Churchill Documents - Volume 11 (ePub)

Compiled from one of the richest archives of modern British history, Volume 11 of The Churchill Documents tells Churchill's story from 1922 to 1929. Editor Martin Gilbert presents a portrait in-the-round of Churchill himself, revealing many unexpected facets of Churchill's character and painting a vivid picture of five troubled and intense years of British political life.

Among the subjects covered in this volume are Churchill's return to Conservatism in 1924, the General Strike of 1926 and the continuing coal strike that year, the story of the British Gazette, and Churchill's stint as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sir Martin Gilbert includes new material about Churchill's life at Chartwell, his friendships, and his political and personal relationships, both with the leading figures of the day and with many of those who were then embarking on their own political careers. The biographical footnotes enable the reader to learn, at a glance, the careers of those mentioned in the documents.

In the writing of the official biography of Sir Winston Churchill, Randolph Churchill-and later Sir Martin Gilbert, who resumed the work following Randolph's death-had full access to Sir Winston's letters and papers, and also many hundreds of private archives. The work spans eight volumes, detailing Churchill's youth and early adventures in South Africa and India, his early career, and his more than fifty years on the world stage. No other statesman of modern times-or indeed of any age-has left such a wealth of personal letters, such a rich store of private and public documentation, and such vivid memories in the minds of those who worked closest to him. Through these materials, assembled over the course of more than twenty years, one is able to know Churchill in a way never before possible. Churchill's personal papers are so extensive that it was only possible to include in the narrative volumes a part of the relevant documents. The volumes titled The Churchill Documents run parallel with the narrative volumes, and with them form a whole. The letters, documents, and correspondence contained within are drawn from the Churchill Papers, now at Churchill College, Cambridge, and from many other archival sources, both private and public.