Finest Hour – July 2019

O

ne room at Chartwell holds

a crucial part of the secret

of Churchill’s phenomenal

political and literary output. Yet

few people have had the chance to

look inside. Thankfully this is about

to change. From spring 2020, the

Secretaries’ Office will become part

of the visitor route, and for the first

time the National Trust will be able

to tell the stories of the loyal secre-

taries who helped the lion roar. Cita

Stelzer’s new book Working with

Winston, therefore, could not have

arrived at a better time. I knew it

would be a vital tool in helping to

tell the stories of these remarkable

individuals, largely women, but also

for the mirror that their histories

hold up to the everyday life of the

man himself, and how they in turn

dedicated their lives to Churchill.

The opening of Stelzer’s book

immediately stresses their impor-

tance, outlining how the term “sec-

retary” must be considered within

its contemporary context and how

the breadth and complexity of the

tasks the “secretaries” managed

would warrant a much more senior

title today. Stelzer also acknowl-

edges the qualities which were

common across all of those who

were able to handle both the pace

and the pressure of the role: their

intelligence, confidence, shrewd-

ness, and perhaps most important-

ly, their loyalty. It is then that we

meet each of them one by one.

Stelzer’s account weaves

together personal statements

from the individuals themselves,

complemented by contemporar-

ies’ recollections and subsequent

historiography. By approaching

the subject matter in this way, she

creates a wonderfully rich picture

of each of the protagonists, as well

as understanding the relation-

ships between them and with the

Churchills themselves. The result

is a remarkable blend of everyday

life for these remarkable people,

through to bearing witness to some

of the most extraordinary events in

twentieth century history. (I should

add that I refrain from collectiv-

ising the group as women owing

to the presence of one gentleman

amongst their ranks.)

The story of each individual

is told beautifully and offers mi-

cro-stories unto themselves. For

example, even though there would

have been a great deal of common-

ality to their experience over the

years, owing largely to Churchill’s

own preference for continuity,

themes such as the typical working

day, tasks undertaken, working

environment, and the particular

nuances of working with Winston

are all addressed without a sense

of repetition or a sense of straining

to avoid it. Instead what has been

created is a seamless narrative,

where despite the difficulties of a

shifting chronology resulting from

a thematic approach, readers find

themselves happy to be guided with

ease by Stelzer through the individ-

uals’ lives and experiences.

One thing that surprised me

was how effortlessly telling the

stories of the lives of Churchill’s

secretaries in turn becomes anoth-

er history of the great man him-

self—but it does not fall into the

trap of letting this dominate the

narrative and instead offers some-

thing really refreshing. The eyes

through which we see Churchill

are those who arguably saw him

at his most raw, feeling the pres-

Books, ARts,

& Curiosities

Front Seats

to History

Cita Stelzer, Working with

Winston: The Unsung

Women behind Britain’s

Greatest Statesman, Pegasus,

2019, 400 pages, $28.95/£20.

ISBN 978–1643130194

Review by Katherine Carter

O

neroomatChartwellholds

a crucialpartofthesecret

ofChurchill’sphenomenal

politicalandliteraryoutput.Yet

fewpeoplehavehadthechanceto

lookinside.Thankfullythisisabout

tochange.Fromspring2020,the

Secretaries’Officewillbecomepart

ofthevisitorroute,andforthefirst

timetheNationalTrustwillbeable

totellthestoriesoftheloyalsecre-

tarieswhohelpedthelionroar.Cita

Stelzer’snewbookWorkingwith

Winston, therefore,couldnothave

arrivedata bettertime.I knewit

wouldbea vitaltoolinhelpingto

tellthestoriesoftheseremarkable

individuals,largelywomen,butalso

forthemirrorthattheirhistories

holduptotheeverydaylifeofthe

manhimself,andhowtheyinturn

dedicatedtheirlivestoChurchill.

The opening of Stelzer’s book

immediately stresses their impor-

tance, outlining how the term “sec-

retary” must be considered within

its contemporary context and how

the breadth and complexity of the

tasks the “secretaries” managed

wouldwarranta muchmoresenior

titletoday.Stelzeralsoacknowl-

edgesthequalitieswhichwere

commonacrossallofthosewho

wereabletohandleboththepace

andthepressureoftherole:their

intelligence,confidence,shrewd-

ness,andperhapsmostimportant-

ly,theirloyalty.Itisthenthatwe

meeteachofthemonebyone.

Stelzer’saccountweaves

togetherpersonalstatements

fromtheindividualsthemselves,

complementedbycontemporar-

ies’recollectionsandsubsequent

historiography.Byapproaching

thesubjectmatterinthisway,she

createsa wonderfullyrichpicture

ofeachoftheprotagonists,aswell

asunderstandingtherelation-

shipsbetweenthemandwiththe

Churchillsthemselves.Theresult

isa remarkableblendofeveryday

lifefortheseremarkablepeople,

throughtobearingwitnesstosome

ofthemostextraordinaryeventsin

twentiethcenturyhistory.(I should

addthatI refrainfromcollectiv-

isingthegroupaswomenowing

tothepresenceofonegentleman

amongsttheirranks.)

Thestoryofeachindividual

istoldbeautifullyandoffersmi-

cro-storiesuntothemselves.For

example,eventhoughtherewould

havebeena greatdealofcommon-

alitytotheirexperienceoverthe

years,owinglargelytoChurchill’s

ownpreferenceforcontinuity,

themessuchasthetypicalworking

day,tasksundertaken,working

environment,andtheparticular

nuancesofworkingwithWinston

arealladdressedwithouta sense

ofrepetitionora senseofstraining

toavoidit.Insteadwhathasbeen

createdisa seamlessnarrative,

wheredespitethedifficultiesofa

shiftingchronologyresultingfrom

a thematicapproach,readersfind

themselveshappytobeguidedwith

easebyStelzerthroughtheindivid-

uals’livesandexperiences.

One thing that surprised me

was how effortlessly telling the

stories of the lives of Churchill’s

secretaries in turn becomes anoth-

er history of the great man him-

self—but it does not fall into the

trap of letting this dominate the

narrative and instead offers some-

thing really refreshing. The eyes

through which we see Churchill

are those who arguably saw him

at his most raw, feeling the pres-

Books, ARts,

& Curiosities

Front Seats

to History

Cita Stelzer, Working with

Winston: The Unsung

Women behind Britain’s

Greatest Statesman, Pegasus,

2019, 400 pages, $28.95/£20.

ISBN 978–1643130194

Review by Katherine Carter