Description

Scores of biographies have been written about Winston Churchill, yet none examine his frequent, sometimes furtive, trips to the White House, where he resided for weeks on end. These extended visits during his two terms as prime minister were spirited, even entertaining, occasions. Yet, in retrospect, they take on a new level of diplomatic significance, demonstrating just how influential a foreign leader can become in shaping American foreign policy. Drawing on years of research, Robert Schmuhl not only contextualises the days Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower spent together but also vividly portrays the individual characters, from Churchill himself-a devoted fisherman who never stopped “angling”-to a resentful Eleanor Roosevelt. Diaries, letters, government documents and memoirs supply the archival foundation and colour for each Churchill visit, providing a wholly novel perspective on one of history’s most perplexing and many-faceted figures.

Publisher Review

“Mr. Churchill in the White House showcases an essential point about the great Englishman’s visits to the United States. Common history and shared intentions will move nations in the same direction. Yet sometimes it takes the force of personality to bind them together.” — Michael O’Donnell – Wall Street Journal “Robert Schmuhl, author of Mr. Churchill in the White House, has annoyed me. What was meant to be a casual week-long read transformed into a captivating all-nighter flipping through the pages of a book I never knew I needed.” — International Churchill Society “[Mr. Churchill in the White House] tells the story of how collaboration helped bring victory… Schmuhl’s book is thoroughly researched… and sets out an unvarnished truth” — Simon Heffer – The Telegraph “Intelligent and insightful… [Mr. Churchill in the White House] show[s] that familiar material can still be moulded into striking new shapes.” — Andrew Lynch – Irish Independent