William F. Buckley, PMF*: A True Churchillian in the End
Do political partisans deserve the Presidential Medal of Freedom? On the matter of most I doubt it. But Bill Buckley richly had his coming.| Richard M. Langworth
Do political partisans deserve the Presidential Medal of Freedom? On the matter of most I doubt it. But Bill Buckley richly had his coming.| Richard M. Langworth
It is with incalculable sadness that we announce the passing of Richard M. Langworth CBE, who died peacefully in the early morning hours of February 20th, 2025, at the age of 83. Summarizing the life of a man who accomplished so much and positively affected so many is an impossible task. Fortunately, he documented much of it himself — 726 blog posts remain as a testament to his passion for history, automobiles, and the enduring legacy of Sir Winston S. Churchill. His work extended beyond th...| Richard M. Langworth
In eary youth, Churchill found whisky repugnant. Then, in Sudan in 1899, “there was nothing to drink, apart from tea, except either tepid water or tepid water with lime juice or tepid water with whisky. Faced with these alternatives I ‘grasped the larger hope’.… Wishing to fit myself for active service conditions I overcame the ordinary weaknesses of the flesh. By the end of those five days I had completely overcome my repugnance to the taste of whisky.”| Richard M. Langworth
“Rab said he thought that the good clean tradition of English politics, that of Pitt as opposed to Fox, had been sold to the greatest adventurer of modern political history.... He believed this sudden coup of Winston and his rabble was a serious disaster and an unnecessary one: the “pass had been sold” by Mr. C[hamberlain], Lord Halifax and Oliver Stanley. They had weakly surrendered to a half-breed American whose main support was that of inefficient but talkative people of a simi...| Richard M. Langworth
In the world of automotive artists, Ken Eberts ranked with the best. His amazing eye for detail focused on artfully researched, nostalgic scenes, placing vintage motorcars in their original settings. William Jeanes wrote: “His work has a deja vu quality that may make you say to yourself, ‘I’ve been there before.’ The places are real, the cars are real, and the details of his settings are painstakingly accurate. Yet the moments never actually happened. Or did they?”| Richard M. Langworth
“The conversation turned to the French Fleet, and Clementine said she hoped that its ships and crews would carry on the fight with us. De Gaulle curtly replied that what would really give the French Fleet satisfaction would be to turn their guns ‘On you!’ (meaning the British). Winston tried to mediate but Clementine interrupted him, and said in French: ‘No, Winston, it is because there are certain things that a woman can say to a man which a man cannot say, and I am saying them to yo...| Richard M. Langworth
Setting: A grand hall in Westminster. Tapestries hang from the walls, and the faint clink of goblets echoes through the air. Enter: Sir Winstonus Churchillius, goblet in hand. Lady Bessica Braddockia approaches, fanning herself dramatically. Lady Bessica: “Hail, Sir Winstonus, thou art returned, From feasting, drinking, or some sport absurd? Thy face is flushed, and eyes like moons do glow; Dost thou drown England’s cares in wine's deep flow?”| Richard M. Langworth
They may have slipped on a banana, but ChatGPT has only been at this for a few years. "Give them another half decade and they'll probably have picked up every word Churchill wrote." So, before we lazily laugh at the tech boffins' failure accurately to pinpoint the Great Man's every word, we might stop to consider: They are just getting started. As Churchill was wont to say on occasion: "Let not the slothful chortle."| Richard M. Langworth
Honor(u)red to be invited to join Lord Roberts, at Secrets of Statecraft. It was fun to chat with the author of the foremost one-volume life of Churchill, about where Sir Winston stands on his 150th birthday. We mutually concluded that he stands as tall as ever. Beyond that, we need to remember him because he spoke everlasting truths about the relations between peoples, about governance, about the value of liberty. Those are as relevant as ever today.| Richard M. Langworth
There’s a way to derive a mostly correct picture of the man from this show: ignore Part 1. The other three parts also suffer from occasional forays into fiction. But they are more accurate, with honest dialogue, well-chosen quotations and spectacular footage, much of it freshly colorized. Kudos to Andrew Roberts, Jon Meacham, Allen Packwood and Catherine Katz for keeping it on track, and to Lord Roberts for his eloquent finale.| Richard M. Langworth
As the last minutes of 1941 ticked away, Churchill’s special train was steaming south on New York Central's broad tracks along the Hudson. Appropriately close to Roosevelt’s home at Hyde Park, the Prime Minister called staff and reporters to the dining car. He entered the carriage amid cheers and applause, raising his glass to the company. “It was with no illusions,” he wrote, “that I wished them all a glorious New Year.... 'Here’s to 1942, here’s to a year of toil—a year of s...| Richard M. Langworth
At Christmas 1932, Churchill received as a present “a huge bottle of brandy, and decided to paint it, accompanied by lesser bottles," Johnnie Churchill remembered. "He sent us children scurrying around Chartwell to find them: 'Fetch me associate and fraternal bottles to form a bodyguard to this majestic container.'"| Richard M. Langworth
Commentator Bill O’Reilly proposes a new Cancel Culture for a collection of jargon that Churchill would define as “grimaces.” A cliché, he says, is “a phrase or opinion that is overused and lacks original thought.” Here are his nominations for grimaces we never need to hear again. He forgot “issues” but it’s not a bad list! Celebrate O’Reilly’s modest proposal: Avoid fashionable filters and fad-words in language. “Short words are best,” Churchill said, “and the old ...| Richard M. Langworth
With acres of glass, low beltlines and slim roof pillars, Exner’s 1957 Flite-Sweep Chrysler products were unchallenged by any rival and prefigured the shape of American cars for the next decade.The most important thing about them was their revolutionary lowness, which was no accident. Exner had demanded that they stand five inches lower than the ‘56s. Coupled with such innovations as “Torsion-Aire” ride, TorqueFlite automatic and potent V-8 engines, they represented a pinnacle, a comp...| Richard M. Langworth
Charles Krauthammer, sage as ever, cautioned against comparing modern situations like Syria (we might now add Ukraine or Gaza) to the Second World War: “There is a difference of scale…. The Second World War was an existential struggle where the future of civilization was in the balance. It could be that Syria, or these other trouble spots, will develop into a World War-like conflict. But that is fairly unlikely right now. It is not a conflict in which the existence of ways of life is at s...| Richard M. Langworth
At Studebaker, Exner and the Loewy Associates had revolutionary ideas: integral fenders, vast areas of curved glass, doors cut into the roof. Raymond Loewy detested the use of chrome as embellishment. He preferred slim, tapered shapes, and practical devices like glass or clear plastic headlamp covers to improve streamlining. Loewy also preached lightness, warning of the cost of excess weight in fuel consumption and performance. Throughout the studio, on walls, floors and ceilings, he posted s...| Richard M. Langworth
“I pondered what had made this dynamic but gentle character so beloved and respected. First of all that there was courage. He had no fear of anything, moral or physical. There was sincerity, truth and integrity, for he couldn't knowingly deceive a cabinet minister or a bricklayer or a secretary. There was forgiveness, warmth, affection, loyalty and, perhaps most important of all in the demanding life we all lived, there was humour, which he had in abundance.” -Grace Hamblin| Richard M. Langworth
The German plan, Churchill wrote, “worked with amazing accuracy. No sooner did Lenin arrive than he began beckoning a finger here and a finger there to obscure persons in sheltered retreats in New York, in Glasgow, in Bern, and other countries, and he gathered together the leading spirits of a formidable sect, the most formidable sect in the world, of which he was the high priest and chief. With these spirits around him he set to work with demoniacal ability to tear to pieces every institut...| Richard M. Langworth
Since 1965 has been an Epstein Churchill bust at the White House, uninterrupted now for six decades. Current media confusion surrounds the SECOND Epstein, which makes regular visits on loan from the British Embassy, where it is in the Embassy’s art collection. Epstein #1 is part of the permanent White House collection. Epstein #2 is an “optional extra” at the White House, depending on the whim of the occupant. Every President is entitled to the totems of their choice.| Richard M. Langworth
Steeped in knowledge and experience, Tim Benson offers a broad assortment of cartoons that bring Churchill’s life and times to vivid life.| Richard M. Langworth
Senior Fellow, Hillsdale College Churchill Project, Writer and Historian| Richard M. Langworth
Brough Scott, who is highly qualified, explores Churchill’s long and sometimes significant equestrian life, complete with penetrating observations.| Richard M. Langworth
Manchester was a great stylist, a lyrical poet; Gilbert was a precise historian, his work chronological and balanced. One must read both.| Richard M. Langworth
Churchill's war books: “Fascinating products of the human spirit, epic tales filled with the depravities, miseries, and glories of man.”| Richard M. Langworth
Martin knew Churchill's story so well. He had sifted through more papers, documents, interviews and transcripts than anyone on the planet.| Richard M. Langworth
With style and panache, Winston Churchill lived a life of adventure through the worst storms that ever rocked civilization.| Richard M. Langworth
Grace Hamblin: “Among innumerable false, unmoved; Unshaken, unseduced, unterrified; Her loyalty she kept, her love, her zeal.”| Richard M. Langworth
