Andrew Knight - Winston Churchill: The incredible life, legacy, and lessons from Winston Churchill!

Winston Churchill

The incredible life, legacy, and lessons from Winston Churchill!

Introduction

T hank you for taking the time to pick up this book: Winston Churchill.

This book talks about the story of Winston Churchill, and shares some of his greatest lessons about life.

You will soon discover the greatest triumphs and failures of Winston Churchill, including those from his time at war, political battles, and long and tumultuous time in the public eye.

There are many lessons to be learned from Winston Churchill, a man with incredible persistence and achievements in a range of fields.

At the completion of this book, you will have a good understanding of Churchills incredible journey, and will be able to use his experiences to enhance your own life!

Once again, thanks for choosing this book, I hope you find it to be interesting!

Chapter 1: Family Life

H istory has quite a long list of great leaders who have done many great things in honor of their countries. But none of these leaders bear the distinction of being the first to stand up against a tyrannical power that has brought misery to millions of people. Winston Churchill did just that when he stood up against Nazi Germany in the Second World War. But before delving deeper into his war-time adventures, its best to read up on his early experiences first to better understand the man that he became later on.

Winston Churchill belonged to Britains nobility. He was born into a family that can trace its roots to as far back as the medieval period. Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was born on the 30th of November, 1874 at his familys palatial home, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. His mother was Jeanette Jerome, a rich American socialite from New York. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was one of the leading figures in the Tory (Conservative) party at the House of Commons.

Winston spent his early years (aged 2-6 years old) in Dublin where Lord Randolph was serving as his grandfathers private secretary. It was in Dublin where Winston was first exposed to education through the efforts of his governess, Elizabeth Ann Everest. Because of his parents constant absence, the young Winston formed a close relationship with Everest. She served not only as his nanny but also as his educator and confidante. Moreover, Everest became a substitute mother for the young Winston.

Nevertheless, Wintons parents were still present enough in his life to properly note his progress in school. They sent him to three different independent schools. At the first two schools, Winston gained a reputation for being an independent-minded boy. He also got into a few scrapes, which prompted his parents to get him transferred to Harrow. He didnt stand out academically in any of the schools that he attended. Despite their frequent absence from their sons early life, both parents still maintained regular correspondence with the young Winston throughout his academic years.

It is clear that Winston adored his mother dearly. But he also got to a point in his adolescence when he complained about her seeming neglect of him. Lady Randolph Churchill was often preoccupied with her social engagements and was known to take long travels abroad without either of her sons.

Winston had only one brother, John Strange Spencer-Churchill, also known as Jack. According to some historical reports, the two boys were close while growing up. However, many historians are baffled at why Winston tried to erase any traces of his brother in his memoir My Early Life . There are some passages in that book wherein he simply refers to Jack as that boy or the boy while recounting their boyhood adventures together. Unlike Winston, Jack was more academically-inclined and frequently earned better grades.

Jack contributed a lot in keeping their family afloat during the crash of Wall Street after WWI and the ensuing Great Depression. While Winston was working on their fathers biography, Jack is credited with doing most of the research work. Jack was also highly supportive of Winstons career until his death in 1947. Historians argue that neglecting to mention his brother in any way was by no means done with any malice on Winstons part. He simply took his brothers presence as such a normal part of his life that he became quite thoughtless of it in the long run.

Historians also believe that between Lord Randolph and his wife, the father was the one who cared more for their two sons. His absence in their lives came as a result of his active role in British politics. But he also kept tabs on his sons mostly through correspondence, though he also often expressed disappointment in Winstons lackluster academic performance. He was instrumental in paving the way for their military careers, though Jacks career was short-lived. In 1883, he set up his will to ensure that his sons would continue to live well after his death.

Unfortunately, their mother took advantage of the fortune that Lord Randolph left for his sons to fund her own social ambitions. The effect of this was felt more by Jack than by Winston. It was also Jack who discovered her misdeed 14 years later. Despite her seemingly selfish ways, or maybe because of it, Jennie supported Winstons political ascent. She did this to the point wherein she used her substantial social influence many times for the benefit of his career.

Winston Churchills military genius can be explained by the fact that he descends from two families with military backgrounds. His ancestor on his fathers side was Lord John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough. Lord John is considered by historians as one of the greatest generals in England. Throughout his military career, Lord John won numerous campaigns against the French. He is credited for being the one to neutralize the French King Louis XIV, also known as Frances sun king.

On Winstons mothers side, he is descended from a family whose ancestors fought during the War of Independence. His maternal grandfather, Leonard Jerome was married to Clara Hall. Both of them had grandfathers who either fought alongside General George Washington at Valley Forge or who fought in other notable battles in New York and Connecticut. There is also a popular notion that Clara Hall-Jerome had Native American blood. She is said to be descended from the brave Iroquois nation.