Saturday, June 16, 2012

Churchill on Paper



Interesting and well written article about the great statesman and a new exhibition in NYC.
Churchill’s qualities transcended his gift for rhetoric. Evelyn Waugh’s biting characterization of the man as “simply a radio personality who outlived his prime” was a cheap and witless shot. His indomitable courage and instinctive understanding of the Nazis’ true station in the “dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime” played an equally critical role in his contribution to British survival. But a voice ringing out in the darkness will not resonate without the right words to shape it, and it was his command of ideas and mastery of language that gave his roar its bite. As Edward R. Murrow put it, Churchill “mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.”

1 comment:

  1. Addressing the Commons, he made no mention of those whose mistakes had led Britain to the brink of its first invasion since 1066; nor of his having been ignored on that score for so long. He could well have lamented that he had been rendered Cassandra and relegated to the political wilderness for the crime of being right. But then, always preferring to move forward, that was never Churchill’s style.

    Oh to have a leader like that today.

    ReplyDelete