Hinge of Fate: Book Review of Winston Churchill

 

The Hinge of Fate by Winston S. Churchill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this up after a 10 year hiatus (!). It makes for great change-of-pace reading.

Dear Winston includes every detail he has, every main policy paper and telegram, leading Britain through the war.
This volume starts with America entering the war, and ends with the Allies routing Rommel from North Africa. “We turn from almost uninterrupted disaster to almost unbroken success” (vi).

“We were no longer alone. At our side stood two mighty Allies. Russia and the United States were, though for different reasons, irrevocably engaged to fight to the death in the closest concert with the British Empire” (3).

I found Stalin’s telegrams to Churchill, and Churchill’s visits to FDR, to be the most entrancing. Stalin was generally grumping and compmlaining about how the West wasn’t doing anything to draw Hitler off from him. It’s Russia taking all the casualties, not you! He had a point. We took our sweet time getting D-Day going, but it takes time to produce weapons, train men, and move it all into position. Here is Churchill to FDR, March 5, 1942:

“When I reflect how I have longed and prayed for the entry of the United States into the war, I find it difficult to realise how gravely our British affairs have deteriorated by what has happened since December 7. We have suffered the greatest disaster in our history at Singapore, and other misfortunes will come thick and fast upon us. Your great power will only become effective gradually because of the vast distances and the shortage of ships.”

Churchill, in typical egocentric fashion, shows that he was the main force urging everyone to get off their duffs and get moving. He saw too much holding back, waiting to attack until everything was perfect. He wanted every Ally force employed in attacking the enemy as much as possible, to wear them down.

But with Germany’s massive defeats in Russia and Africa, the tide turned:
“Henceforward the danger was not Destruction but Stalemate…. Soon the German nation was to be alone in Europe, surrounded by an infuriated world in arms.”


For some video and visuals, try these.
We shall fight…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdAD0...

Churchill funeral: When will we ever again see a nation so sincerely grateful for a great statesman like Churchill? The lowering of the cranes over the Thames gets me every time…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Xkr...

Speech: Their Finest Hour

This gets good at about 3:30...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jjhx...

Speech to US Congress, one month after Pearl Harbor

Lots of zingers in here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYDLTDL-YD8

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