Churchill’s 21st birthday and baptism of fire both took place in Cuba in 1895. This was the year he went on his first international adventure, wrote his first military and political analyses and engaged in his first dicey diplomatic mission. Finding his footing as a journalist, and indeed a war correspondent, he also became the centre of controversy in the American and British press and, while shamelessly exploiting his connections and developing the famous ‘Churchill style’ became known as a public figure in his own right.Attention has previously focused on Churchill’s Indian frontier and Boer War experience as the most formative moments in his youth. But now, with original research through untapped access to Spanish and Cuban archives and interviews, this book shows that his much earlier Cuban trip was really the moment when he ‘came of age’ and started down the path to become a man to be remembered throughout history.

Churchill's 21st birthday and baptism of fire both took place in Cuba in 1895. This was the year he went on his first international adventure, wrote his first military and political analyses and engaged in his first dicey diplomatic mission. Finding his footing as a journalist - and indeed a war correspondent - he also became the centre of controversy in the American and British press and, while shamelessly exploiting his connections and developing the famous 'Churchill style' became known as a public figure in his own right. Attention has previously focused on Churchill's Indian frontier and Boer War experience as the most formative moments in his youth. But now, with original research through untapped access to Spanish and Cuban archives and interviews, this book shows that his much earlier Cuban trip was really the moment when he 'came of age' and started down the path to become a man to be remembered throughout history.

A unique and evocative portrait of World War II—and a charming coming-of-age story—from the private diaries of Winston Churchill's youngest daughter, Mary. “I am not a great or important personage, but this will be the diary of an ordinary person's life in war time. Though I may never live to read it again, perhaps it may not prove altogether uninteresting as a record of my life.” In 1939, seventeen-year-old Mary found herself in an extraordinary position at an extraordinary time: it was the outbreak of World War II and her father, Winston Churchill, had been appointed First Lord of the Admiralty; within months he would become prime minister. The young Mary Churchill was uniquely placed to observe this remarkable historical moment, and her diaries—most of which have never been published until now—provide an immediate view of the great events of the war, as well as exchanges and intimate moments with her father. But these diaries also capture what it was like to be a young woman during wartime. An impulsive and spirited writer, full of coming-of-age self-consciousness and joie de vivre, Mary's diaries are untrammeled by self-censorship or nostalgia. From aid raid sirens at 10 Downing Street to seeing action with the women’s branch of the British Army, from cocktail parties with presidents and royals to accompanying her father on key diplomatic trips, Mary's wartime diaries are full of color, rich in historical insight, and a charming and intimate portrait of life alongside Winston Churchill during a key moment of the twentieth century.

This book is the first examination of the Cuban military in the context of Cuba's political and economic challenges in the aftermath of the collapse of the USSR - and therefore of Soviet economic, political and psychological support. It provides important historical and political contexts of the development and engagement of the military.

“Engrossing…the first formal biography of a woman who has heretofore been relegated to the sidelines.”–The New York Times From the author of the New York Times bestseller A Woman of No Importance, a long overdue tribute to the extraordinary woman who was Winston Churchill’s closest confidante, fiercest critic and shrewdest advisor that captures the intimate dynamic of one of history’s most fateful marriages. Late in life, Winston Churchill claimed that victory in the Second World War would have been “impossible” without the woman who stood by his side for fifty-seven turbulent years. Why, then, do we know so little about her? In this landmark biography, a finalist for the Plutarch prize, Sonia Purnell finally gives Clementine Churchill her due. Born into impecunious aristocracy, the young Clementine Hozier was the target of cruel snobbery. Many wondered why Winston married her, when the prime minister’s daughter was desperate for his attention. Yet their marriage proved to be an exceptional partnership. "You know,"Winston confided to FDR, "I tell Clemmie everything." Through the ups and downs of his tumultuous career, in the tense days when he stood against Chamberlain and the many months when he helped inspire his fellow countrymen and women to keep strong and carry on, Clementine made her husband’s career her mission, at the expense of her family, her health and, fatefully, of her children. Any real consideration of Winston Churchill is incomplete without an understanding of their relationship. Clementine is both the first real biography of this remarkable woman and a fascinating look inside their private world. "Sonia Purnell has at long last given Clementine Churchill the biography she deserves. Sensitive yet clear-eyed, Clementine tells the fascinating story of a complex woman struggling to maintain her own identity while serving as the conscience and principal adviser to one of the most important figures in history. I was enthralled all the way through." –Lynne Olson, bestselling author of Citizens of London

A look at the towering twentieth-century leader and his lifestyle that goes beyond the political and into the personal. Countless books have examined the public accomplishments of the man who led Britain in a desperate fight against the Nazis with a ferocity and focus that earned him the nickname “the British Bulldog.” Churchill Style takes a different kind of look at this historic icon—delving into the way he lived and the things he loved, from books to automobiles, as well as how he dressed, dined, and drank in his daily life. With numerous photographs, this unique volume explores Churchill’s interests, hobbies, and vices—from his maddening oversight of the renovation of his country house, Chartwell, and the unusual styles of clothing he preferred, to the seemingly endless flow of cognac and champagne he demanded and his ability to enjoy any cigar, from the cheapest stogies to the most pristine Cubans. Churchill always knew how to live well, truly combining substance with style, and now you can get to know the man behind the legend—from the top of his Homburg hat to the bottom of his velvet slippers. “All readers will appreciate Singer’s highly intelligent observations about how Churchill’s style contributed to, and was ultimately an integral part of his brilliant career.” —Gentleman’s Gazette

When Winston Spencer Churchill was born in 1874, no one could have predicted the path that lay ahead. But, as it turned out, from Winston's undistinguished academic career to his front-line experiences as a soldier and journalist whether in India, Sudan or Cuba, and during the Boer War or in the trenches of World War I; through his unparalleled political career with all its ups and downs; to his 'finest hour' leading Britain during World War II, he was never to be far from the world's attention. Now the boy, the soldier, the writer, the orator, the politician, the statesman and the family man are all brought to life in this absorbing illustrated book. Featuring both letters to 'Mama' from the homesick - but rebellious - schoolboy and telegrams to Stalin, it highlights some of the most gripping communications from the Churchill Archives. Facsimiles of hand-annotated speech notes are paired with fascinating memorabilia, such as the poster for the reward for his capture during the Boer War, a specimen of one of his infamous cigars, a favourite gramophone record and his Parliamentary despatch box. This book also showcases pictures from his family photograph collection, providing a more intimate portrait of Churchill the husband, the family man and even Churchill the animal lover. Exhaustively researched, Churchill: The Life includes previously unpublished images - such as Winston as a cadet at Harrow and his casket's final journey into Bladon cemetery - as well as rare images of him as a baby and specially shot artefacts from family archives. Together with his unique selection of images, acclaimed historian Max Arthur's evocative and insightful narrative text gets to the core of Winston's character, using his own words and those of some of those closest to him, to provide a comprehensive study of the man and his life. This is a stunning tribute to a remarkable man.