June 2009 - Richard M. Langworth

Churchill Books for Young Readers

26 June 2009 Comments 1 Comment

Please send me some book recommendations on Churchill’s life for young readers. By young, I mean a boy of seven years old. My nephew asked me about the book I was reading (Churchill: The Unexpected Hero by Paul Addison), and after I told him a little bit about it, he wanted to know more. I’d appreciate any recommendations. —R.M., Mass.

Paul Addison’s Unexpected Hero is probably the best “brief life” in print. If your nephew is into that at seven, he has great promise, and you should buy him a membership in The Churchill Centre. The student rate is $25, which represents a 50% discount.…

“Dogfight under a carpet…”

26 June 2009 Comments 2 Comments

Churchill allegedly compared Russian politics to a “dogfight under a carpet.” It was mentioned in The Economist of 17 November 2005: “Like watching dogs fighting under a carpet, was how Churchill described Russian politics. On November 14th the carpet stirred, when President Vladimir Putin announced that Dmitry Medvedev, head of the presidential administration since 2003, was to become first deputy prime minister.” It seems to be fairly well known. Can you give me the exact quote and a citation? —P.C.

Unfortunately, because it’s an amusing line that sounds a bit like him, I cannot. We searched Churchill Online, including Churchill’s own fifteen million words—all his books, articles, speeches and published papers.…

Tests of Freedom: Italy 1944, Iran 2009

26 June 2009 Comments 0 Comments

The distressing repression following the recent Iranian election reminds us once again of Churchill’s eternal relevance. In the House of Commons on 28 August 1944, he was asked how he would judge whether the new Italian government, about to replace the Fascist dictatorship of Mussolini, was a true democracy. Churchill replied:

The question arises, “What is freedom?” There are one or two quite simple, practical tests by which it can be known in the modern world in peace conditions—namely:

Is there the right to free expression of opinion and of opposition and criticism of the Government of the day?…