What do you think?
Rate this book
The Churchill Plot
As 90-year-old Winston Churchill barely clings to life in January 1965, Great Britain and the world prepare for the most significant funeral of the century. The long-planned grand farewell for the great man (code Operation Hope Not) will include the presence of a “who’s who” list of world leaders, all vying for the attention of the 350 million people who will watch it all via the relatively new Tel-Star satellite technology.But one world leader has decided not to go to London for the funeral of Sir Winston.Why would the President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, a consummate and ego-driven politician, who has just been inaugurated for his own term, following a landslide election victory the previous November, choose to stay home instead of taking the chance to make his presence known as the leader of the free world? And why would the president not send his new vice president, Hubert Humphrey, to the funeral? And why would the Secretaries of Defense and State eventually travel to London as part of the “official” US delegation, only to avoid the actual service at historic St. Paul’s Church?With these very true historical facts as a backdrop, we take a journey through the “looking glass” into a murky world of shadows, mystery, and intrigue. America and the world had not yet fully recovered from the assassination of Johnson’s presidential predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Yet, in a way that seems to connect back to that awful moment in November 1963, there are rumors of another vast conspiracy, one involving a terrorist attack connected to Churchill’s funeral, at the moment more when than 100 world leaders will be gathered together in one confined place. Just what part of THE CHURCHILL PLOT is history, and what is fiction? You may find yourself reaching for your smartphone to check facts on Google. Go for it.
352 pages, Paperback
Published March 3, 2017
7 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
David R. Stokes
30 books29 followersThough creating compelling copy has always been a part of his work as a minister and broadcaster, it wasn’t until David R. Stokes moved into his fifties that he got serious about writing books. Since then, he has written several highly regarded works of fiction and nonfiction, as well as three screenplays.
His first book, THE SHOOTING SALVATIONIST: J. Frank Norris and the Murder Trial that Captivated America (Steerforth/Penguin/Random House, 2011), a narrative non-fiction thriller set in the 1920s, quickly became a national true crime best-seller. BOOKLIST, in a starred review, said: “The book is engagingly written, in an immediate, you-are-there style, and the story is as compelling and surprising as any Grisham thriller. Top of the line.”
His next book was an espionage novel. CAMELOT’S COUSIN: The Spy Who Betrayed Kennedy now has more than 300 enthusiastic Amazon customer reviews. David has also written a screenplay adaptation, and the story has been optioned in Hollywood. He has also written a sequel—it’s called NOVEMBER SURPRISE.
Two of his books are “based on a true story” novels. JACK & DICK: When Kennedy Met Nixon describes the very first Kennedy-Nixon debate which took place in 1947, thirteen years before the two men ran against each other for the presidency in 1960. David brings this long-overlooked story to life and recreates a fascinating conversation between the two future presidents that took place on an over-night train ride back to Washington, DC.
JAKE & CLARA: Scandal, Politics, Hollywood, and Murder, is a dramatized, but factual account of a fascinating story that captivated American in 1921. A wealthy oil man who bankrolled much of Warren Harding’s successful run for the White House, was shot and killed by his mistress before Harding could reward him with high office.
David’s flair for historical detail and accuracy evident in both his nonfiction and fiction reflects his life long passion for stories from the past. Most of the books in his personal library of more than 7,000 volumes deal with international, political, and military history.
David first began working in radio during college days in the mid-1970s. Since those days, he has had his own national XM satellite radio talk show and is a regular guest-host for talk shows in across the country. Over the years he has interviewed hundreds of political leaders, authors, media personalities, historians, and business leaders. In addition, he has done voice over work, including projects for a Smithsonian affiliate and a presidential library. Political commentator Bob Beckel says: “Here’s a preacher who can range from ancient history, to political history, to current events with ease.”
An ordained minister for nearly 40 years, he has led congregations in Texas, Ohio, Illinois, and New York. Since 1998, David has served as Senior Pastor of Expectation Church in Fairfax, Virginia. In conjunction with his ministry work, he has written several books related to issues of faith and inspiration. For information about these resources, please visit the ministry website.
David has been married to his wife Karen for more than 40 years, and they have three wonderful daughters and seven incredible grandchildren.
His first book, THE SHOOTING SALVATIONIST: J. Frank Norris and the Murder Trial that Captivated America (Steerforth/Penguin/Random House, 2011), a narrative non-fiction thriller set in the 1920s, quickly became a national true crime best-seller. BOOKLIST, in a starred review, said: “The book is engagingly written, in an immediate, you-are-there style, and the story is as compelling and surprising as any Grisham thriller. Top of the line.”
His next book was an espionage novel. CAMELOT’S COUSIN: The Spy Who Betrayed Kennedy now has more than 300 enthusiastic Amazon customer reviews. David has also written a screenplay adaptation, and the story has been optioned in Hollywood. He has also written a sequel—it’s called NOVEMBER SURPRISE.
Two of his books are “based on a true story” novels. JACK & DICK: When Kennedy Met Nixon describes the very first Kennedy-Nixon debate which took place in 1947, thirteen years before the two men ran against each other for the presidency in 1960. David brings this long-overlooked story to life and recreates a fascinating conversation between the two future presidents that took place on an over-night train ride back to Washington, DC.
JAKE & CLARA: Scandal, Politics, Hollywood, and Murder, is a dramatized, but factual account of a fascinating story that captivated American in 1921. A wealthy oil man who bankrolled much of Warren Harding’s successful run for the White House, was shot and killed by his mistress before Harding could reward him with high office.
David’s flair for historical detail and accuracy evident in both his nonfiction and fiction reflects his life long passion for stories from the past. Most of the books in his personal library of more than 7,000 volumes deal with international, political, and military history.
David first began working in radio during college days in the mid-1970s. Since those days, he has had his own national XM satellite radio talk show and is a regular guest-host for talk shows in across the country. Over the years he has interviewed hundreds of political leaders, authors, media personalities, historians, and business leaders. In addition, he has done voice over work, including projects for a Smithsonian affiliate and a presidential library. Political commentator Bob Beckel says: “Here’s a preacher who can range from ancient history, to political history, to current events with ease.”
An ordained minister for nearly 40 years, he has led congregations in Texas, Ohio, Illinois, and New York. Since 1998, David has served as Senior Pastor of Expectation Church in Fairfax, Virginia. In conjunction with his ministry work, he has written several books related to issues of faith and inspiration. For information about these resources, please visit the ministry website.
David has been married to his wife Karen for more than 40 years, and they have three wonderful daughters and seven incredible grandchildren.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 6, 2017
The Churchill Plot by David R. Stokes combines both historical facts and fiction into one stunning read. This novel, has caught my interest from the beginning. I love exploring a bit of history and when writers take it and spin something like this...I can't resist reading it. The characters ranged from people I recognized to others that I didn't. I was thoroughly entertained. Action, suspense, and mystery all wrapped into this book. Churchill ignites an intense attention where the U.S. politics is involved. A lot of events cause for serious thinking and wondering...my mind was already spinning with ideas. David R. Stokes's writing was well-done. I definitely recommend this to history and espionage lovers.
October 17, 2025
The Churchill Plot is an elegant blend of historical intrigue, political suspense, and intellectual mystery a compelling narrative that reimagines the past with cinematic precision. David R. Stokes crafts a tightly woven story that captures the danger and deception surrounding one of history’s most towering figures, Winston Churchill, and the secret forces that sought to silence him.
With a historian’s attention to detail and a thriller writer’s instinct for pacing, Stokes reconstructs a world of espionage, ideology, and power during a pivotal era in modern history. His dialogue rings with authenticity, and his characterizations breathe life into both real and imagined figures. The result is a story that feels plausible, immediate, and profoundly engaging a hidden chapter of history that might have been.
The book succeeds not only as a thriller but as a meditation on conviction and leadership under threat. Readers are pulled into a shadow world where politics and morality collide, and where the preservation of one man’s voice could determine the fate of nations.
With a historian’s attention to detail and a thriller writer’s instinct for pacing, Stokes reconstructs a world of espionage, ideology, and power during a pivotal era in modern history. His dialogue rings with authenticity, and his characterizations breathe life into both real and imagined figures. The result is a story that feels plausible, immediate, and profoundly engaging a hidden chapter of history that might have been.
The book succeeds not only as a thriller but as a meditation on conviction and leadership under threat. Readers are pulled into a shadow world where politics and morality collide, and where the preservation of one man’s voice could determine the fate of nations.
January 30, 2018
Good read!
Nice mix of truth and fiction with a plausible plot line. Story moved quickly and was a pleasure. Always enjoy D. Stokes books.
Nice mix of truth and fiction with a plausible plot line. Story moved quickly and was a pleasure. Always enjoy D. Stokes books.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews