CHURCHILL'S CITADEL

CHURCHILL'S CITADEL
by Katherine Carter.


It would be a brave man or woman to confess to their partner that they had just gone and bought a house. Braver still knowing that it would require a sum of money many times that of the sale price, before it would be ready to move in. Yet in 1922, this is exactly what Winston Churchill did.
Whilst it was the distant views that especially attracted Winston to the house, his wife Clementine never loved it quite so much.
In this new book, both Chartwell's front door and its visitors book are opened wide, as curator Katherine Carter takes us back to the 1930's and the period that led to a second world war. 

It was a decade where the Churchill family grew in number, whilst some relationships would break down. Winston and Clementine would see the arrival of both grandchildren along with new son-in-laws. 
As the family grew, so did Chartwell's outside attractions. Large sums of money would be spent with the addition of a lake and a heated swimming pool.

The signed visitors book reveals many a famous name. From Albert Einstein and T.E. Lawrence, to politicians from home and abroad. Many would be guests of the Churchill's for a weekend, a party, or even better, a Christmas. 
But as a growing threat grew across Europe, Winston Churchill's mind was ever more focused on Germany and Hitler.
Chartwell would be a family home, but it would also be a meeting place away from the eyes of Westminster. 
So often described as his 'wilderness years', Winston used this time to question those in the know and build a sense of what was happening in Hitler's Germany, as well as across Europe. 
His warnings mostly fell on death ears. As we now know, we would eventually miss our bus.

From a cold and damp house, came a family home. Its huge grounds now a playground for both children and adults to enjoy.
A memorable visit for guests where fun and laughter mixed with the worries of another approaching war.
Katherine has brought all these different strands together, tied them into a bow and handed us a fabulous present.

The hardback book is available now, published by Yale University Press. 
I thank Yale U.P. London for my review copy. 

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