Ministers at War: Winston Churchill and His War Cabinet

by Jonathan Schneer

In May 1940, with France on the verge of defeat, Britain alone stood in the path of the Nazi military juggernaut. Survival seemed to hinge on the leadership of Winston Churchill, whom the King reluctantly appointed Prime Minister as Germany invaded France. Churchill’s reputation as one of the great twentieth-century leaders would be forged during the coming months and years, as he worked tirelessly first to rally his country and then to defeat Hitler. But Churchill—regarded as the savior of his nation, and of the entire continent—could not have done it alone.

As prize-winning historian Jonathan Schneer reveals in Ministers at War, Churchill depended on a team of powerful ministers to manage the war effort as he rallied a beleaguered nation. Selecting men from across the political spectrum—from fellow Conservative Anthony Eden to leader of the opposing socialist Labor Party Clement Attlee—Churchill assembled a War Cabinet that balanced competing interests and bolstered support for his national coalition government. The group possessed a potent blend of talent, ambition, and egotism. Led and encouraged by Churchill, the ministers largely set aside their differences, at least at first. As the war progressed, discord began to grow. It reached a peak in 1945: with victory seemingly assured, Churchill was forced by his Minsters at War to dissolve the Government and call a General Election, which, in a shocking upset, he lost to his rival Attlee.

Authoritatively recasting our understanding of British high politics during World War II, Schneer shows that Churchill managed the war effort by managing his team of supremely able yet contentious cabinet members. The outcome of the war lay not only in Churchill’s individual brilliance but also in his skill as an executive, and in the collective ability of men who muted their personal interests to save the world from barbarism.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Politics, Biography, European History, Audiobook

352 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2015

About the author

Dr. Jonathan Schneer, who received his BA from McGill University in 1971 and his PhD from Columbia University in 1978, is the modern British historian at Georgia Tech in the School of History, Technology, and Society.

Reviews

[Jay Schutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excerpt from this book.
"For five years he (Churchill) successfully juggled a team of extraordinarily capable, ambitious and ideologically disparate men. He did not do it perfectly."

I should have known better, but I thought this book would be more about the workings of Churchill and his War Cabinet during WWII in trying to defeat the Axis Powers and less about all of the political sniping, backbiting and tense powerplays going on behind the scenes.
Churchill's coalition administration (from 1940-1945) was contentious at best, but he was his countries savior in its time of greatest need.
I'm giving this book 4 stars for the author's diligence in presenting the information in the proper manor, but my enjoyment of it was less so just because I was hoping for something different in the content. My mistake.
An exceptionally researched and well-presented account of British politics during those harrowing years.

[Boudewijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no loyalty on the pinnacle of politics, only calculation, ambition and ideology

From the moment Neville Chamberlain brought Churchill in the government in September 1939 untill sometime after the crises in 1940 he experienced a breathtaking ascent. Winston Churchill propelled and directed this upward movement, establishing himself not merely as Britain's prime minister, but as her indespensible man. Particularly in 1940-1941 he spoke in language as beautiful as Shakespeare's, what everyone wished that they could say. The nation recognized him as the embodiement of her will to survive, and so despite an occational hickup, he reached the apex of his popularity.

But with national survival no longer at stake, Churchill had to deal with parlementary critics and rebellions. Inconsequential at first, but increasingly threathening he had to fend of potential rivals for the leadership. His concentration lapsed and he experienced physical illness, the so-called black dogs of depression. There still would be triumphs, but also depths, culminating in his election defeat in July 1945 where, in a shocking upset, he lost to his rival Attlee.

This book deals with those critics and rebellions by his ministers. It showed me that Churchill's colleagues did not treat him with the reverence and to consider him to be a great and brilliant man as we do today, but also as a difficult and flawed one. In short they viewed him as a human being, imperfect like all human beings.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The general perception of the British government during the Second World War, tends to be that Winston Churchill was a popular and uncontested Prime Minister, who had the backing of the entire country. Of course, things are rarely as simple as they seem looking back and, as the author of this perceptive and intelligent read points out more than once, those working with Churchill did not look on him as the icon he would become – voted the ‘Greatest Britain’ of all time – but as the often difficult, if brilliant, colleague that they had to deal with on a day to day basis.

This book tells the story of the way the Wartime government put party politics behind them (or most did anyway) for the good of the country. It begins with the ‘troublesome young men’ and the ousting of Chamberlain. Of course, Churchill had argued against appeasement for some years, but still he was not the obvious choice for Prime Minister. Both the King and Chamberlain favoured Halifax, but he ruled himself out. However, the qualities Churchill possessed, which made some worry about him as leader, where he was distrusted as an adventurer, were ideal in wartime. Meanwhile, while ministers sniped, the German’s continued to advance on France…

On May 10th, 1940, King George accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill to form a new government. Britain stood in grave danger of invasion and this book tells the story of how Churchill, and the small group of men he selected, guided the country through crisis. This tells the story of their personal and ideological struggles and how they worked together, despite party differences. Some of the main characters in this book include Anthony Eden, press baron (and the man who resigned on a constant basis) Lord Beaverbrook, trade unionist Ernest Bevin, Clement Attlee, the leader of the Labour Party, Attlee’s rival, Herbert Morrison and socialist Stafford Cripps.

What is clear in this book is how adept Churchill was at neutralising threats to his leadership, while also realising the importance of dealing with his colleagues, so they did not feel side-lined (even if they effectively were). What is also clear is how limited his interest in domestic policy was, which would ultimately lead to his defeat in the 1945 election. It was obvious that, after the war, people in Britain wanted a different government, with different priorities – but, after all, that is democracy in action. Nothing can diminish Churchill’s great work during the war, even if he was not considered the right leader after it. This is certainly not a dry read in any way and it is fascinating to see that, even in wartime, personality clashes and rifts sometimes threatened the government. Churchill worked with Stafford Cripps, but he obviously personally found his being a teetotaller and vegetarian more than a little hard to understand. Meanwhile, sent to Russia, Stalin certainly also found Beaverbrook a more congenial companion than Cripps, possibly for the same reasons. Full of interesting stories and a good analysis of the government in wartime, this is a wonderfully readable account of the War Cabinet and how it worked.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read so much about Churchill over the years I hesitate to buy a new book about him. So much has been written; how can there be anything new on WSC. Schneer has actually said something original about Churchill that makes the book well worth purchasing.

Schneer writes a compelling portrait of Churchill’s cabinet members and puts emphasis on the importance of post war planning. The author discusses some remarkable characters such as Lord Beaverbrook, who wanted to mount a second front to support the Soviet Union and austere socialist Sir Richard Stafford Cripps who mounted a credible attack to WSC leadership.

Schneer stresses Churchill’s skill in managing such a disparate team of rivals in his three party administrations. Schneer demonstrates how this cabinet was driven by personal as well as political discord plotted to replace Churchill, but it was Churchill’s skills in management and administration that kept it altogether and focused on winning the War. He also explains why Churchill lost his post in 1945 in spite of his popularity.

If you are interested in Churchill or World War II you might want to read this book for some new information or view point. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Matthew Brenher narrated the book.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a perspective of World War II that I had not read before. Essentially, a group of very different men in almost all ways, especially on the role government should play in the lives of individuals, had to work together in unity and harmony towards a common goal. They did so, and very likely staved off the destruction of their country. Of the cast of characters in this book, I was most familiar with Winston Churchill; several were bit players in other books I had read about Churchill; some were names only (Clement Attlee, for example) and others were totally new to me. I liked that. Schneer isn't the liveliest of writers; but all the same, he was able to more than adequately give breath to these long dead men.

In many books, Winston Churchill usually looms like a giant above the landscape; Schneer brings Winston down to size a bit. Here, he's not the brave hero of World War II, or merely friend of Roosevelt; rather, he's a canny politician who is often in the a fight not just for the country but for his political life as well. What we usually don't get is Winston the politician, but that's who Schneer gives us, and it was refreshing. Winston knew how to stroke and cajole, berate and make deals, and almost always got what he wanted. He was not always very trustworthy; it sounds like the conservatives trusted him less than the Labour party most of the time. He walked a fine line, rather well, and created one of those celebrated "team of rivals" that kept Britain alive. All the while being overly loquacious and semi-megalomaniacal.

The audio version of this book started out as quite dry; bits and pieces throughout remained so. The reader isn't the best I've ever listened to, but for this type of book, his voice and narration was quite good.

[Fran Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about Winston Churchill's War Cabinet (as the title says), how they helped Winston win the war, how they worked together, and how they fought each other, and how Winston managed and led them. Fewer WWII books are written on this subject. Many WWII books focus on how the military or how Churchill won the war so it does show the war effort from a different lens. Interesting book for those who are interested in WWII or civilian leadership in WWII.

[Bailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a good job dispelling the myth that Churchill was an uncontested leader by the rest of the British government and people during WW2 (spoiler: he was not at times, history has romanticized his overall popularity as a wartime leader). Also a fascinating character study of Churchill’s coalition government war cabinet made up of leaders across the political spectrum with very little in common except an interest in national survival.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this look at Churchill's cabinet and the rivalries and collaboration between the men that ran Britain during World War II. The book was generally interesting throughout with very few slow spells. The author covers all of the war years and the transition from Churchill's wartime cabinet to Atlee's post-war cabinet.

[Shawn Deal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is right in the middle of three and four stars. I liked it well enough and certainly is was well researched but it did not capture me nor did it seem to add much context to the war going on around them. Huge jumps in time took place between some of the accounts of events in here. I would have liked a lot more of that context to put this altogether.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading about WWII as I was a child at the time and didn't know anything about the behind-the-scenes stuff. I did read some of Churchill's writings but that was years ago so I guess I will have to review again to relate them to this one. This author has done an awful lot of research as evidenced by all of the quotes from various diaries and papers. When Churchill finally made it to PM he had a huge job in setting up his cabinet and understaff, and understandably, some worked together better than others. There were major disagreements. I think all agreed, however, that he was the best man for the job of waging war. I remembered a lot of the names ... Chamberlain, Atlee, Fairfax, etc. and enjoyed the "fleshing out" of their characters in this book. A great read.

[PyranopterinMo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book covers the political battles inside Churchill's wartime cabinet. It was disappointing. I expected to gain insight into the personalities and how they managed to deal with Churchill; instead there was some material, relatively thin, on various political maneuvers and bargaining by various cabinet members with Churchill or behind his back and Churchill's maneuvers, reactions and responses. This were a precursor to the Labor party landslide in 1945.
On the plus side there was a discussion in the final chapter of coalition governments in Britain both pre war and postwar, and the careers of some of the key players.
My main criticisms besides 1. lack of insight into the personalities involved is 2. the writing style. Each sentence besides the main point had 4 or so slightly relevant trivial points that were unnecessary and made following what the author wanted to say more difficult. It was like eating bread made of 75% sawdust.
3. No photos other than the cover showing 9 seated cabinet members. These are not identified in the text or book jacket. There were also very brief bios of the members. This photo is part of a larger photograph also showing the entire a row of members standing above these 8. (found in Wikipedia and other historical sites, also not with the names.) The first four to the right of Churchill I recognized but the three on the left I didn't. To Churchill's left is John Anderson (took some searching) someone of exceptional ability but who was merely mentioned by the key positions he occupied and his nickname.

[Reuben Wilsom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book I've read on Winston Churchill, or civilian government in general during WWII. I found it to be a refreshing perspective of the cogs turning the war machine as well as the internal politics of warfare. From what I understand, the book provides an honest and illuminating perspective of the wartime government of the United Kingdom. Surprisingly readable and makes those involved seem as if you knew them.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A canny insight into the political workings of Churchill's cabinet during the war. He was a great man with incredible skills, but he also had his faults and weaknesses. Not an easy read, but one worth my time. I was aware of Churchhill's influence in pulling the U.K. from disaster during the war, but was unaware of his apathy toward domestic issues. I learned a lot.

[John Howes]

Excellently researched through diaries, cabinet minutes, ministerial memoranda, revealing Churchill's vulnerability at crucial times in the war, and - surprisingly for me - the possibility that Stafford Cripps or Lord Beaverbrook could have replaced him.

[astraeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone probably has a role in life to play, but afterwards we might all fade and leave the central stage. Many fall into trap of past grandeur even wise men like churchill. Its human nature to long for good rather than the bad. But we all must move on. Life continues. We all all human beings

[Kelsey Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

A interesting perspective.

[Terry Feix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating look into the inner workings of a team of rivals during a life-threatening crisis. Well-researched, relies on the diaries of the individuals involved where extant.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I wanted to hear more about actual choices in response to the war, but by the end I really valued hearing the debate about how government should give up its wartime powers.

[Jon Sheets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept me excited throughout.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but fairly dull. I've come to appreciate that Churchill really did have a team of rivals in his cabinet.

[Duester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best books I've read this year. Schneer does a fantastic job of writing a gripping book with an ensemble cast. Highly recommend.

[Eric Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a British take on Team of Rivals. The prospect of being a fly on the wall in Churchill's War Cabinet meetings during the toughest parts of World War II was super interesting, but I frequently found myself wishing Schneer went into more detail.

Team of Rivals focused on 4-5 cabinet members, over the span of 6+ years, and 944 pages, while this book focuses on maybe 10 ministers total, over a similar length of time, and in a book a third the length. I usually appreciate books that don't take forever to make their point, but couldn't help but feel like there weren't enough details for me to really understand what made Churchill's coalition unique, and successful. Towards the end, the author explains that Churchill's coalition government (made up of convservatives, labor, and liberals) was really unique in the UK's political history, and we haven't truly seen its like since. That IS an interesting fact - I only wish he had opened with that as his thesis, and spent the rest of the book illustrating this point (and tying his anecdotes to this central thesis), rather than having the book feel like an interesting book of anecdotes, without a clear thread holding them together.

[Charlie Newfell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read this back to back with Erik Larsons account of the Battle of the Blitz. This account is very England centric. The US barely makes a brief mention in regards to the war. Constraint that with Larson’s account of Churchill continuing to woo Roosevelt and the US into supporting the UK.

Lots more detail of the inner workings of Churchill’s cabinet.

[Davina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate a look at the British Cabinet without an undo focus on Winston Churchill. Churchill as never absent from this book, nor could he be, yet, there are many other characters and great men who ran the British nation during this trying time. I learned quite a bit, although I imagine that many volumes could easily be devoted to the subject, and has, but this is a nice overview. I wouldn't recommend as a first book on the War, Churchill, or the Britain during the War, but it does well what it sets out to.

[Douglas Braidwood]

“Ministers at War: Winston Churchill and his war cabinet” Is a book that explains deeply who was included in Churchill’s war cabinet and how they were an unlikely bunch. “Ministers at War” follows the events of World War Two Churchill's cabinet dealt with and how they overcame their differences to support in the war. The book goes into deep detail on what the Cabinet did during the war and what the cabinet members thought about each other. I don’t usually read non-fiction but I had the book lying around and I hadn’t read it yet.

In may of 1940 France was nearing defeat. Only Britain stood in the path of the Nazi’s. Survival seemed to depend on the leadership of Winston Churchill who had been appointed Prime Minister by the King himself. Churchill called upon an unlikely group to help lead him to success. Over the next months and years Churchill worked tirelessly to call together his country and defeat Hitler.

I appreciate the level of depth the book goes into about how the cabinet worked and functioned. The explanation on how even each of the members felt about each other just added another level of understanding and clearness of the book. A few little issues I was having with the book were big time gaps. Not only were there big time gaps but the book focused on how the cabinet interacted not giving much context about the war around them. I had also noticed how it was a struggle for me at the start keeping together the names and their connections.

This book definitely has a specific audience. It was not the greatest book to start with for me especially because I jumped in with little knowledge of how the British Government works and it is expected you know that in order for everything to make sense. The book is for those who enjoy learning about World War Two and want a super in depth look into Winston Churchill's war Cabinet.

[Almira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Professor of History at Georgia Tech, Jonathan Schneer, has delved into British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's war time ministers.

With WWII looming in Europe, France on the verge of defeat by the Nazi military machine, Britain is possibly the only country who can stand up to Hitler's regime. The former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was forced from office due to his inability to see what Hitler was really up to, and Winston Churchill immediately took over the reign of leadership.

This was NOT a time for the Conservative and Labor parties to be split, members from both parties form a most unusual cabinet, albeit not without fundamental differences during the scope of the war, but they realized that they MUST work together for the good of the people, the country and the world - to defeat the forces of evil.

Many of the ministers later became, in their own rights, leaders of their particular parties, some became Prime Minister, some went down in defeat. Names such as Beaverbrook, Atlee, Eden to name a few who are in the pages of history, helped change the course of history.

This was a particularly informative look at the "behind the scenes" of a country at war, I learned much from this.

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would love to read a good book of how Churchill's war cabinet brought the UK through the war (well, I suppose Churchill's memoirs would be the place to start). In any case, this is not that book. It is basically about how the various ministers of the war cabinet had their own goals and ambitions to pursue, and did so in different ways. The waging of the war takes a major backseat to politicking. I enjoy politicking, and reading about it, even in a parliamentary system that is somewhat foreign to the American experience, but that just wasn't what I was expecting in this book.

What was further exasperating was the discussion of why Churchill's party, the Conservatives, got blown out of the water in the 1945 elections. They come in for criticism by Schneer because they did not veer far enough to the left. Instead of embracing socialism (which Labour unabashedly did), they repudiated it. Schneer evidently has no use for such a stand of principle. Well, I do. Quite simply, it was the British voters, not the Tories, who made the mistake, and they've been paying for it ever since.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Churchill-phile, but right off the bat, this book demanded much of its readers in terms of British political foundations. (Do 'the immortal words of Oliver Cromwell as he addressed the Rump Parliament' strike a chord in the hearts of any non-Brits?) I was delighted to learn more about the character and machinations of each member of the WWII-era war cabinet, but prospective readers should know going in that this book is about politics, not war.

[Kevin Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers interesting insight into how Churchill managed his cabinet and the political tasks during the war. But it doesn't really cover how the War Cabinet managed the war and is a bit hit or miss on how they interacted with one another. There's almost nothing about Attlee and his relationship with Churchill (until 1945) and that relationship seems pivotal to the success of the War Cabinet.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splendid multiple biography of the members of Winston Churchill's wartime cabinet ... charts the rise and fall of several politicians during the dramatic period between 1940 and 1945 when Churchill was in power ... neatly details the give-and-take, the remarkable chemistries, the near-disasters ... first-rate political history ...