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Title: We Shall Not Fail: The Inspiring Leadership of Winston Churchill by Celia Sandys, Jonathan Littman ISBN: 1591840155 Publisher: Portfolio Pub. Date: 22 May, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5
Rating: 5
Summary: The Humanity of the "King of the Castle"
Comment: I recently read two separate but related books, this one and Alan Axelrod's Nothing to Fear: Lessons in Leadership from FDR. The connections between Roosevelt and Churchill are numerous and significant. Some doubt remains as to how close their personal friendship was but there is no doubt of their mutual respect as together they and their respective nations faced what once seemed certain defeat by the Axis powers in World War II. This book is of special interest to me because it was written by Churchill's granddaughter in collaboration with Littman. Her perspectives are especially significant, given what we learn about Churchill's family life in the excellent biographies written by Martin Gilbert and Roy Evans. Apparently Churchill could often be rather demanding of family members as well as of his staff, especially during England's struggle to survive and then share in the ultimate victory in World War II. In fact, Sandys (with Littman's substantial assistance) focuses most of her attention on her grandfather's inspiring leadership during those darkest of hours.
In the Introduction, she acknowledges that she has been frequently asked, "When did you realize that your grandfather was a great man?" For reasons she explains, she found it impossible to answer. The core question to which she does respond is this: What can be learned from Winston Churchill's leadership? She organizes her material within fourteen chapters, concluding each with a list of what she suggests are "Churchillian Principles." For example, at the end of one of my favorite chapters ("Follow Your Canvas"), she offers these:
Expect the unexpected and you'll find yourself far better prepared to deal with life's twists and turns.
Make your own hours to bring vitality to your work.
Leave time for rest and relaxation, especially when under pressure.
Wise leaders have a hobby or pursuit outside of work that brings them joy.
Never forget the rejuvenating power of a good meal with friends or stimulating company.
Sandys was in a unique position to observe Churchill's commitment to these and other principles. Throughout her narrative, she makes appropriate use of Churchill's own statements about all manner of situations, ranging from his conflicts and collaborations with other world leaders to the reasons why he enjoyed painting so much. She offers her own opinions along the way, duly noting her grandfather's warts as well as his halos. This is a serious book, a remarkably thoughtful and sensitive book, but also one which is highly entertaining. I have always regretted never having had the pleasure of Churchill's company. (He would be among the guests invited to a "fantasy dinner" were it possible for me to host such an event. The others? Homer, Eleanor of Aquitaine, William Shakespeare, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Katherine Hepburn. Wouldn't that be an evening to remember?) I am deeply grateful to Sandys for sharing so much of her personal relationship with Churchill but also for her response to the question previously posed: What can be learned from Winston Churchill's leadership?
In the epilogue, she recalls that "Even at home taking command was a way of life. On seaside holidays he would direct the family party, his children and those of his brother Jack, in the building of magnificent sand castles. Everyone had a role to play under the direction of the 'King of the castle.' He was as excited as the children when at high tide the sea rushed in to fill the moat and eventually destroy the entire day's work." What a fond memory of a singular man who retained "almost to the end, his ability to enthrall his audience with wisdom, humor, and humanity."
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Title: Winston Churchill: A Penguin Life (Penguin Lives) by John Keegan ISBN: 0670030791 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: 10 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill by Gretchen Craft Rubin ISBN: 0345450477 Publisher: Ballantine Books (Trd) Pub. Date: 03 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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Title: First Great Triumph: How Five Americans Made Their Country a World Power by Warren Zimmermann ISBN: 0374179395 Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux Pub. Date: 21 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: Nothing to Fear: Lessons in Leadership from FDR by Alan Axelrod ISBN: 1591840147 Publisher: Portfolio Pub. Date: 08 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism by Peter Schweizer ISBN: 0385504713 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 15 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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