Winston and the Windsors: How Churchill Shaped a Royal Dynasty by Andrew Morton

This book was a great way to look at British history from 1985 to 1964 from the view point of Winston Churchill, his experiences, and his interaction with the Windsors. A bit lengthy, but that seems appropriate given his long life and large impact on Great Britain and its allies.

Young Winston was one of the last cavalry officers, and had quite an adventure during the Boer War in South Africa, which is covered in depth in Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard. He wrote a book of military history while stationed in India, and had a very uneven political career before the second World War, and was known for being both arrogant and charming. During and after World War II, Winston served the Windsors as Prime Minister, through Edward VII and the abdication crisis over Wallis Simpson, World War II with George VI, and postwar Great Britain with the young Queen Elizabeth II. I found it especially interesting to read about Churchill’s work during World War II during this very unsettled time. Other than Winston’s experience in South Africa, I was mainly familiar with the Churchills from two historical novels: That Churchill Woman by Stephanie Barron about his mother, American Jennie Jerome Churchill and Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict about Winston Churchill’s wife and their children. Morton has clearly been fascinated by several generations of the Windsors, but this was less gossipy than most, including Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters, and he has clearly done his research on Churchill’s life and the four British rulers who preceded King Charles III. Suggested for fans of 20^th century British history or the Windsors.

Brenda