By Michael Patrick O’Brien–
Me a history nerd? Guilty, as charged. Yet, even for a history buff like me, landmark historical events are much more real if I can somehow get inside of them, and put myself in or near the shoes of people who lived at that same time.
Thus, in April 2012 on the centennial of the Titanic disaster, I wrote a series of short Facebook posts (“The Titanic O’Briens”) about a handful of O’Briens on board the doomed ship. In July 2013, for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, I wrote something called “The Gettysburg O’Briens” about people with my name who fought on both sides of the war between the states.
To commemorate the ongoing 75th anniversary of the end of World War II (fought from 1939-1945), I decided to read a biography of Winston Churchill. Compared to my Titanic and Gettysburg adventures, which involved a lot of research and writing, the Churchill idea seemed a bit lame. All I would be doing is reading a book.
Then my friend Jathan Janove suggested a specific Churchill book—the three part Last Lion series written by William Manchester (with much help from Paul Reid on the last volume). It is massive, with some 3,000 pages, and over 1,000,000 words. And hundreds of footnotes and bibliography citations. I was intimidated, but jumped in.
I started the very large task about three years ago, and it took me almost as long it read it all as it did for the combatants to fight WWII. I recently finished it, close to the 55th anniversary of Churchill’s death (he passed on January 24, 1965). There is much to be learned from this formidable historical work.
Churchill overcame by persistence and resilience. He was born privileged, wealthy, and even spoiled, but also was ignored by his mother and perhaps even despised by his father. His schoolmates bullied him ruthlessly, and he was mocked and sidelined by his political foes and sometimes by his allies. Yet, he kept going, and we all know what happened as a result.
Few leaders have matched his gift for the written and spoken word. You know some of the best examples:
- “We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
- “He has all of the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.”
- “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”
- “I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”
No leader is perfect. Churchill was quite human. He made mistakes. He was vain, selfish, and unduly stubborn. He was an imperialist. He micromanaged and drove his co-workers crazy. He loved his wife but basically forced her to live a life in politics long after she wanted out. Many of his children lived quite troubled lives.
Ultimately, however, Churchill was a man of good character. He was not hateful, at least was not portrayed that way in the books. He generally confined his debate to policy, not personality. And he even shared scotch and cigars—and compromises—with those who disagreed with him, a habit sorely lacking in our tribalized political world today.
Some people are truly meant for their times. Churchill was a man destined to live when he did, fitting perfectly to his time. The same is true for Adolph Hitler.
Churchill’s sole purpose in life may well have been to stand up to and save the world from Hitler. This required many hard acts on his part, and he came very close to failing. But this service, if nothing else, should earn him enduring respect. After reading his biography, it is hard to imagine who else could have (or was willing to) do the same.
Many nations (most of Eastern and Western Europe) lacked the means, will, or skill. Joseph Stalin from the Soviet Union initially made a deal with the Nazi devil. Franklin Roosevelt and the Americans were too far away, and too inward looking, to get involved until the war was almost lost. Only Churchill clearly saw Hitler’s evil and consistency opposed it.
Churchill had strong (and sometimes wrong) views, which he allowed (sometimes) to evolve over time. One of his close colleagues remarked that Churchill had hundreds of ideas every day, and one or two were even good ideas. Some were quite wrong.
For example, Churchill initially was a strident foe of Irish independence, and he negotiated the treaty that partitioned the north from south. (A treaty that someday soon may be reversed, thanks to Brexit and majority support in Ulster for the European Union.) He also sent the “black and tan” police to repress and brutalize the Irish some 100 years ago.
Yet, he eventually supported home rule for the Irish Free State, respected its leader Michael Collins, and eventually voted for the treaty that made Ireland (all but Ulster) an independent republic. Later recalling the events of Irish independence, he wrote, “No one can expect that the hatred and prejudices of centuries will pass away in the passage of our short lives. But that they will pass away in the merciful oblivion of time and in the recuperative fruitfulness of nature seems to be a good and fair hope.”
Despite his evolution, he stayed wrong on many things. Two of them were India’s independence and Mahatma Gandhi. Ironically, great statues honoring both men stand just steps apart in London’s Parliament Square (see: The Ecumenical Great Soul). Even the best of us get it wrong sometimes.
What have you done for me lately? After leading Great Britain through the war, and just as the war was ending, Churchill was voted out of office. Politics is a fickle business, just one reason why I am not in it.
War is horrible, but we can do better. Despite the courage and determination so many exhibited in WWII, that conflict demonstrated that war is horrible. Some 75 million people died during it. This is a million people for every year since the war ended, and 75 people for every single word I read in the Churchill biography. When he became prime minister in 1939, Churchill warned about what was ahead, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind.” Yet, he also understood that humanity can overcome its worst elements: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
My parents were teenagers during the war. My uncles fought in it, as did my wife’s uncles (see: Riding Bikes with Robert and Edmond). However, they rarely discussed it. 75 years later, thanks to Churchill, I think I understand it a bit better.
*Mike O’Brien is a writer and attorney living in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is writing a book about growing up with the monks at the old Trappist monastery in Huntsville, Utah.
