Winston Churchill and His Inner Circle

by John Rupert Colville

Churchill's former private secretary records the political and private lives of Churchill and his relationships with his associates, with Roosevelt and other Americans, his political and military colleagues, his family, and his friends

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1981

About the author

Sir John Rupert Colville, CB, CVO, known as Jock Colville, was a British civil servant.

Reviews

[Keith Muehler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, did not dig into the meat of matters, but was interesting about the people around him who were important as supporters and advisors.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed reading about World War 2, and to me, no man, perhaps barring FDR, is more commonly associated with or universally known in conjunction with World War 2 than Sir Winston Churchill. That being said, there is a multitude of Churchill biographies, but I am inclined to give this particular volume the most credibility. Why? The author himself is none other than John Colville, Churchill's private secretary. This is a man who went to the Peace conferences, who sat out the blitz in London, who spent inordinate amounts of time during the war, assisting the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street.

From this unique point of view, he gives a close look at factors that the average biographer doesn't have access to. Colville describes Churchill's inner circle, as mentioned by the title. This circle included Lord Beaverbrook, Lord Moran, Brendan Bracken, and others. These were Churchill's advisors, the ones he opened up to and sought advice from. That's what makes this biography different from all the others. It is written from the inside, not from an outsiders point of view.