Lady Violet Bonham Carter, the daughter of British Prime Minister Asquith, was a close personal friend of Winston Churchill for nearly 60 years. The value of this account is rooted in that fact for I dare say Winston had many admirers and critics but few personal, intimate friends with whom he would truly confide. Winston talked a lot about himself in letters and at dinner conversations. However, there aren’t many glimpses of the ruminations behind that facade, save for those provided by Churchill himself, which then must be considered in the context that he was on stage from his earliest teen years and always playing to the crowd and history. In proof, let us borrow Lady Carter’s quote of A. G. Gardiner who allegedly wrote that "in the theatre of his mind it is always the hour of fate and the crack of doom."

          This is a splendid little account from Lady Carter where she focuses on the period from 1906-1916, however, there are a few contextual items the reader should bear in mind. She was a confidante of the circles of power and British elite society. She led a privileged life in a particular period of English history following the heady days of Queen Victoria’s Empire. She adored her father and Churchill.

          That being said, I found her portrait of Winston interesting and illuminating. She provides snippets of his emotions, self-doubts, ruminations, anxieties, comments, goals, ambitions, character and personality that are valuable because they are firsthand and connected to specific historical events. That adds to the mosaic of any tepid or serious study of Churchill. She is not critical but offers some analytical insight. For instance in discussing Winston’s relationships with his servant and administrative staffs, she admits that "Winston might be-and indeed he was-exacting, arbitrary, often unreasonable and always inexhaustible. Yet he was also always human, and he was their friend." So, while she is clearly an adoring fan, it cannot be said that she is only fawning in this book.