Clementine

Starred review from September 28, 2015
In this first fully researched biography of Clementine Churchill, British political reporter Purnell (Just Boris) reveals a smart, savvy, and independent-minded woman who disagreed with her husband on such political issues as women’s suffrage, and on personal matters such as “holidays, gambling, and even their own son.” Based on extensive interviews with three generations of the extended Churchill family, as well as archival work in Britain and the U.S., Purnell’s work aids readers in appreciating Clementine’s personality, her domestic life, and the political context that she and Winston lived in and helped to shape. While she spent much of her 57-year marriage apart from Winston, Clementine was fiercely loyal and immensely helpful to him, as shown through anecdotes featuring key figures with whom she and Winston interacted, especially during WWII. Purnell shows empathy for her subject, but she doesn’t spare criticism, particularly in portraying her as a distant, somewhat neglectful mother of the couple’s five children—all of whom led troubled lives, except their youngest daughter, Mary. This exemplary biography illustrates how Clementine’s intelligence, hard work, and perseverance in often difficult circumstances made her every bit a match for her remarkable, intimidating husband, and a fascinating figure in her own right. Agent: Grainne Fox, Fletcher and Company.

Starred review from August 1, 2015
The biography of Winston Churchill's unfailing champion. Political reporter Purnell (Just Boris: The Irresistible Rise of a Political Celebrity, 2011) offers a sharply drawn, absorbing portrait of Churchill's elegant, strong-willed wife, who was also his adviser, supporter, protector, and manager. "You are a rock & I depend on you & rest on you," Churchill wrote to Clementine during one of her many escapes from the overwhelming demands of her selfish, "dictatorial," and petulant husband. A lonely, shy child raised by her distracted and often cruel mother, Clementine married Winston after a brief courtship and immediately decided, she said, "to give her life totally" to him, putting his needs before her own and those of their children. No matter what slings and arrows were aimed at him, she was convinced of his greatness. Purnell argues persuasively for Clementine's importance to history: she functioned as her husband's astute political strategist; insisted that he consider her liberal, feminist views; vetted his speeches; and campaigned for his successes. After his reputation suffered horribly from his role in the disastrous 1915 defeat in the Dardanelles, Clementine urged him to enlist in the Great War, from which he emerged with a "military halo." During both wars, Clementine took an active role, organizing canteens for munitions workers and lobbying to improve conditions for women and children on the home front. With impeccable taste and a perfectionism that caused many servants to quit, she created a warm, welcoming home in which the rich, powerful, and influential gathered. Among her many challenges was money: frequently, they were turned out of government residences when Winston's positions changed; and he spent impulsively, buying estates that proved to be money pits and speculating in the American stock market in the 1920s, leading to a severe loss. While he worked ferociously to earn money from publications, Clementine economized. Purnell is sympathetic to the strains of Clementine's life but unapologetic about her maternal shortcomings. A riveting, illuminating life of a remarkable woman.

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September 15, 2015

Clementine Churchill (1885-1977) has remained a nearly forgotten footnote in 20th-century British history; there is only one other biography of the woman, written by her daughter Mary in 1987. Purnell (Just Boris) does a remarkable job of proving that Clementine had a large impact on Winston's life. Born into an aristocratic but poor family and of uncertain paternity, Clementine Hozier was a serious, studious child who blossomed into a great beauty. Winston seems to have known immediately upon meeting her that she would be the one who could support his great ambitions and moderate his mood swings and gambling. Besides wooing Winston's critics and adversaries through her generosity as a hostess, she also edited his writing, advised him on political decisions, and volunteered in many ways throughout both world wars. Although she had feminist leanings, she was never able to convince Winston to support the burgeoning women's movement and also felt that she failed as a mother. Her significance, in many ways, can be compared to that of Eleanor Roosevelt. VERDICT A welcome addition to the canon of Churchill biographies. Clementine's life is fascinating in its own right. [See Prepub Alert, 4/20/15.]--Kate Stewart, American Folklife Ctr., Washington, DC

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015

Churchill once declared that victory in World War II would have been impossible without his wife, Clementine, so it's surprising that the only biography we have was published 35 years ago by her daughter Mary Soames. Now, longtime political reporter Purnell (e.g., the Economist) offers an account drawing on the year she spent doing research on a Churchill fellowship and everyone still alive who worked with Clementine. With a 75,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.