The Churchill Who Saved Blenheim

History has not been kind to Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough, or "Sunny," as he was known. This is because, as Michael Waterhouse and Karen Wiseman reveal, it was largely written by his first wife, the "dollar princess" Consuelo Vanderbilt. Not an easy man, their marriage was indeed an unhappy one. However, he was not entirely to blame for the unhappiness of his marriage to Consuelo; in fact, it would be fair to say that he was sinned against more than sinned. His second wife, Gladys Deacon, proved far too unstable to be the love and companion of his life. Though he needed love, he never found a woman who loved him enough. In The Churchill Who Saved Blenheim, Waterhouse and Wiseman give us the life of a man who lived through a time of great change and felt the responsibility of preserving his home, Blenheim Palace, and the way of life he knew. He was a quiet, well-educated, introverted man who took his role as head of a great estate most seriously. He cared for his tenants and his servants. To those he loved, he was loyal, generous, unfailingly helpful, and courteous, and when necessary, he was also that rare and valuable thing: a critical friend. He left Blenheim in a far better state than he found it. This was his greatest achievement. And this is his story.

Every history buff wishes that walls could talk. In this first book ever written about Blenheim and the Churchills by a family member, Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill explores the relationship between one of history's most important families and its ancestral home. As though perusing a family album, she conveys the family's exceptional history and how each generation changed the estate and how it changed them. Momentous events that changed the course of history are recounted as family reminiscences. Blenheim was a reward from Queen Anne to the first Duke of Marlborough for saving much of Europe from the domination of Louis XIV, and instantly became the family's center stage. Sir Winston Churchill was born in a back bedroom to his American-born mother, Jennie Jerome. Later, he directed Britain's World War II efforts from its study. Blenheim has witnessed some of history's most colorful characters including the ancestors of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and Consuelo Vanderbilt, the American heiress who conquered British high society.Widely considered England's finest example of baroque architecture, this is a rare glimpse into parts of the house never seen on public tours, and no history buff or visitor will want to be without this remarkable guide.

Lovell presents the epic story of one of England's greatest families, focusing on the towering figure of Winston Churchill.

The first book ever written by a family member about one of England's best-known dynasties, BLENHEIM AND THE CHURCHILL FAMILY is a unique record of the private life of the Marlboroughs behind the scenes of a great house. A palace in England that is also a family home, Blenheim Palace is one of Europe's most important pieces of Baroque architecture and a World Heritage site. Built by a grateful nation to celebrate John Churchill's famous victory of Louis XIV at the Battle of Blenhheim in 1704, this spectacular historical monument is also the birthplace of the Greatest Briton of them all, Winston Churchill. Packed full of previously unseen private photographs, paintings, and family papers and letters, Henrietta Spencer-Churchill provides us with the behind-the-scenes view of her ancestors' personal lives from 1700 to today. Moving through eleven generations of dukes, Henrietta reveals the scandals, debts and extravagances of her forefathers, as well as their additions to Blenheim.

This is a history of a great English house, from its conception and building in the opening decade of the 18th century, to the burial of Winston Churchill in the early 1960s. Not just its famous inhabitants are covered, but also the servants and workmen who kept it functioning.

This enchanting collection brings together hundreds of Churchill's wittiest remarks as a record of all that was best about this endearing, conceited, talented and wildly funny Englishman.

A dramatic evaluation of the impact of war on Winston Churchill's leadership abilities draws on the World War II prime minister's writings as a war correspondent, journalist, and historian, exploring how his early military experiences informed his subsequent decisions and helped him protect Europe in later conflicts.

"It is my hope to recall this great shade from the past, and not only invest him with his panoply, but make him living and intimate to modern eyes."—from the preface to Volume One John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough (1644-1722), was one of the greatest military commanders and statesmen in the history of England. Victorious in the Battles of Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), and countless other campaigns, Marlborough, whose political intrigues were almost as legendary as his military skill, never fought a battle he didn't win. Although he helped James II crush the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, Marlborough later supported William of Orange against James II in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and brilliantly managed England's diplomatic triumphs during the War of the Spanish Succession. Marlborough also bequeathed the world another great British military strategist and diplomat—his descendant, Winston S. Churchill, who wrote this book to redeem Marlborough's reputation from Macaulay's smears. One million words long and ten years in the making, Churchill's Marlborough stands as both a literary and historical masterpiece, giving us unique insights into the Churchill of World War II, for just as Churchill's literary skill helps us understand the complexities of Marlborough's life, so too did his writing of Marlborough help Churchill master the arts of military strategy and diplomacy. This two-volume edition includes the entire text and almost all the original maps.