Churchill at War 1940-45

by Charles McMoran Wilson

In January 1940, at Scapa Flow on the northern tip of Scotland, when the United States committed its support to Churchill and England; at the White House twelve months later, after Pearl Harbor, when President Roosevelt and the prime minister sealed their alliance; at Casablanca, Moscow, Teheran, Quebec, Yalta, and Potsdam—wherever Churchill traveled, conferred, maneuvered, and negotiated throughout the course of the Second World War—Lord Moran, his personal physician and confidant, was also there. An eyewitness to history in the making, Moran recorded in his diaries Churchill’s perspectives on momentous world events and on the world leaders who shaped them, men like Roosevelt, Stalin, and Charles de Gaulle. Out of Moran’s keenly observant and deeply felt diaries, however, emerges more than a heroic portrait of a twentieth-century titan. Illuminated, too, is the more private and supremely human his strengths and failings, his jokes and rages, the flashes of wit, the occasional foolishness, an endearing playfulness. With 8 pages of black-and-white photographs, this candid and controversial memoir truly profiles the singular statesman who embodied the soul of a nation—if sometimes with his shoes off. “Illuminating and engrossing ... highly intelligent and very well-written ... the prose is lively, sometimes amusing, often illuminated by apt metaphors.”—The New York Times Book Review “Eloquent and amazingly forthright.... Lord Moran’s pages scintillate with the thrust and parry of famous men’s verbal exchanges.”—Chicago Tribune

Genres: History, Biography, World War II, Nonfiction, Military History, War

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a biography told from the perspective of Lord Moran, former PM Churchills doctore during the war. A very interesting acccount. It does have some gaps in time, and is not the best biography ever written. It is very interesting, however, in what it is. It is the life of Churchill in the war years, told by someone who did not have a political slant on Churchill, somone who was close enough to Churchill to gain insight, but not so close to him as to become blind to all his faults. In that respect, this is a very admirable book. You also get to 'meet' other characters of the time. An enjoyable book.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at one of the most important and well known political figures/leaders of the 20th century. Reading this book provides one with unique insight into Churchill not only as a politician and leader but as a complex and insightful person. In my opinion this is an excellent book to read for anyone with an interest in the politics of WWII in Great Britain and the way in which Churchill handled himself. The book has been around since 1966. Simply this was a great read.

[Occhi Aperti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for Churchill enthusiasts.

[Melsene G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written by Winston's personal doctor and was published after Winston's death. Clearly he waited until Winston was gone as there are things in this book that probably would have upset Winston. True or not, who knows. I thought it was a bit negative and made Winston seem old, tired, sickly, and not up to the job as PM. Much of what is written here about the war is covered in other Churchill books but I wanted to see what his doctor had to say.

[Jacky Yong · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe it's just me, but the narrative style does not suit me at all. One moment the author is talking about a war in London, the next entry he's in a bomber plane flying to America. It's all very confusing with no clear direction. I have stopped reading the book without even reaching half of the book!

[Trudy Dowling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every book I read regarding WW2 allows me to not only gain more but direct me to other books to read. I have always heard much about Churchill but every book gives more details. This book just adds to the respect I have for a man that held the world in his hands. I am forever grateful for a man that worked so hard to keep the world out of Hitler's hands.

[Bluenose]

Lord Moran – Charles McMoran Wilson when he was at home – was Churchill’s pretty well full time physician during the war and indeed up till Churchill’s death in 1966. This book is taken from his original memoir The Struggle for Survival which covered his entire relationship with Churchill. I haven’t read the original and can’t even remember seeing it but this must be the meaty bit for meaty it is, full of candid, immediate and penetrating portraits of Churchill and other great figures of World War II.

Moran’s son John contributes a deftly written introduction that deals with some of the controversy that accompanied the publication of the original book. I’ll bet there was controversy and not a few pairs of twisted underpants at Moran’s undiplomatic and highly entertaining sketches of people and events where he was often a somewhat underemployed fly on the wall. He accompanied Churchill everywhere and Churchill really got around during the war as he was always eager to be on the move, at the scene of the action and face to face with the central characters of the war. What emerges is a portrait of Churchill that I have found in no other account, and I have read quite a few of them including Manchester’s great but truncated biography and Gilbert’s complete but oddly unmoving one. Moran really knew Churchill on an intimate day to day basis. His other biographers did not have this opportunity and for this reason alone, Moran’s account is invaluable.

His son takes up the issue of Moran’s “diary” which was not a diary at all but a bunch of contemporaneous notes that Moran made when the moment and the urge struck him. His book mixed these notes with later reflections. Apparently Martin Gilbert was shocked to discover this after he had finished Churchill’s official biography and questioned Moran’s credibility because of this. The younger Moran gracefully refutes Gilbert’s assertions. Inevitably other physicians questioned Moran’s professional responsibilities in publishing details of his care for Churchill but again, John convincingly says that this was done with the patient’s acquiescence and given his life long affinity for self promotion this is entirely understandable.

Moran is no scholar and makes no pretense of being one. He writes of his own experience and understanding of individuals and events that he was personally involved with and he does it with admirable brevity and insight. He is quick to admit that he may be wrong, that he may not appreciate the wider picture but he is always honest about his own thoughts.

Churchill emerges as an entirely human figure as only his physician could see him. It is a view that is missing from other biographies and it is a great credit to Moran that he gave us this account.

[Yoshua · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doctor's observations.