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The Churchills: A Family at the Heart of History - from the Duke of Marlborough to Winston Churchill
From The Duke Of Marlborough To Winston Churchill. Having enjoyed Mary S Lovell's previous books, I was looking forward to this biography of The Churchills, and it has exceeded my expectations. In the preface, the author says she may be taken to task for adopting a 'gossipy' approach to her subjects. She also says that she began this project with the idea of writing about the entire Churchill family, but the scope was too much for one volume. Seeing that there are many biographies about individual people in this book, not least about its most famous member, Winston Churchill, that is a justifiable worry. However, Lovell has managed to produce a book that is sublime -interesting, informative and, yes, gossipy, in the most enjoyable way.
640 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2011
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April 26, 2015
Having enjoyed Mary S Lovell's previous books, I was looking forward to this biography of The Churchills, and it has exceeded my expectations. In the preface, the author says she may be taken to task for adopting a 'gossipy' approach to her subjects. She also says that she began this project with the idea of writing about the entire Churchill family, but the scope was too much for one volume. Seeing that there are many biographies about individual people in this book, not least about its most famous member, Winston Churchill, that is a justifiable worry. However, Lovell has managed to produce a book that is sublime -interesting, informative and, yes, gossipy, in the most enjoyable way.
The beginning of the book looks at the early family history of the Spencer's and Churchill's and the building of Blenheim. However, the story really starts in earnest with the marriage of Winston's parents, Jennie Jerome and Randolph Churchill. Also, of great importance in the book is Randolph's eldest brother, whose son (known as Sunny, but who did not quite manage to live up to his nickname) inherited Blenheim. Desperate for money, Sunny entered into a loveless marriage with Consuelo Vanderbilt, an American heiress who he said was a 'link in the chain' to support his family home. She was only in her teens when forced to marry him, and it was noticed that she had been sobbing before the wedding. Things did not really improve afterwards either, but Winston was close to his first cousin and also very fond of Consuelo.
Winston Churchill towers over this book, and it is difficult to imagine such a young man having such self belief and strength. Despite a real lack of parental input and love in his early life, he was always loyal to his parents and completely supportive of them. Even though his father showed only disapproval and disappointment, Winston revered him. He adored his mother, even when she did things which could have harmed his career, such as marrying a much younger man and shocking society with her love affairs. Although the book is not meant to be an in-depth look at Winston's political career, it obviously does follow his life, from his early army career, his work as a war correspondent and his career in politics, which was where his heart lay. When a prisoner in the Boer War, Winston wrote, "I am 25 today - it is terrible to think how little time remains", an amazing remark for such a young man to make, and he felt he had a charmed life, saying that he had faith in his 'star', his destiny, and that he felt he was intended to do something in the world'. Always ambitious, he had great belief in himself and thought that he would become Prime Minister. Obviously, part of him wished to live up to his father's political career, which crashed in a spectacular way. Randolph's peers were helpful to Winston in achieving introductions and he was never shy to use anything to help him succeed.
The book follows Winston's life, and that of all his family, through both world wars. The book ends in the last chapter, covering the years 1963-78. Although both world wars are covered, the book never veers from being a family history and follows what happens from the point of view of the people involved. It is not an in depth analysis of either wars, nor does it pretend to be. There are other books which examine Winston Churchill as a statesman and a leader. This book is a look at a family - not an ordinary family, but one involved at the highest levels in politics and society. Their ambitions, successes, failures, happiness and sadness are covered with warmth and sympathy by the author. She brings the time and the people to life and evokes a real sense of understanding for the people she writes about.
The beginning of the book looks at the early family history of the Spencer's and Churchill's and the building of Blenheim. However, the story really starts in earnest with the marriage of Winston's parents, Jennie Jerome and Randolph Churchill. Also, of great importance in the book is Randolph's eldest brother, whose son (known as Sunny, but who did not quite manage to live up to his nickname) inherited Blenheim. Desperate for money, Sunny entered into a loveless marriage with Consuelo Vanderbilt, an American heiress who he said was a 'link in the chain' to support his family home. She was only in her teens when forced to marry him, and it was noticed that she had been sobbing before the wedding. Things did not really improve afterwards either, but Winston was close to his first cousin and also very fond of Consuelo.
Winston Churchill towers over this book, and it is difficult to imagine such a young man having such self belief and strength. Despite a real lack of parental input and love in his early life, he was always loyal to his parents and completely supportive of them. Even though his father showed only disapproval and disappointment, Winston revered him. He adored his mother, even when she did things which could have harmed his career, such as marrying a much younger man and shocking society with her love affairs. Although the book is not meant to be an in-depth look at Winston's political career, it obviously does follow his life, from his early army career, his work as a war correspondent and his career in politics, which was where his heart lay. When a prisoner in the Boer War, Winston wrote, "I am 25 today - it is terrible to think how little time remains", an amazing remark for such a young man to make, and he felt he had a charmed life, saying that he had faith in his 'star', his destiny, and that he felt he was intended to do something in the world'. Always ambitious, he had great belief in himself and thought that he would become Prime Minister. Obviously, part of him wished to live up to his father's political career, which crashed in a spectacular way. Randolph's peers were helpful to Winston in achieving introductions and he was never shy to use anything to help him succeed.
The book follows Winston's life, and that of all his family, through both world wars. The book ends in the last chapter, covering the years 1963-78. Although both world wars are covered, the book never veers from being a family history and follows what happens from the point of view of the people involved. It is not an in depth analysis of either wars, nor does it pretend to be. There are other books which examine Winston Churchill as a statesman and a leader. This book is a look at a family - not an ordinary family, but one involved at the highest levels in politics and society. Their ambitions, successes, failures, happiness and sadness are covered with warmth and sympathy by the author. She brings the time and the people to life and evokes a real sense of understanding for the people she writes about.
April 21, 2013
When you pick up a book of Winston Churchill, you sort of know what you are going to get. You think you will have yet another retelling of how Winston won World War 2, after featuring in the Boer War as a correspondent and even before that in Sudan as a cavalry officer. Well, yes - you get that, but you get a lot more than that and in a much more entertaining package than many other books can offer.
The main feature of this book is of course the extraordinary love and affection that Winston Churchill found in Clementine Hozier. There are few couples at the top of the ruling classes in this world who have found a relationship that sees them through the good and the bad times: Margaret and Dennis Thatcher, Ronald Reagan with his Nancy, and Mikhail Gorbachev with Raisa Gorbacheva spring to mind. I do declare though that the Churchills take the cake. Clementine realized early on that Winston was an exceptional man and he would change the world, but only if he had a home to call his own and a balanced life. She set out to provide just that, and she did it so well that Winston was able to steer full steam ahead through times of peace and war.
This is not to say the Churchills did not have their adversities in life, far from it. Besides losing one daughter to sickness at the age of three, their other children provided ample problems all through their lives, and the author is very balanced in her delivery of these events in the Churchills' life. In fact, it is in a way cathartic to see that even if you rule the remains of an empire, you still have to deal with an unruly son whose ego was second only to his father's, and who had such trouble locating his place in the world.
This book also excels in the description of upper-echelon life in the late Victorian period into the Roaring Twenties and the post-war era. It is nothing short of revelatory to see how behind the facades, men are cuckolded with glee and women are thrust into societal sidelights through the unbelievable extramarital affairs of their husbands. It seems that many marriages were entered into for all the wrong reasons such as money, prestige, family ties or simple coercion.
Another feature that gets much air time in the book is the role of money in the said circles. Take Blenheim, the Churchills' family estate, a vast mammoth of a building in dire need of funds for repair and upkeep. The solution by the then Duke? Marry money. It's fine, because the mother of the bride-to-be had long been of the opinion that her daughter should be a Duchess. So, Sunny Marlborough and Consuelo Vanderbilt got married only to find very quickly that they were exact opposites in any issue imaginable. Sure, the next generation heir was produced, but the heart-rending story of these two unhappy people has been delivered by the author in a delicate vein.
WHy read this book? First, because it sheds light on Winston Churchill the man instead of WC the PM. Second, because few books have such a wide cast of characters, and still form a coherent narrative. And third, because this is the best book I have read so far that makes you understand just how the posturing, pomp, and circumstance of Victorian England actually operated, and how the influx of American money princesses changed things. This is a highly entertaining read and you will have much fun picturing people running into their mistresses in the company of another mistress while on the run from their wives. And vice versa.
And you will see that there is such a thing as true love.
The main feature of this book is of course the extraordinary love and affection that Winston Churchill found in Clementine Hozier. There are few couples at the top of the ruling classes in this world who have found a relationship that sees them through the good and the bad times: Margaret and Dennis Thatcher, Ronald Reagan with his Nancy, and Mikhail Gorbachev with Raisa Gorbacheva spring to mind. I do declare though that the Churchills take the cake. Clementine realized early on that Winston was an exceptional man and he would change the world, but only if he had a home to call his own and a balanced life. She set out to provide just that, and she did it so well that Winston was able to steer full steam ahead through times of peace and war.
This is not to say the Churchills did not have their adversities in life, far from it. Besides losing one daughter to sickness at the age of three, their other children provided ample problems all through their lives, and the author is very balanced in her delivery of these events in the Churchills' life. In fact, it is in a way cathartic to see that even if you rule the remains of an empire, you still have to deal with an unruly son whose ego was second only to his father's, and who had such trouble locating his place in the world.
This book also excels in the description of upper-echelon life in the late Victorian period into the Roaring Twenties and the post-war era. It is nothing short of revelatory to see how behind the facades, men are cuckolded with glee and women are thrust into societal sidelights through the unbelievable extramarital affairs of their husbands. It seems that many marriages were entered into for all the wrong reasons such as money, prestige, family ties or simple coercion.
Another feature that gets much air time in the book is the role of money in the said circles. Take Blenheim, the Churchills' family estate, a vast mammoth of a building in dire need of funds for repair and upkeep. The solution by the then Duke? Marry money. It's fine, because the mother of the bride-to-be had long been of the opinion that her daughter should be a Duchess. So, Sunny Marlborough and Consuelo Vanderbilt got married only to find very quickly that they were exact opposites in any issue imaginable. Sure, the next generation heir was produced, but the heart-rending story of these two unhappy people has been delivered by the author in a delicate vein.
WHy read this book? First, because it sheds light on Winston Churchill the man instead of WC the PM. Second, because few books have such a wide cast of characters, and still form a coherent narrative. And third, because this is the best book I have read so far that makes you understand just how the posturing, pomp, and circumstance of Victorian England actually operated, and how the influx of American money princesses changed things. This is a highly entertaining read and you will have much fun picturing people running into their mistresses in the company of another mistress while on the run from their wives. And vice versa.
And you will see that there is such a thing as true love.
February 8, 2012
Even at 600+ pages this was an easy gossipy read that sped by. Mary S. Lovell has written of the big names and famous families before (The Mitford Sisters, Bess of Hardwick and Beryl Markham) so she knows the territory. Though she begins at the beginning with the first Churcills, the original Duke of Marlborough and his wife Sarah, most of the book concentrates on Winston Churchill and the generation above and below him. Given a thrice-married beauty for a mother (Jennie Jerome, one of the first American "dollar princesses"), an infamous aunt (Consuelo Vanderbilt who was locked in her room before her wedding to the 9th Duke), and Winston's long career that spanned the reign of Queen Victoria to her great-granddaughter the current Queen Elizabeth, it is rather a feat to create such a readable book. It's filled with politics, parties, and problem children, war, disgrace and redemption, and amazing amounts of bedroom-hopping (but not by Winnie and Clemmie). Because we are most familiar with Winston Churchill as the 66-year-old PM at the beginning of WWII, it is especially fascinating to discover the young, handsome, rising politician and see him as a husband and father (a sucess at the former though not the latter).
Tidbits I learned:
Churchill won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953;
He was blamed for the disastrous Dardanelles campaign in WWI when he was First Lord of the Admiralty but the decision was not his alone; As a result he resigned his Cabinet post and fought in the trenches
He was a polo player and learned to fly a Farnam biplane in the early part of the 20th century;
Tidbits I learned:
Churchill won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953;
He was blamed for the disastrous Dardanelles campaign in WWI when he was First Lord of the Admiralty but the decision was not his alone; As a result he resigned his Cabinet post and fought in the trenches
He was a polo player and learned to fly a Farnam biplane in the early part of the 20th century;
July 17, 2011
This book paints an almost mind-numbing picture of the lifestyles of a parasitic class of people born either to obscene wealth or a life eased by a network of powerful connections, who spent much of their time screwing around with other people's spouses, buying and decorating expensive properties bought with other people's money, attending exclusive parties, looking down on anyone not as well born as themselves, and whining about their poverty even when their incomes were literally 25 to 50 times higher than what an entire working family at the time had to live on. They solved the poverty problem by running up immense debts which they let other people pay for, while subjecting their children to emotional abuse that predictably led to mental illness in generation after generation.
Though other reviewers called this book "gossipy" the author has deliberately left out most of the gossip found in other biographies of this same clan, much of which is credible. Instead she only passes on the stories that could not be denied as they came out in subsequent divorces and newspapers articles.
At a certain point it became clear to me that her purpose in writting this book had been to whitewash the Churchill family. But she failed. By the end of this book, I really couldn't care less whether Churchill's mother really hadn't had 200 lovers or whether the fact that Churchill and his wife seemed to spend most of their later lives living separately didn't mean their marriage was a failure--both subjects dear to the author's heart, because the picture she paints of the broader society they lived in and the behavior of their extended families--with the stellar exception of Winston himself--digusted me.
I was left with the feeling that it is a miracle that the English didn't rise against the aristocrats who controlled most of the power and much of the money of their society well into the latter half of the 20th century.
Though other reviewers called this book "gossipy" the author has deliberately left out most of the gossip found in other biographies of this same clan, much of which is credible. Instead she only passes on the stories that could not be denied as they came out in subsequent divorces and newspapers articles.
At a certain point it became clear to me that her purpose in writting this book had been to whitewash the Churchill family. But she failed. By the end of this book, I really couldn't care less whether Churchill's mother really hadn't had 200 lovers or whether the fact that Churchill and his wife seemed to spend most of their later lives living separately didn't mean their marriage was a failure--both subjects dear to the author's heart, because the picture she paints of the broader society they lived in and the behavior of their extended families--with the stellar exception of Winston himself--digusted me.
I was left with the feeling that it is a miracle that the English didn't rise against the aristocrats who controlled most of the power and much of the money of their society well into the latter half of the 20th century.
August 20, 2012
I have read Mary S. Lovell's The Mitford Girls and enjoyed it, so was quite interested to find this in a library The tone is much the same as with the Mitford book, and it makes for easy reading. BUT!!!! I am only on page 33 and already have found 2 factual errors. Granted neither of them impede on the story but they are details that it would have been very easy to get right. It makes me wonder about the accuracy of her research overall. Disappointed to see these. Hope there won't be any more.
Oh dear. Am now on p 203 and still finding errors. Very disappointing.
Finished this today (Aug 20) and overall am quite disappointed with it. A good few errors - either the research wasn't done properly or the editing wasn't very good but they detract from the book overall. The tone is lightweight almost gossipy, and the author skirts over huge chunks of time with only the merest comments.
It certainly wouldn't inspire me to pick up any more of her books. I gave 2 stars because the subjects were quite interesting.
Oh dear. Am now on p 203 and still finding errors. Very disappointing.
Finished this today (Aug 20) and overall am quite disappointed with it. A good few errors - either the research wasn't done properly or the editing wasn't very good but they detract from the book overall. The tone is lightweight almost gossipy, and the author skirts over huge chunks of time with only the merest comments.
It certainly wouldn't inspire me to pick up any more of her books. I gave 2 stars because the subjects were quite interesting.
October 24, 2011
This was wonderful. Extremely readable prose, written with care and humor that brings all of the Churchills, good and not so good, to life. Winston is at the center and the stories of his family members and friends are fascinating. I learned a lot about the history of his time in a way I had not before. Ms. Lovell made their lives so contemporary that I had no trouble relating to their charms and foibles a hundred years ago!
June 17, 2011
This sounds ponderous for summer reading, but it's actually really gossipy and fun. I liked it quite a bit better than the author's book on the Mitford sisters. If you've read a lot about those famous British aristocratic types who lived around time of the World Wars, then you will encounter many familiar names, most of which I have no idea had such ties with Winston Churchill. Highly recommended if you're into chatty, not-stuffy bios from this time period.
August 29, 2014
Lovell tackled a giant subject here - but she did it once before (quite successfully) in The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family, and she mostly succeeds here too. She's drew from the extensive Churchill-Spencerian aquifer, effervescent with Marlboroughs and Vanderbilts and Mitfords and Guests and so on, a huge cast. She drew deeply, and by the end, there wasn't much water left. Interestingly, the most vivid parts of the book are during the late Victorian-Edwardian time period. You would think the Churchill heyday would be World War II, but the whole family was in the ascendant during the 1870s-1910s, certainly socially, but also economically and politically too. Lovell's genius here is dropping bits of information here and there into the book that. Like a great painter, she uses color and light to make characters stand out - Clementine's love of tennis, or where the boorish Randolph lost his virginity, or Consuelo's Palm Beach French house - which she has to do in this huge cast of cads, heroes, villains, and cavaliers.
April 1, 2012
It is quite a daunting prospect to review a book about such a monumental person as Sir Winston Churchill. Google his name and pages and pages of stuff are listed. Any one of these provides a potted biography, lists of his many outstanding achievements, the ups and downs of his political career, his talents and interests, his personal and family life, his memorable quotes, trusts, speeches and books he wrote. The latter a career in itself.
So the purpose of this review is not to tell you about Sir Winston's life, but about this particular book which sets out to document it. And what a book it is. It sheer size alone is huge - running to 670 pages, with the last 100 pages comprising bibliography, notes, appendices and a most impressive index; chock full of photographs; and a comprehensive family tree. All of which I regularly referred to.
Beginning with the origins of the family dukedom (awarded by Queen Anne in 1702), the first chapter gives a brief but fascinating history of the family up till about the middle of the 19th century and the time of the 7th Duke of Marlborough. Sir Winston's father, Lord Randolph, was the third son of this particular Duke. From then on the book focuses in huge detail on the life of Winston, literally from cradle to grave.
The research the author has put into this book is quite staggering. I always find it quite remarkable how people in our recent past kept so much of their personal written correspondence. This is now such a rich source of information about daily life, issues, and relationships of those who until quite recently really were living amongst us. I am thinking of letters that Winston wrote at boarding school to his parents, or the heart felt letters and notes that he and his wife Clementine wrote to each other constantly through out their marriage. Not only has the author managed to find her way through all this material, but somehow she has the ability to put it all together in such a way that at times you feel as if you are invading someone's innermost thoughts, or being given permission to wallow in the salacious gossip and lurid details of the lives of the British aristocracy. Will email and Facebook ever provide us again with such a rich and thoughtful insight into lives?
There is plenty of scandal and gossip throughout this book. Quite startling too I have to say: a whole appendix devoted to whether or not Lord Randolph died of syphilis, for example. And one look at the extensive family tree, with Winston and his brother Jack in the center of it, shows that they are the only ones who were married only once. So much for 'till death do us part'. There certainly wasn't much of that around! Fascinating reading.
But it is not all social climbing, bed hopping, and saving face. I doubt whether Winston would have had the impressive career and political life he had if it had not been for the support, devotion and undying love of his wife Clementine. She herself was an amazing woman and became a life peer, as well as a Dame. Her own war service as president or chairperson of various service groups earned her enormous respect and recognition. Yet her role as Winston's life long partner will be what she is forever remembered for. As the saying goes, behind every successful man there is a great woman.
From childhood Winston set his sights on a career in politics. His love of toy soliders and battle planning meant a defence career was also a foregone conclusion. To make these subjects interesting and readable to the average reader is quite an achievement; there were perhaps only a few pages when I felt I had read enough about that particular political machination (plenty of them), or the intricacies of a certain military action. The one section that did have me riveted however was the appalling debacle at Gallipoli in 1915-1916 when Churchill was the First Lord of the Admirality. As a result he received much of the blame for the disaster. Coming from New Zealand, the battle of Gallipoli features very heavily in our history and national identity as it also does for Australians. We know a lot about this battle in this part of the world. So to have the author so vividly, concisely and simply tell the story, for me, was one of the main things I have taken away from this book.
What I also take away from this book is that the world is sorely lacking in leaders with the outstanding qualities that Winston Churchill had. I can't think of a single leader in recent years who has the ability to inspire people,to not be afraid, who, as the author tells it, is not in the job for personal glorification or sees the job as a means to his own ends. The author clearly loves her subject; her admiration for the man and what he achieved in his life time and for his country is enormous. Whether this is a failing of the book I do not know, as I have not done any research or previous reading of Winston Churchill. The author has however, compiled mountains of material into a most readable and fascinating account of Britain, Europe, its leaders, movers and shakers over almost ninety years and for that reason alone it is worth reading.
Mary Lovell has written biographies of some very interesting well-known and not so well-known people and families - the Mitford sisters, Beryl Markham, Amelia Earhart and Jane Digby, plus others. I have read two of these other biographies, both of which were easy, enjoyable and informative, but also large reads!
June 7, 2017
Easy to read biography of Churchill and his family.
April 25, 2019
Gossipy and banal, I grew bored and couldn’t finish the book, an interesting topic poorly executed.
Read
January 23, 2023This book is not for me.
March 31, 2013
I learned an important lesson reading this book. That would be to research your biographer and your options before deciding on a book, and especially if the subject matter is well known. When again will I get around to the Churchill's and Winston? It will be a good while and this book will be with me until such time as I pick up another. There are likely far better books on Winston Churchill and though I've read none of them, I suspect this is not among them. Before I go further I want to say I did enjoy Lovell's biography of Lady Jane Digby, a far less known person of historical account than Winston and less works to choose from (and so maybe I am fooling myself) but I recall it being an enjoyable read.
As the book's title says, this is one about the Churchill family, not just Winston, detailing their loves and times of war. As such the author gives all of the Churchill's their due. The author however takes you on unnecessary jaunts covering the background of people only very peripherally associated with the Churchills. While interesting enough in of themselves (Clara Jerome for example) they would have been better covered in other works.
The writing at times was embarrassing truth be told. I recall the author transitioning from one paragraph to another with: "But anyways...". This tone and style stuck in my craw and made it difficult to take the biographer seriously. At other times it was nonsensical and seemed like filler to enlarge the page count of the book and not something meaningful and essential to the larger story.
While the book begins with a discussion of the Churchills, the Marlborough Dukedom and the palace of Blenheim, one picks up this volume for the Big Kahuna, Winston Churchill himself. Sadly the author fails here too. His early life and later his involvement in the Boer Wars and politics is chronicled well enough. It only gets weaker however as time moves forward. Most important events are handled very lightly and briefly: The disaster at the Dardanelles Strait in WWI and later during events in WWII. I don't even recall the author mentioning the all important friendship with FDR. His most important and greatest speech (We will fight on the beaches...) only garnered a brief mention. I did learn what I had not known before, that he was a prolific author and painter throughout his life.
More time and exposition was given to familial arrangements surrounding various holidays and home-life. Nothing too terribly wrong with this but it was done at the expense of far more monumental and important points in Churchill's life. Much time is spent characterizing his and his wife Clementine's marriage and their devoted love for one another. This wasn't unwelcome by any means and I was left with a great respect for Clementine and her indefatigable support of Winston. The adage here is appropriate, behind every great man...Sad to read it was largely at the expense of their children.
I understand there are biographies of Jennie Jerome (Winston's mother), Consuelo Vanderbilt (Winston's aunt by marriage), and others. One would be better served by seeking those out than relying on this book to tell their respective stories. Much of Winston's children and their lives are chronicled herein also. Most of the Churchill men were forgettable, even pathetic, and Winston stands out among them as a far better person. This book was a poor attempt and missed opportunity to shed light on Winston and place him appropriately in history. There are surely better options. I was only able to finish the book as his life was so extraordinary, even this attempt was reasonably compelling to propel me on to the last page.
Save your time and effort and choose a better known biographer of Winston than this one. I've read other biographers like McCullough and Massie, so I like to think I know a good biography when I read one. This sadly was not one of them.
As the book's title says, this is one about the Churchill family, not just Winston, detailing their loves and times of war. As such the author gives all of the Churchill's their due. The author however takes you on unnecessary jaunts covering the background of people only very peripherally associated with the Churchills. While interesting enough in of themselves (Clara Jerome for example) they would have been better covered in other works.
The writing at times was embarrassing truth be told. I recall the author transitioning from one paragraph to another with: "But anyways...". This tone and style stuck in my craw and made it difficult to take the biographer seriously. At other times it was nonsensical and seemed like filler to enlarge the page count of the book and not something meaningful and essential to the larger story.
While the book begins with a discussion of the Churchills, the Marlborough Dukedom and the palace of Blenheim, one picks up this volume for the Big Kahuna, Winston Churchill himself. Sadly the author fails here too. His early life and later his involvement in the Boer Wars and politics is chronicled well enough. It only gets weaker however as time moves forward. Most important events are handled very lightly and briefly: The disaster at the Dardanelles Strait in WWI and later during events in WWII. I don't even recall the author mentioning the all important friendship with FDR. His most important and greatest speech (We will fight on the beaches...) only garnered a brief mention. I did learn what I had not known before, that he was a prolific author and painter throughout his life.
More time and exposition was given to familial arrangements surrounding various holidays and home-life. Nothing too terribly wrong with this but it was done at the expense of far more monumental and important points in Churchill's life. Much time is spent characterizing his and his wife Clementine's marriage and their devoted love for one another. This wasn't unwelcome by any means and I was left with a great respect for Clementine and her indefatigable support of Winston. The adage here is appropriate, behind every great man...Sad to read it was largely at the expense of their children.
I understand there are biographies of Jennie Jerome (Winston's mother), Consuelo Vanderbilt (Winston's aunt by marriage), and others. One would be better served by seeking those out than relying on this book to tell their respective stories. Much of Winston's children and their lives are chronicled herein also. Most of the Churchill men were forgettable, even pathetic, and Winston stands out among them as a far better person. This book was a poor attempt and missed opportunity to shed light on Winston and place him appropriately in history. There are surely better options. I was only able to finish the book as his life was so extraordinary, even this attempt was reasonably compelling to propel me on to the last page.
Save your time and effort and choose a better known biographer of Winston than this one. I've read other biographers like McCullough and Massie, so I like to think I know a good biography when I read one. This sadly was not one of them.
December 6, 2020
A big bold book that reads like a racy thriller. The Churchill family, led by the indomitable Winston, are much larger than life and their astonishing exploits are spellbinding. But oh, the affairs; so many affairs. Why were the upper class constantly in and out of each other's beds? I asked my 90 year old mother, who grew up at the tailend of this gilded age, and she puts it down to boredom and because they could!
February 13, 2016
This book is not solely about Winston Churchill although his life occupies the major part of it.
Author Mary Lovell begins the story by introducing John Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, who lived from 1822 to 1823 and was Winston’s paternal grandfather. Winston’s father was Lord Randolph Churchill and, curiously enough, it was Randolph’s lack of fatherly attention towards Winston that played a positive role in Winston’s youth; it made him self-reliant, ambitious, and an almost maniacal workhorse. Lovell provides a two page selective Churchill family tree at the start which is very useful in keeping track of everyone.
In the text leading up to Winston’s youthful years, we’re treated to plenty of tales about the higher echelons of British society. In those days, there were many marriages arranged between American women who were very wealthy and English noblemen who had little money but large estates to maintain. In many cases, the resulting marriages were unhappy unions, a result which caused either the husband or wife, or both, to seek love and sexual pleasures elsewhere, thereby generating tons of fodder for the London gossip mills. The standing rule in these “open marriages” was that the unfaithful party should be very discreet and not cause gossip or scandal.
Winston participated in the Boer War as both a correspondent/journalist and a fighter. He was most anxious to get into the thick of combat, not for patriotic reasons but to burnish his reputation in order to achieve success in the political arena when he returned to England. He knew early in his life that he wanted a career in politics and spent all his energies to achieve his goals.
Winston and Clementine, his sole wife of many years, traveled extensively, sometimes together and other times as individuals going to different places on political or business matters as well as vacations. Their lives intersected with other well known persons such as Mussolini, Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt, Evelyn Waugh, Jack Kennedy, Aristotle Onassis and many others. Both lived long lives and sadly witnessed the deaths of three of their five children.
I recommend William Manchester’s Last Lion trilogy to those wishing more details about the life of Winston Churchill.
Author Mary Lovell begins the story by introducing John Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, who lived from 1822 to 1823 and was Winston’s paternal grandfather. Winston’s father was Lord Randolph Churchill and, curiously enough, it was Randolph’s lack of fatherly attention towards Winston that played a positive role in Winston’s youth; it made him self-reliant, ambitious, and an almost maniacal workhorse. Lovell provides a two page selective Churchill family tree at the start which is very useful in keeping track of everyone.
In the text leading up to Winston’s youthful years, we’re treated to plenty of tales about the higher echelons of British society. In those days, there were many marriages arranged between American women who were very wealthy and English noblemen who had little money but large estates to maintain. In many cases, the resulting marriages were unhappy unions, a result which caused either the husband or wife, or both, to seek love and sexual pleasures elsewhere, thereby generating tons of fodder for the London gossip mills. The standing rule in these “open marriages” was that the unfaithful party should be very discreet and not cause gossip or scandal.
Winston participated in the Boer War as both a correspondent/journalist and a fighter. He was most anxious to get into the thick of combat, not for patriotic reasons but to burnish his reputation in order to achieve success in the political arena when he returned to England. He knew early in his life that he wanted a career in politics and spent all his energies to achieve his goals.
Winston and Clementine, his sole wife of many years, traveled extensively, sometimes together and other times as individuals going to different places on political or business matters as well as vacations. Their lives intersected with other well known persons such as Mussolini, Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt, Evelyn Waugh, Jack Kennedy, Aristotle Onassis and many others. Both lived long lives and sadly witnessed the deaths of three of their five children.
I recommend William Manchester’s Last Lion trilogy to those wishing more details about the life of Winston Churchill.
June 20, 2011
I can merely say it was okay in a big curl up in the armchair with a glass of wine and indulge in a bit of gossip kind of way. It was fairly quick to read, and offered very little of substance, and was basically an entertaining bit of fluff. I'm certainly not above a bit of fluff here and there, and the book did round out my mental images of a few people who, heretofore, had been vague names on the pages of multiple books and histories.
April 14, 2012
the Churchill family history is certainly juicy and sometimes depressing. I found myself repeating "no way!" "really?" "Holy cow!"
It made me wonder if anything at all that happens in childhood can really keep a great man from his destiny. Some men just seem to be born for a purpose in history. I recommend this book, even if you don't like history. The Churchills certainly were not boring people!
It made me wonder if anything at all that happens in childhood can really keep a great man from his destiny. Some men just seem to be born for a purpose in history. I recommend this book, even if you don't like history. The Churchills certainly were not boring people!
November 30, 2013
Very weighty tome, but extremely "readable". This book is about personal relationships with the great events of the past two centuries serving as a backdrop. Fans of "Downtown Abbey" should find the descriptions of Victorian and Edwardian moires interesting. I will be checking out Lovell's book about the the Mitford sisters next.
May 22, 2015
Lovell has a knack for writing non-fiction that is readable and I enjoyed this book. Although it was a little too Winston heavy in my opinion. Having read other books on Churchill I could have done without information and discussion on his political career. Taking a more balanced discussion between Winston and other members of the family would have knocked this up another star.
March 31, 2012
Eminently readable story of a most eminent if slightly bonkers family. Winston comes across as an absolute darling, if one can describe the saviour of the free world as such. Randall comes across as an absolute [expletive censored]. What a shame.
May 31, 2011
a little too "gossipy" for me.
October 22, 2018
Up front I want to state that I really enjoyed this book almost as much as Lovell’s tremendous book about the MITFORD GIRLS (5 stars). If you’re looking for a deep dive into Winston Churchill you going to drop anchor into the three volume biography by William Manchester (and Paul Reed). With Mary Lovell you get personal family stories with an emphasis on contemporary “gossip” which Lovell believes if properly sourced and explained has a place in serious biography. No doubt it provides entertaining insight and a good read about what was mostly a spoiled dysfunctional family of privilege.
THE CHURCHILLS reads like an upstairs (without the downstairs) lifestyle of the rich and royal classes in the age when American heiresses went hunting for British and European royal titled men who needed these women’s money to maintain their vast family estates. These were mostly loveless arranged marriages similar to that of Winston Churchill’s American Mother Jennie Jerome and Lord Randolph. (It is estimated Jennie had between 100 and 200 lovers and she also married several times… twice to men almost half her age.)
Winston Churchill is the central figure of the books narrative as his relatives life stories spin off of him as the book moves through time. Blenheim is the palace which was built by the first Duke of Marlborough in the 1600s. The Palace becomes the central gathering place for the Churchill family over the decades that follow. The book provides mostly a cliff notes version of Winston’s major public accomplishments including his big blunder at Gallipoli. It is best when it explains Churchill’s multiple relationships with his wife, children and most interestingly with his Father who ignored and denied him praise (and who also died of Syphilis). Lovell does an excellent job of keeping the various characters stories easy to follow and the relationships interesting through the many marriages and divorces.
My personal view of Winston Churchill has mostly seen him as less than the national hero who is worshiped as the savior of World War II Britain. No doubting his remarkable leadership during World War II but he also had a very long public career with numerous ups and downs (including changing parties) as well as an early life that seems that of a classic Victorian entitled egoist. Bottom line I never thought of him as being a very nice person. Lovell has changed that perception of Churchill as she provides personal insights into his family, upbringing and the culture of his time. In addition he like many of his generation was a great writer which grounded his speech writing taking it to a very high level. His was a great life lived and dared to action no matter the fear of or the actual making of mistakes. He knew defeat, heartbreak, rejection, and sought out a family destiny.
THE CHURCHILLS reads like an upstairs (without the downstairs) lifestyle of the rich and royal classes in the age when American heiresses went hunting for British and European royal titled men who needed these women’s money to maintain their vast family estates. These were mostly loveless arranged marriages similar to that of Winston Churchill’s American Mother Jennie Jerome and Lord Randolph. (It is estimated Jennie had between 100 and 200 lovers and she also married several times… twice to men almost half her age.)
Winston Churchill is the central figure of the books narrative as his relatives life stories spin off of him as the book moves through time. Blenheim is the palace which was built by the first Duke of Marlborough in the 1600s. The Palace becomes the central gathering place for the Churchill family over the decades that follow. The book provides mostly a cliff notes version of Winston’s major public accomplishments including his big blunder at Gallipoli. It is best when it explains Churchill’s multiple relationships with his wife, children and most interestingly with his Father who ignored and denied him praise (and who also died of Syphilis). Lovell does an excellent job of keeping the various characters stories easy to follow and the relationships interesting through the many marriages and divorces.
My personal view of Winston Churchill has mostly seen him as less than the national hero who is worshiped as the savior of World War II Britain. No doubting his remarkable leadership during World War II but he also had a very long public career with numerous ups and downs (including changing parties) as well as an early life that seems that of a classic Victorian entitled egoist. Bottom line I never thought of him as being a very nice person. Lovell has changed that perception of Churchill as she provides personal insights into his family, upbringing and the culture of his time. In addition he like many of his generation was a great writer which grounded his speech writing taking it to a very high level. His was a great life lived and dared to action no matter the fear of or the actual making of mistakes. He knew defeat, heartbreak, rejection, and sought out a family destiny.
February 10, 2021
In this family biography, Mary S. Lovell has provided a thorough overview of generations of the Churchill family, beginning in 1650 with the birth of the first Duke of Marlborough through the lives of Winston Churchill and his children. In a family tree filled with distinguished members connected to the most prominent of British society, Winston Churchill outshines them all. Accordingly, the bulk of this family biography is devoted to his lifetime and work.
This is the fourth biography by Mary S. Lovell I have read and I continue to be impressed by her ability to be thorough, informative, and well researched and yet supremely readable and entertaining at the same time. This biography was no different. For instance, Lovell provides plenty of context and detail about Churchill's career and political involvement without bogging the reader down with too much detailed minutiae. It's clear that the purpose of the book is to provide a joint family biography, including an overview of all the most prominent characters and not an absolutely exhaustive biography of each member, which I greatly appreciated. At the same time, despite this being the third biography I have read about the Churchill family, I still learned new details. For instance, a small but charming new detail I learned about Winston Churchill was his great devotion to a pet budgie named Toby. Lovell's overview of Consuelo Vanderbilt, who married Winston Churchill's cousin the Duke of Marlborough were also interesting to read about, as Consuelo is a fascinating figure in her own right.
I also enjoyed the forthright nature of the discussion in this biography of Winston's relationship with his children. I have previously read the biography written by Winston's daughter Mary Soames that focuses on her mother and her parents' marriage and while wonderful, she was less than forthcoming when it came to detailed descriptions of her siblings' shortcomings or difficulties in familial relationships. While this is particularly understandable in relation to her brother Randolph, who had a stormy relationship with most of his family, I did enjoy that Mary S. Lovell provided more insight on Randolph and how he fit into the family context.
I loved this biography. My only true complaint is I wish there had been room to provide yet more detail about other family members who take on more minor roles in the family saga. Yet at nearly 600 pages, Lovell obviously had to make decisions about how much to include. Overall a fascinating look at a well known family full of rich characters, fascinating stories, and roles that helped shape the course of history.
This is the fourth biography by Mary S. Lovell I have read and I continue to be impressed by her ability to be thorough, informative, and well researched and yet supremely readable and entertaining at the same time. This biography was no different. For instance, Lovell provides plenty of context and detail about Churchill's career and political involvement without bogging the reader down with too much detailed minutiae. It's clear that the purpose of the book is to provide a joint family biography, including an overview of all the most prominent characters and not an absolutely exhaustive biography of each member, which I greatly appreciated. At the same time, despite this being the third biography I have read about the Churchill family, I still learned new details. For instance, a small but charming new detail I learned about Winston Churchill was his great devotion to a pet budgie named Toby. Lovell's overview of Consuelo Vanderbilt, who married Winston Churchill's cousin the Duke of Marlborough were also interesting to read about, as Consuelo is a fascinating figure in her own right.
I also enjoyed the forthright nature of the discussion in this biography of Winston's relationship with his children. I have previously read the biography written by Winston's daughter Mary Soames that focuses on her mother and her parents' marriage and while wonderful, she was less than forthcoming when it came to detailed descriptions of her siblings' shortcomings or difficulties in familial relationships. While this is particularly understandable in relation to her brother Randolph, who had a stormy relationship with most of his family, I did enjoy that Mary S. Lovell provided more insight on Randolph and how he fit into the family context.
I loved this biography. My only true complaint is I wish there had been room to provide yet more detail about other family members who take on more minor roles in the family saga. Yet at nearly 600 pages, Lovell obviously had to make decisions about how much to include. Overall a fascinating look at a well known family full of rich characters, fascinating stories, and roles that helped shape the course of history.
May 13, 2013
4.5 stars
The lives of the rich and famous, the titled and the privileged, are not necessarily so great and the Churchill’s did not go unscathed. Mary Lovell has produced a really great account of the lives of this famous family, not in a singular fashion either, but by providing us with accounts of all sorts of people who were in and out of their lives to add richness to this story.
Lovell has studied and researched her subject in great detail, obviously from a rich resource of personal diaries, letters, photos and quotes from latter day family members and those caught up in the whirl of their existence. Their lifestyle was one of the constant struggle to stay in the circles of the ‘upper crust’, with little store other than their wit and charisma to do so, as they were not as fabulously rich as most of those they mixed with.
As usual, we have the men wasting the money and then having to scout around for some rich heiress to marry. At least they did the sensible thing and injected some new genes (and wealth), back into their bloodline by sourcing the odd heiress or two from America. Obviously a win/win for both parties, the Churchill family desperately needing the cash and the American’s seeking the title!
I initially wanted to read this book because of my admiration for Winston Churchill. I was fascinated that from what I had read previously about him I hadn’t picked up on the full extent of his literary talents and how many books and articles he had published. Although self promoting, he was so articulate, intelligent and energetic one cannot help but be drawn to him
Being the son of a second son, he didn’t get a look in on the inheritance of the famous Blenheim estate – however these large estates could also be a millstone around the heir’s neck as Lovell demonstrates.
With the privilege of being born into the upper class also came, particularly for women, the burden of keeping up appearances. This meant marrying for money or position or both and not love, having to produce an heir and a spare (a phrase coined by one of the Churchill wives) and having to provide pleasant company no matter how boring and tedious. For the well educated woman such as Consuelo Churchill (married to Winston’s first cousin Sunny) as she points out while describing a four day hosting of a Royal visit:
"The number of changes of costume was in itself a waste of precious time. To begin with, even breakfast, which was served at 9:30 in the dining room, demanded an elegant costume of velvet or silk. Having seen the men off to their sport, the ladies spent the morning round the fire reading the papers and gossiping. We next changed into tweeds to join the guns for luncheon, which was served in the High Lodge or in a tent. Afterwards we usually accompanied the guns and watched a drive or two before returning home. An elaborate tea gown was donned for tea, after which we played cards or listened to a Viennese band or to the organ until time to dress for dinner when again we adorned ourselves in satin, or brocade, with a great display or jewells ... one was not supposed to wear the same gown twice. That meant sixteen dresses for four days." Pg 152
It is Lovell’s ability to be able to select the most appropriate quote or anecdote to neatly sum up the lifestyle of this family and how they lived under the pressure of keeping their footing within it.
My heart went out to Consuelo (of Vanderbilt pedigree) who was very well educated, did not want to marry Sunny but was manipulated to do so by her ambitious mother and obviously was seen by Sunny’s mother as an answer to their prayers for an injection of wealth into the family in order to sustain their lifestyle and class.
The other burden for this privileged class is that loveless marriages are supposed to be sustained at all costs and that even though one could have discreet affairs, one could still not fall in love! So with Jennie (Winston’s mother) and Consuelo, when they did succumb to their true desires scandal followed them.
This class also had duties to perform for the greater good and they did so on many occasions with great energy and charity, such as when Jennie set up a hospital ship for the wounded men of the Boer war. The thing is, if you have no domestic chores to do, plenty of cash at your disposal so you do not have to work, what else is there to do? There would be many who wouldn’t bother with charity but would be happy to indulge themselves.
With regard to Churchill, my admiration for him has grown for a number of reasons, which became clear through Lovell’s sympathetic approach to this great man.
Although he grew up in a privileged class he was essentially a self made man within those circumstances, earning his own money through talented writing and as an MP. I did not realise the scope of his writing ability in this regard before reading this book.
Secondly, he overcame a neglected (home) abusive childhood (school) without bitterness – he certainly did not appear to dwell on it. How he moved on from his early childhood experiences of emotional neglect from his mother to admire and love her dearly in his adulthood is a lesson to us all.
His energy and talents were, to say the least, amazing. Most importantly he put them to good use for the greater benefit of his country. He didn’t squander his heritage, his talents, his class position and money on women and booze as so many of those around him did.
Winston, being self financed, was also in the privileged position of being able to marry for love albeit he was able to choose from a very elite stable given the circles he mixed in. He is also portrayed by Lovell as a very loving husband and father.
He didn’t like to waste a minute of his day and battled bouts of depression and illness to achieve this through a passion and discipline to make his life count. A primary factor in all this of course, is the love and loyal support his wife provided him throughout their long marriage. She campaigned for him through 15 elections, she was by his side when he needed her and she gave him incredible latitude with regard to his absences due to work and holidays and, most of all, complete trust. He didn’t have to worry himself about domestic affairs whatsoever. He certainly would not have had the time to do so.
Most of all, he is remembered for saving us from Hitler, his greatest achievement.
For anyone wanting to find inspiration, motivation and be in awe of a truly great man, I thoroughly recommend this book. Of course, he is not without faults, but some of the greatest amongst us have the biggest flaws. It is a matter of whether we can overlook such faults to see the greater good and benefit achieved by such people.
The lives of the rich and famous, the titled and the privileged, are not necessarily so great and the Churchill’s did not go unscathed. Mary Lovell has produced a really great account of the lives of this famous family, not in a singular fashion either, but by providing us with accounts of all sorts of people who were in and out of their lives to add richness to this story.
Lovell has studied and researched her subject in great detail, obviously from a rich resource of personal diaries, letters, photos and quotes from latter day family members and those caught up in the whirl of their existence. Their lifestyle was one of the constant struggle to stay in the circles of the ‘upper crust’, with little store other than their wit and charisma to do so, as they were not as fabulously rich as most of those they mixed with.
As usual, we have the men wasting the money and then having to scout around for some rich heiress to marry. At least they did the sensible thing and injected some new genes (and wealth), back into their bloodline by sourcing the odd heiress or two from America. Obviously a win/win for both parties, the Churchill family desperately needing the cash and the American’s seeking the title!
I initially wanted to read this book because of my admiration for Winston Churchill. I was fascinated that from what I had read previously about him I hadn’t picked up on the full extent of his literary talents and how many books and articles he had published. Although self promoting, he was so articulate, intelligent and energetic one cannot help but be drawn to him
Being the son of a second son, he didn’t get a look in on the inheritance of the famous Blenheim estate – however these large estates could also be a millstone around the heir’s neck as Lovell demonstrates.
With the privilege of being born into the upper class also came, particularly for women, the burden of keeping up appearances. This meant marrying for money or position or both and not love, having to produce an heir and a spare (a phrase coined by one of the Churchill wives) and having to provide pleasant company no matter how boring and tedious. For the well educated woman such as Consuelo Churchill (married to Winston’s first cousin Sunny) as she points out while describing a four day hosting of a Royal visit:
"The number of changes of costume was in itself a waste of precious time. To begin with, even breakfast, which was served at 9:30 in the dining room, demanded an elegant costume of velvet or silk. Having seen the men off to their sport, the ladies spent the morning round the fire reading the papers and gossiping. We next changed into tweeds to join the guns for luncheon, which was served in the High Lodge or in a tent. Afterwards we usually accompanied the guns and watched a drive or two before returning home. An elaborate tea gown was donned for tea, after which we played cards or listened to a Viennese band or to the organ until time to dress for dinner when again we adorned ourselves in satin, or brocade, with a great display or jewells ... one was not supposed to wear the same gown twice. That meant sixteen dresses for four days." Pg 152
It is Lovell’s ability to be able to select the most appropriate quote or anecdote to neatly sum up the lifestyle of this family and how they lived under the pressure of keeping their footing within it.
My heart went out to Consuelo (of Vanderbilt pedigree) who was very well educated, did not want to marry Sunny but was manipulated to do so by her ambitious mother and obviously was seen by Sunny’s mother as an answer to their prayers for an injection of wealth into the family in order to sustain their lifestyle and class.
The other burden for this privileged class is that loveless marriages are supposed to be sustained at all costs and that even though one could have discreet affairs, one could still not fall in love! So with Jennie (Winston’s mother) and Consuelo, when they did succumb to their true desires scandal followed them.
This class also had duties to perform for the greater good and they did so on many occasions with great energy and charity, such as when Jennie set up a hospital ship for the wounded men of the Boer war. The thing is, if you have no domestic chores to do, plenty of cash at your disposal so you do not have to work, what else is there to do? There would be many who wouldn’t bother with charity but would be happy to indulge themselves.
With regard to Churchill, my admiration for him has grown for a number of reasons, which became clear through Lovell’s sympathetic approach to this great man.
Although he grew up in a privileged class he was essentially a self made man within those circumstances, earning his own money through talented writing and as an MP. I did not realise the scope of his writing ability in this regard before reading this book.
Secondly, he overcame a neglected (home) abusive childhood (school) without bitterness – he certainly did not appear to dwell on it. How he moved on from his early childhood experiences of emotional neglect from his mother to admire and love her dearly in his adulthood is a lesson to us all.
His energy and talents were, to say the least, amazing. Most importantly he put them to good use for the greater benefit of his country. He didn’t squander his heritage, his talents, his class position and money on women and booze as so many of those around him did.
Winston, being self financed, was also in the privileged position of being able to marry for love albeit he was able to choose from a very elite stable given the circles he mixed in. He is also portrayed by Lovell as a very loving husband and father.
He didn’t like to waste a minute of his day and battled bouts of depression and illness to achieve this through a passion and discipline to make his life count. A primary factor in all this of course, is the love and loyal support his wife provided him throughout their long marriage. She campaigned for him through 15 elections, she was by his side when he needed her and she gave him incredible latitude with regard to his absences due to work and holidays and, most of all, complete trust. He didn’t have to worry himself about domestic affairs whatsoever. He certainly would not have had the time to do so.
Most of all, he is remembered for saving us from Hitler, his greatest achievement.
For anyone wanting to find inspiration, motivation and be in awe of a truly great man, I thoroughly recommend this book. Of course, he is not without faults, but some of the greatest amongst us have the biggest flaws. It is a matter of whether we can overlook such faults to see the greater good and benefit achieved by such people.
March 5, 2020
Mary Lovell has the ability to weave so much information together into a coherent story that her group biographies read as easily as fiction. It doesn't hurt that the Churchill family is a colorful one, filled with vivid characters in almost every generation. This book concentrates on Winston and Clementine Churchill, but Lovell spends time in the early chapters filling you in on his ancestors and a few important contemporaries in his family (such as his cousin Sunny the Duke of Marlborough, the one who married Consuelo Vanderbilt). The rest of it focuses on Winston, Clementine and their children, and although his career is a large part of the story, there is much here of the personal, intimate family life.
One thing that is odd: when referring to Consuelo's first love, Lovell calls him Winford Rutherfurd . But I had always seen his name as Winthrop, and couldn't find any info online to show that he ever used another name. So it's a puzzling mistake in an otherwise meticulously researched book.
One thing that is odd: when referring to Consuelo's first love, Lovell calls him Winford Rutherfurd . But I had always seen his name as Winthrop, and couldn't find any info online to show that he ever used another name. So it's a puzzling mistake in an otherwise meticulously researched book.
August 1, 2024
The book starts with John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough who was awarded this dukedom and the land in Woodstock, UK in appreciation of his decisive victory at the Battle of Blenheim, Bavaria in 1704. It quickly works through the building of the palace and through the lives of many of the succeeding Dukes. Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace in 1874 and the majority of this book follows his life and the lives of his family, including his parents, cousins (the Dukes,) his children and ends with his grandchild, also known as Winston Churchill. There are very little politics and war preparations discussed in the book. It is a book of the family "in love and war."
Needless to say, I loved the book. The writing was excellent, easy to read with a mini biography as each new person is introduced. The author also reminded us about that person's relationship with the family whenever another person came back into the picture. Highly recommended.
Needless to say, I loved the book. The writing was excellent, easy to read with a mini biography as each new person is introduced. The author also reminded us about that person's relationship with the family whenever another person came back into the picture. Highly recommended.
September 12, 2017
The author states at the beginning that she wanted to write a chronicle of the entire Spencer-Churchill clan during the late 19th and 20th centuries, not just a book about Winston Churchill. She then wrote a book that is 90% about Winston Churchill. He is the most historically important member of the family during that era, and certainly interesting. For that reason there are hundreds of biographies of the late Prime Minister. The book does talk about Winston's parents, brother, children and many intertwined cousins, and sometimes gives tantalizing tidbits about their lives without following up. A closer look at their lives, in a time of profound social and economic change for the British upper classes, against the background of the great man's life, would have made this book stand out as unique.
January 27, 2018
Fascinating. I’ve had this book on my shelf and read it right after seeing the new movie about Winston Churchill, “The Darkest Hour,” I treated myself to “The Churchills: In Love and War.” Terrific Read! I set aside my other books and savored it. Mary Lovell also authored one of my all time favorite’s -“The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family.” Lovell is one of today’s best storyteller’s. If you like British history, if you are a fan of the series, “The Crown,” you will enjoy “The Churchills.” Lovell tells their story year by year, warts and all. I recommend bookmarking Appendix I - Family and Friends, for a quick referral about the cast of characters. So thankful my husband Larry gave me Lovell’s newest book, “The Rivera Set.” Will finish it soon.
December 23, 2019
The author states at the beginning that the book continue the 'wider' (beyond Winston) Churchill family, and in deed the 1st Duke of Marlborough forward are named and at least briefly sketched. However, it is really with the the grandparents of Winston that the author begins to give a true biographical consideration to the family. Beyond Winston, children, grandchildren, cousins, spouses, nieces and nephews all have their story told, even if briefly at times. However, the main focus remains on Winston. The book is very informative and readable, it serves as a good introduction to the life and times of Winston Churchill.
July 9, 2021
A great read. Here are the Churchills in all of their accomplishment and frailty. From the early Churchills Mary S. Lovell plunges us into the late nineteenth to early twentieth century of international triumph with Winston and family dysfunction with Randolph, Sarah and Diana. In the supporting cast we find Sunny and Consuelo, a miserable forced marriage, and the mistress/ wife Gladys. NOT an exploitive read, but full of juicy details set within the cauldron of 2oth. century love and war. Mary S. Lovell is a terrific writer.
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