Thoughts and Adventures

by Winston S. Churchill

This wide-ranging collection of essays allows the contemporary reader to grasp the extraordinary variety and depth of the statesman's mature thoughts on questions, both grave and gay, facing modern man.

Churchill begins by asking what it would be like to live your life over again and ends by describing his love affair with painting. In between he touches on subjects as diverse as spies, cartoons, submarines, elections, flying, and the future.

Reading these essays, originally dictated late at night in the 1920s in his study as the 'pot-boilers', first published in magazines and newspapers, by which he was able to support his family and live like a lord without inherited wealth, is like being invited to dinner at his country seat at Chartwell, where the soup was limpid, Pol Roger champagne flowed, the pudding had a theme, and Churchill entertained lucky visitors with vivid conversation, dominated by himself.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Politics, Historical, Leadership, Nobel Prize

256 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1990

About the author

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, politician and writer, as prime minister from 1940 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1955 led Great Britain, published several works, including The Second World War from 1948 to 1953, and then won the Nobel Prize for literature.

William Maxwell Aitken, first baron Beaverbrook, held many cabinet positions during the 1940s as a confidant of Churchill.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can), served the United Kingdom again. A noted statesman, orator and strategist, Churchill also served as an officer in the Army. This prolific author "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."

Out of respect for Winston_Churchill, the well-known American author, Winston S. Churchill offered to use his middle initial as an author.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston...

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if he had not been a very good writer, Winston Churchill lead such an amazing life that it is always worth reading his essays. Because this was published in 1932 he was only midway through life. Like a Zelig he always seemed to be where the action was. For instance, we find him on horseback present during a marathon two days of military review with Kaiser Wilhelm before World War I, on the scene of a newsworthy dust up between a socialist spy cell and the police in east London, interrupting a baronial dinner along with several Admiralty colleagues when it appears that the home in question has a spotlight that might be shining on British military ships (it was likely being used to locate deer), and some hair raising flying done before and during World War I.

He has really honed his writing style. Because he didn’t inherit wealth or marry an American heiress (as his father did) he had to earn the living that would support his lifestyle. The answer was writing.

I gave this collection a 4 instead of a 5 because it isn’t just plain brilliant like his histories or books on complete subjects.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the same as Thoughts and Adventures by Sir Winston Churchill, but is a much later book written by his grandson. The grandson is not the writer that his grandfather was, but he is very good, very interesting, and has done a good job with this book. He even talks about the Kennedys, and the honors bestowed on his grandfather by the U.S., and his grandfather's state funeral. This book was published in 1989. His grandfather's "Thoughts and Adventures" was first published in 1932.

[Bert Corluy · Rating 5 out of 5]

churchill in 1932 looking at the past present and future of his life and his society. what is truly striking for a contemporary reader is just how relevant his thoughts are for us today,almost 100 years later. his insights in elections, the economy indeed tariffs vs free trade are valid still. as in his autobiography, he was struck by how fast the world and the people had changed in his lifetime. as reader i was struck by just how much he had already done, even before the second world war had even begun. highly recommended to everyone who wants a little insight in who exactly was Winston S. Churchill, one of if not the most important Briton of all time.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of essays on a wide variety of topics, all delightful in some way. Churchill had a very good way with words and I particularly enjoyed some of his thoughts on reading, hobbies, painting, WWI, and socialism.

[José · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read Churchill before and had forgotten what a good writer he was. In addition to reminding me of that, this book also reveals his fearless and adventurous side. Like a philosopher king in Plato’s Republic, he stepped down from the lofty heights of government to serve as a Major in a frontline battalion in the Great War. He tempted fate more than once flying around in the earliest and more experimental aircraft while they were still figuring out how to recover from stalls. He was there to broker the deal that led to the current partition of Ireland into an independent Republic and a Unionist North. He persevered as a politician, coming back from defeat at the polls and switching parties as he saw fit. Finally, he talks about his hobbies (painting being his favorite). The essay in which he talks about reading as a hobby is sublime and should be read and recited by every bibliophile.

[Jose Cobos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este autor es un gran cuentista. Nos cuenta la Historia a través de sus experiencias más íntimas. Y nos deja poco espacio para imaginar asuntos relacionados con lo que va diciendo pero lo que sí nos entrega es una perspectiva muy cosmopolita desde su saber y vivencia. Muy agradable y pertinente y no pierde vigencia a pesar de ser publicado en 1932. Gracias a las 319 páginas leídas ahora puedo entender que es pasar de un siglo a otro conociendo la historia y tratando de analizarla en contexto.

4.2

Reseña en Instagram:

https://instagram.com/p/Cq8M1i0useKI6...

[Gabriel Magill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Churchill is a brilliant writer and tells a good story! This book was enjoyable for me, but ultimately felt very pointless. By that, I mean there was no unifying thought or purpose behind this collection. You couldn’t trace a thread of ideas between them. And while the occasionally has some good insights, they didn’t have enough cumulative wisdom to make them worth the time to read them. If you go into this book just looking for some amusing observations on the early 20th century, it will be an enjoyable read, but don’t anticipate more than that.

[Melsene G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as it was so different than most other Churchill books. Winston shared stories and adventures not found in other books, so it was really fun and I LOL'd quite a bit. Some highlights include people that made a huge impact on Winston's life, his piloting experiences, his spy story, a day with Clemenceau, and his prediction on 50 years hence. He ends with his painting and why it's so crucial to have a hobby, or an artistic outlet! I'm with you there!

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am excited after reading this about what kind of adventures I could discover for myself. His thoughts on Mass Effects on Modern Life, Moses, and Hobbies are something that have driven the soft sciences of psychology especially Jung's work. This is something I'll keep on my bookshelf at home for future generations to look back and wonder.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect combination of excellent writing, history lesson, and wisdom from one of the 20th century's most powerful thinkers and leaders. Every page offers several of all three delights.

[Son Tung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by Churchill in 1932, so WWI is in it. I really want this written later after WWII and his thoughts on post war politics.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful essays; beautiful use of language.

[Jim Hagemn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Churchill

This book is a series of essays, all of which Churchill wrote before the 1940s. All are models of clarity, some of which are prophetic. A+++

[Nenad Cikic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Churchill could pass as futurist his predictions were pretty much on spot.

[Bill Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://beingbeliefbehavior.blogspot....

[Paul R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great version

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

After many years of having some of Churchill's books sitting around, I finally got around to reading one that I saw highly recommended. The man was definitely brilliant, a very smooth writer, and had a mind that ranged widely everywhere. Must admit that I was thoroughly fascinated by the collection, and will now go on and read some of the other things that I've just looked at for so long.
This book was originally published in 1932.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been fascinated by what I know about Winston Churchill but never before had I read his own writing. This book offered a great window into his character with innumerable inspirational phrases throughout.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent; a middle-aged Winnie at his best.

[Keith Schnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of magazine and newspaper articles written by Winston Churchill in the 1920s and '30s is fascinating because, being written before anyone, including Churchill himself, knew of his great lifetime achievement, they give a more balanced picture of his strengths and weaknesses as a politician and public man. In particular, Churchill muses on several occasions how great it would if someone in Parliament understood Economics, which if anything reflects Churchill's own definite ignorance on the subject and sheds light on several disastrous decisions that Churchill made as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 1920s, most notably his decision to return to the Gold Standard at 1914 rates after the First World War. The essays also demonstrate Churchill's amazing breadth of interest and experience, covering subjects such as oil painting, learning to fly an airplane and commanding a front line infantry battalion in World War One.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here in this volume a new generation of readers will be exposed to this remarkable man who, though far from infallible or bereft of blind spots, nonetheless strides across our age like legend out of antiquity.

http://newledger.com/2009/06/churchil...

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well-written. Delightfully varied in topics and styles. A fun, easy, and yet deeply rewarding read.

[Rizu_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

百聞不如一見，邱吉爾確實1000%是帝國主義的擁護者。
很遺憾地說，他對民主的憂慮似乎到現今依然適用

[Joel Zartman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rather dull, on the whole.