Churchill, Winston – The Bell Bookshop

Painting as a Pastime

Emma — Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

‘Painting is a companion with whom one may hope to walk a great part of life’s journey.’

Winston Churchill’s timeless meditation on the joy of painting, now beautifully republished with extended insights and anecdotes.

Winston Churchill first took up painting in 1915 and pursued it with great pleasure until his death in 1965. While largely self-taught, he was mentored by some of the established painters of the day and became an accomplished artist in his own right. His works are now found in various collections around the world as well as at his house in Chartwell, Kent.

Written in 1921-22, this essay speaks of the joys and rewards of painting, an experience Churchill called ‘a joy ride in a paint box’. Painting was, in essence, his mindfulness practice and a distraction from the political challenges of his life, helping him through the difficult 'wilderness years' between the wars and beyond. Painting as a Pastime has been in print in various forms since it was first published in 1932 and is a classic example of his engaging and lively writing style.

This new edition brings Churchill’s essay to life with:

A foreword by artist Paul Rafferty, the leading expert on Churchill’s art, offering fresh perspective on his artistic journey.
Over 20 full-colour reproductions of Churchill’s paintings, from wartime landscapes to Mediterranean seascapes.
Extended captions that provide historical context and interesting anecdotes.
Elegant design details including a ribbon marker, making this a perfect gift for art lovers, history enthusiast and fans of Churchill’s work and writing.

Whether you’re discovering Churchill’s art for the first time or already an expert, Painting as a Pastime is a beautifully produced volume that celebrates creativity and curiosity.

Letters for the ages

Emma — Thu, 23 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Here are some of the best of Churchill’s letters, many of a more personal nature, written to a wide range of people, including his schoolmaster, his American grandmother and former President Eisenhower.

Letters for the Ages concentrates on the more intimate words of Winston Churchill, seeking to show the private man behind the public figure and shine fresh light on Churchill’s character and personality by capturing the drama, immediacy, storms, depressions, passions and challenges of his extraordinary career. These letters take us into his world and allow us to follow the changes in his motivations and beliefs as he navigates his 90 years. There are intimate letters to his parents, his teacher at Harrow, his wife Clementine, Prime Minister Asquith, Anthony Eden, President Roosevelt, Eamon De Valera and Charles De Gaulle.

The letters are presented in chronological order, with a preface to each explaining the context, and they are accompanied throughout by facsimiles of said letters and photographs, offering the reader a sense of Churchill in his most private moments.

Letters for the ages

Emma — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Here are some of the best of Churchill’s letters, many of a more personal and intimate nature, presented in chronological order, with a preface to each letter explaining the context. The recipients include a vast range of people, including his schoolmaster, his American grandmother and former President Eisenhower. They are taken from within the Churchill Archive in Cambridge, where there is a mass of Churchill’s correspondence. Several of the letters included have never appeared in book form before.Winston Churchill has become an iconic figure greatly loved the world over, but maybe especially these days in the USA. Churchill understood the power of words and he used his writing to sustain and complement his political career, publishing over 40 books and receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. This volume concentrates on his more intimate words. It seeks to show the private man behind the public figure and introduce fresh light on Churchill’s character and personality by capturing the drama, immediacy, storms, depressions, passions and challenges of Churchill’s extraordinary career. Churchill was neither a god nor a demon. Through these letters we see him as a human being with human emotions, frailties and a large ego. He was not always right. He held strong opinions and was often provocative. These letters take us into his world and allow us to follow the changes in his motivations and beliefs as he navigates his 90 years. There are intimate letters to his parents, his teacher at Harrow, Louis de Souza (Boer Secretary of State for War), his wife Clementine, Prime Minister Asquith, Lord Northcliffe, Anthony Eden, President Roosevelt, Eamon De Valera, the French Socialist Prime Minister Léon Blum and Charles De Gaulle. These are letters of a personal nature and are most illuminating. They are enhanced by facsimiles of the letters and images which appear throughout the book, helping the reader to envisage a sense of Churchill in his most private moments.

Second World War 1 Gathering Storm

Emma — Thu, 05 May 2005 00:00:00 +0000

This volume of Churchill's history of World War II vividly describes the steps that led to War, a period that ended with Churchill as Prime Minister - the aftermath of the First World War, the rise of Adolf Hitler, British attempts at appeasement and the eventual outbreak of another global conflict.

My Early Life

Emma — Fri, 30 Jun 2000 00:00:00 +0000

Packed with adventure and incidents, Winston Churchill's first 25 years were spent working as a soldier and a war correspondent in India, South Africa and Cuba. Churchill evokes a so-called golden age before 1914 in his autobiography.