I decided to give this a rest for a while. It's way too detailed, but still worth it for the gold nuggets that come out occasionally, like this one...
I'm up to Hitler invading Russia. The adamantly anti-Communist Churchill knows he must ally with Stalin, and is perfectly willing to do it. As he told his personal aide:
"I have only one purpose, the destruction of Hitler, and my life is much simplified thereby. If Hitler invaded Hell I would make at least a favourable reference to the Devil in the House of Commons."
A bit of hyperbole, and doesn't stand up to moral scrutiny, but what a line!
Churchill then broadcast a speech, including this gem:
"We have but one aim and one single, irrevocable purpose. We are resolved to destroy Hitler and every vestige of the Nazi regime. From this nothing will turn us - nothing. We will never parley, we will never negotiate with Hitler or any of his gang. We shall fight him by land, we shall fight him by sea, we shall fight him in the air, until, with God's help, we have rid the earth of his shadow and liberated its people from his yoke. Any man or state who fights on against Nazidom will have our aid. Any man or state who marches with Hitler is our foe..."
Words like those deserve to be kept somewhere other than buried in an obscure 6 volume work.
And by the way, doesn't it sound remotely like the Bush doctrine against terrorism today? Hmmm...
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