Churchill Documents - Volume 13 (ePub)

Volume 13 of The Churchill Documents tells Churchill's story from 1936 to 1939. The documents contained herein show how and why a number of politicians, from both the government and opposition in Britain, turned to Churchill for help and guidance during the Austrian and Czech crises of 1938 and the Polish crisis of 1939. Included are Churchill's detailed notes on the abdication crisis and his assessment of the relationship between the King and Mrs. Simpson; many personal details of life at Chartwell; Churchill's financial problems; and his son Randolph's stormy outbursts and their affectionate reconciliations. Also contained in this volume are Churchill's letters to his wife, which provide a fascinating insight into Churchill's struggles, hopes, and fears.

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.