Mr. Churchill in the White House: The Untold Story of a Prime Minister and Two Presidents

by Robert Schmuhl Narrated by Paul Boehmer

Overview

Well into the twenty-first century, Winston Churchill continues to be the subject of scores of books. Biographers portray him as a soldier, statesman, writer, painter, and even a daredevil, but Robert Schmuhl, the noted author and journalist, may be the first to depict him as a demanding, indeed exhausting White House guest. Drawing on years of research, Schmuhl not only contextualizes the unprecedented time Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt spent together between 1941 and 1945, but he also depicts the individual figures involved: from Churchill himself to "General Ike," as he affectionately called Dwight D. Eisenhower, to Harry Truman, and not to mention the formidable Eleanor Roosevelt, who resented Churchill's presence in the White House and wanted him to occupy the nearby Blair House instead (which, predictably, he did not do).



Mr. Churchill in the White House presents a new perspective on the politician, war leader, and author through his intimate involvement with one Democratic and one Republican president during his two terms as prime minister. Indeed, Churchill had his own "Special Relationship" with these two presidents. Diaries, letters, government documents, and memoirs supply the archival foundation and color for each Churchill visit, providing a wholly novel perspective on one of history's most perplexing and many-faceted figures.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Nudity, drinking, smoking: Winston Churchill’s unusual diplomacy… His time at the White House serves as a case study in getting what you want…. Roosevelt knocked on the door of the prime minister’s suite during Churchill’s first White House visit in December 1941, only to find that ‘Churchill was stark naked, a drink in one hand, a cigar in the other’.... This book is a case study in the savvy deployment of political 'soft skills'. Churchill knew when to push and when to flatter, when to lead and when to follow (or at least give the impression of following), how to charm and how to inspire. He also knew the value of good publicity: whatever he actually felt about Roosevelt and Eisenhower, it suited him to have the world believe they were great friends…. Such popularity has endured: American historians are still writing books about him nearly 80 years after his last White House visit."— The Economist

"Mr. Churchill in the White House showcases an essential point about the great Englishman’s visits to the United States. Common history and shared interests will move nations in the same direction. Yet sometimes it takes the force of personality to bind them together. Mr. Schmuhl, an emeritus professor of American studies and journalism at the University of Notre Dame, “has found a fresh angle by focusing on the White House visits themselves, from the intimacies of the close quarters to the tensions hiding behind smiling pictures.""— Wall Street Journal

". . . this remarkable story of Winston Churchill visiting the White House multiple times offers a fresh perspective. You feel like you are a fly on the wall during his encounters with two Presidents."— Forbes

"Robert Schmuhl, author of Mr. Churchill in the White House, has annoyed me. What was meant to be a casual week-long read transformed into a captivating all-nighter flipping through the pages of a book I never knew I needed."— International Churchill Society

"If you know very little about the strategic issues surrounding World War 2 and the geopolitic world at the time, then this book is a must read for you. If you want to see what life is like when prying eyes are not on famous people, then this is your book. A tremendous amount of research went into creating this book. A companion to the classic, One Christmas In Washington."— Mr. N N.N Light's Book Heaven

"This well-researched book... adds up to a fresh approach to an important piece of history."— Kirkus Reviews

"Historian Schmuhl (The Glory and the Burden) takes a novel approach to exploring mid-20th-century diplomatic relations between America and Britain in this winning history... The character portraits Schmuhl draws are vivid and transfixing as the leaders by turns cozy up and butt heads. WWII history buffs will be delighted."— Publishers Weekly

"Robert Schmuhl tells this hidden-in-plain-sight story with the kind of charm and humor you don’t expect in a book on the War. This is a story to enjoy on a rainy day or if it’s too hot to go outside. Indeed, “Mr. Churchill in the White House” is a book worth fishing for."— Terri Schlichenmeyer

"Robert Schmuhl’s Mr. Churchill in the White House is a lively, deeply researched and important contribution to our understanding of how large personalities confronting large challenges can change history."— E. J. Dionne Jr., Georgetown University

"A cursory online search suggests that 1,150 books have been written about Winston Churchill. He wrote 42 books himself, published in 70 volumes. Which raises the awkward questions: One more? Really? To which Robert Schmuhl’s cheeky answer is “Yes!” And you know what? Mr. Churchill in the White House is both charming and provocative. What did Churchill really say when FDR rolled his wheelchair into the British prime minister’s bathroom to find him in the pink and white altogether? Did these two brilliant and manipulative politicians ever permit friendship to overwhelm British or American national interest? It was a complex and meaningful relationship. Worth another book? This one? Absolutely."— Ted Koppel, award-winning anchor, ABC News Nightline; senior contributor, CBS News Sunday Morning

"Robert Schmuhl admirably captures the vitality and cunning of Churchill’s D.C. residency with consummate skill, colorful anecdotes, and crisp historical analysis."— Douglas Brinkley, author of Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America

"Churchill’s time at the White House became legendary, and no foreign leader has captivated the American people in the same way since."— Matthew Costello, Director of the National Center for White House History

"This is an informative, entertaining, and fast-paced account of Anglo-American summitry at the highest level, based on the accounts of those who were there."— Allen Packwood, director of the Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge

Kirkus Reviews

2024-03-29
A respected historian finds new things to say about the relationship between Franklin Roosevelt and Churchill.

In this well-researched book, Schmuhl, chair of the American studies and journalism programs at Notre Dame, focuses on the numerous periods when Churchill stayed in the White House as a guest of the president. The author points out that these were not mere photo-op sessions: Churchill’s longest stay was 24 days, up to January 14, 1942. He was constantly working, writing speeches, papers, letters, and cables, and regularly meeting with members of Congress and generals as well as the president. Roosevelt gave him copious amounts of his time, but Eleanor was not so taken with their guest, and the White House staff were bemused by Churchill’s habit of wandering the hallways in the early hours wearing only a dressing gown. Pearl Harbor had drawn the U.S. into World War II, and powerful voices were arguing that the effort should concentrate on the Pacific. Churchill pushed to ensure that there was sufficient American attention given to Europe, and he was largely successful. But as the tide of war turned, his views became less important. The U.S. became the dominant player, and Eisenhower was the man running the war in Europe. When Eisenhower became president, he invited Churchill to stay in the White House, but it was largely a measure of his personal respect. Britain was a declining power, and Churchill could do little about it, except for emphasizing the “special relationship” between the countries. Schmuhl delves into a trove of records and correspondence, although he warns that Churchill’s recounting of events was often more colorful than reliable. It adds up to a fresh approach to an important piece of history.

An educational recollection of an era when geopolitics was based on respect, mutual understanding, and friendship.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192662618
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	07/30/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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