Speaking For Themselves: The Private Letters Of Sir Winston And Lady Churchill

(Paperback)

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The personal letters of Winston and Clementine Churchill. The fascinating, insightful and often moving correspondence between Sir Winston and Lady Clementine Churchill extends from their early days of innocent courtship in 1908 to Winston Churchill's death in 1965. The letters serve not only as a chronicle of their personal achievements and tragedies over the years, but also as a political and social history. In their own words, Winston and Clementine recount some of the most momentous events of the twentieth century- the sinking of the Titanic, the abdication of King Edward VIII, the downfall of governments, the Depression, and two world wars. Here are harrowing first-hand accounts from the battlefields of 1915, reflections on political triumphs and upsets, as well as domestic minutiae, foreign travel, revelations of social scandals and, above all, words of mutual support and encouragement that span the career of one of Britain's most revered statesmen. Speaking for Themselves is not only an important historical document, it is a love story and an intimate, charming and often surprising insight into one of the century's most successful marriages. Mary Soames is perfectly placed to select and comment upon this vast collection of letters. And in her introduction and notes she complements the letters with explanatory notes, biographical details and her own personal recollections.

Reviews

The record of a remarkably enduring marriage * The Scotsman *
Lady Soames, the Churchills' sole surviving child... has edited these letters with great skill, providing a lively commentary and vivid pen portraits of supporting characters -- Piers Brendon * Mail on Sunday *
We expect the correspondence of Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine, to be interesting... and still these letters can astonish: in their scope; in the way their individual brilliance is sustained day by day and year upon year * Sunday Telegraph *
A fascinating aid to our understanding of an extraordinary couple -- John Grigg * Spectator *

Author Bio

Mary Soames is the youngest and only surviving child of Winston and Clementine Churchill. She was born in 1922 and brought up at Chartwell in Kent. In 1941, aged eighteen, she joined the ATS and served in mixed anti-aircraft batteries in England and north-west Europe. She accompanied her father as his ADC on several of his wartime overseas journeys. In 1945 she was awarded the MBE (military). In 1947 she married Captain Christopher Soames, Coldstream Guards, later Lord Soames, PC, GCMG, CH. She has also written A Churchill Family Album, The Profligate Duke, Winston Churchill, His Life as a Painter and edited Speaking For Themselves the personal letters between Winston and Clementine Churchill.