Martin decided to hitchhike and found a newspaper job at the Box Elder News Journal which served Brigham City, the county seat of Utah's Box Elder County. In December, following the U.S. declaration of war in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Martin enlisted in the Army and spent the war as a combat correspondent for the Armed Forces newspaper Stars and Stripes and the Army weekly magazine, Yank. In 1944, after having interviewed New York City's mayor, Fiorello La Guardia, for Yank, Martin asked La Guardia to perform his marriage ceremony to Marjorie Pastel.

Returning to civilian life in 1945, Martin began working as editor for news and analysis publications Newsweek and The New Republic and became executive editor at decorating and domestic arts magazine House Beautiful. During the months preceding the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections, he served as a member of the campaign staff for the Democratic nominee, Adlai Stevenson.

Having lived for years in the Connecticut town of Westport, near New York City, Martin moved to the Kendal on Hudson retirement community in another of the city's suburbs, Sleepy Hollow, where he died seven-and-a-half weeks before his 93rd birthday. He and his wife Marjorie were the parents of two daughters and a son.

Reviews

[James Burns]

Lady Randolph Churchill was a remarkable woman, She was a loving mother and a devoted ally to her
sons careers and especially to Winston's army and political career. Jennie was a unique woman, involved in Politics, authoress of books and plays, She founded a quarterly Magazine called the Anglo Saxon Review, during the Boer War, she was head of a campaign that enlisted American Businessman and the financially elite to donate money and equipment for a hospital ship, The Maine and sailed with it as a liaison between the American and English Medical Staff.

She was one of the most influential woman in England and Europe, due to her standing in European Society, She was once the Mistress of The Prince of wells and was invited to all of Societies Dinners and Balls. Her Lovers list was whose who list of the American and European Elite.

By all accounts and photo's she was a very Beautiful woman. She was married 3 Times; once to Sir Randolph Churchill who died of complications from Syphilis. and her last 2 husbands were 20 yrs her junior, the last one when she was in her mid-sixties.

She died due to complication from a broken ankle after falling down stairs, gangrene set in and after amputation, a blood vessel hemorrhaged and she died shortly afterwards.

I have truly enjoyed reading about her, and was well researched by the Author. and no review can give proper justice to her importance to the future of England through Winston her Son.

[dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing was no more than 3 stars, or perhaps even 2, but the content was good enough for all 5 stars. Without giving away any juicy details, let me just tell you that Lady Randolph Churchill was lively enough in her 60's to have a lover in his early 40's (three years younger than her son Winston - whom I don't much care for, except as a landscape painter). The writer suffers from a compunction to include every bit of research on the period, even if it has no conceivable connection to the story, but if you move past these little detours, you'll meet a very fair lady indeed. I hope Volume I:The Romantic Years turns up in the free bin sometime, too.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way this book intertwined the history of many events that were happening around the world at the same time.
This book also gave me an appreciation of Winston Churchill, to see how he was raised in a boarding school, while his father womanized and his mother lived the life of "High Society".

[Jennifer B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at not only a very fascinating woman, but also the world she lived in, and the people in it. She knew and was friends with almost everyone! As if being Winston Churchill's mother wasn't interesting enough.

[Chris Gleck]

I requested this book through interlibrary loan (although I also learned that I could have done this through goodreads) because I wanted to follow-up on Jennie's life. Volume 1 ended with the death of her first husband, so Volume 2 narrated how she navigated her life in widowhood, including a second marriage and other relationshships. (She also had other relationships during her 1st marriage - she was considered a highly desirable woman throughout her life in upper crust British and European society due to her beauty, intelligence and personality). Winston and his brother were adults in this volume, which was a major reason I wanted to read the follow-up - to learn about Winston's rise to power. As with his father, Jennie played a crucial role in promoting Winston's political career. He may not have risen to notoriety or power without her involvement - a testament to what a powerful woman she was. She also undertook many endeavors in her own right during this time period - not just as "the power behind the throne." She truly was a remarkable woman for her own time and anytime. A few observations: (i) Both volumes largely wove together the narrative from written correspondence, which was voluminous and frequent among this class at the time period since it was their primary means of communication; (ii) I found it interesting that she did not support the suffragettes until around 1920 even though she was heavily involved in politics her adult life; (iii) Her story impressed upon me what a difference antibiotics have made in our lives - she had a toe and leg amputated due to infections and ended up dying at age 66 from hemorrhaging after the leg amputation. Another side note: She was born in 1854 exactly 100 years before me and died in 1921, exactly 100 years before I am reading this book!

[Jasanna Czellar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very intriguing book about the mother of Winston Churchill. Although it's a large book, it was very insightful and didn't have many dry parts. It's a collection of stories, letters and articles in biographical form. It was incredible, to me, how much this lady got done in 1 lifetime. She opened so many doors for her children that I doubt they would have been able to open on their own. It made me wonder if that was always the most ethical, but regardless it was simply a very interesting read!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This covers roughly the second half of Jennie’s life, from the time [her husband] Randolph dies until Jennie herself died. It is during this portion of her life that Jennie strikes out on her own and makes her own [non-domestic] achievements—founds a literary magazine, sends out a hospital ship, writes two plays, etc., etc. All [virtually] unheard of for a good woman in the earliest 20th Century. And the writing flows, despite the fact that its hard to make her a modern hero. Revives my interest in the Victorian era.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting life - book starts at her birth until her husband's death at 47 from syphilis. She was a dramatic and influential woman when woman couldn't vote or hole office. Randolph was gay and she had many male suitors.
Well written because it was true but had to wade through at times.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennie was a most talented woman certainly ahead of her time. In today’s world she would have been promoting herself I was surprised at the various fields of endeavor she in which she worked-playwright to interior designer. There are a ton of quotes

[Norla Chee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seems to be more about the people surrounding her than Jennie herself, but interesting to see how the elite and wealthy live. Circujmstances around her death were surprising. I think I would have more vested in reading volume 2 if I could have read volume 1.

[Beverley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly a woman who lived as she chose regardless of what others thought.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slow read for me. I felt like I was reading someones mail which in essence, I was. Far too much detail of really, unimportant interest.

[Marianne Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful research and writing on a magnificent life! These 2 volumes on Lady Randolph are filthy rich with historical detail of an age of wealth and society. I enjoyed every stinking word.

[Doris Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is richly foot-noted, and I see why. According to quotes, her advantage was "utterly unscrupulous". She was better than the best stage mother at promoting her son. She used her body with lovers (book estimates over 200) to gain influence and power. And not just any lover – she selected the most rich, the most powerful, only those who could enhance her power. She was a lover to King Edward VII (before he was crowned) which she used later to help her son.

I draw conclusions from the documentations in the footnotes: she was a con artist supreme. She concentrated her efforts toward "friendships" with people of power and influence. She had tremendous focus, determination and dedication toward her goal of making her son a famous politician, even as soon as he was born. She deterred him from anything less by saying "Destiny has greater things planned for you".

After her first husband her own age died, she only enjoyed younger men. Both of her later husbands were younger than her sons. She used her methods as a young girl so maybe it was a family imprint?

It was jarring to read this book and see how some of the royalty, the very rich and very famous may live. It can take such intense work and extreme effort to achieve some goals, how do some not become sociopaths???

[Susan O · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I knew of Lady Randolph Churchill before reading this biography was that she was beautiful, had many lovers, and was the mother of Winston Churchill. But she was so much more and it is a shame that she isn't known for her many individual accomplishments. Jennie was able to live and be accepted in Society, but also had the ability to step out and do things that other women of the time didn't. She wasn't a feminist, just unwilling to be constrained by convention.

Volume 2 picks up after the death of her husband. After giving so much of her time to his political career, she is now free to devote more time to her sons and as they become more independent to finding her own purpose.

I enjoyed volume 2 as well as vol 1, but there are some differences. Jennie knew everybody, and traveled, so there were many names and places mentioned. I am more familiar with 19th century New York, which is where she began her life and where her father lived, than I am with British society, so the references in volume 2 might mean more to someone else.

I especially recommend this if you enjoy reading about British high society in the late 19th and early 20th century. The book is well-written with many quotes from letters interspersed throughout, with notes.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A continuation of his first volume of her life, this one takes up her life after she was widowed. So much time is spent telling about Winston's career though that she seems almost a background figure. She married twice, both times to much younger men, and seems to have sailed on without being troubled by scandal or society's disapproval. Her attitudes and actions reveal her to have been a very modern woman. If she were living today, she would probably be (or have been) our first female president.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I'm a narcissist. I wanted to read these books because she was called Jennie, spelled just like my name is. She had a very interesting life. I haven't gone so far as to name my son Winston, but it was fun to read.

[Kathleen Lehmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biography of first half of life - until her husband dies of VD. Would like to read part 2 where I believe she does more for her favorite, Winston Churchill. She is an independent woman who entertains many friends, including male friends...

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Boer War, WWI, publishing an arts magazine; Lady Churchill had a life of drive and impact.

[Gizelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Polsci major in me resisted, but failed miserably, to buy and read this. Bow.

[Kimb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but I'd really rather hear about the part of her life that mattered.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing woman! What an interesting life!!!

[Bitsy]

Excellent...Bought from Rare Bookstore for m y library