Churchill’s speech-making didn’t always go well. Even great speakers ‘dry up’. Although he had a phenomenal memory (he’d won a prize at school for reciting great reams of poetry), learning speeches by heart clearly wasn’t enough. Even though he meticulously rehearsed them beforehand, there was always the possibility of forgetting his lines. In the spring of 1904, making a speech in the House of Commons, he’d been speaking for forty-five minutes when – without notes to hand – he forgot his words. He struggled for ‘the most embarrassing 3 minutes of my life’, trying to remember the rest of his speech, and then sat down in silence, humiliated. So even great speakers can find public speaking difficult and stressful. After this confidence-shattering experience, Churchill nearly always prepared full notes – and had them to hand – to prevent this happening again. And thanks to this, the Churchill Archives Centre contains lots of Churchill’s speeches notes. (No wonder ‘presentation skills’ experts encourage the use of those small cards with speaking notes or handy PowerPoint slides as prompts...)

Churchill is perhaps now best remembered for his powerful speeches and broadcasts, particularly those delivered during the Second World War – ‘a series of speeches that rank with the greatest in British history’ (Simon Jenkins, in , 2011). He used his great skill with the written word, and his dedication to rehearsing its delivery, to influence a national and an international audience. His speeches were carefully crafted both to raise morale at home and to act as political and diplomatic weapons abroad, sending messages of defiance to the enemy and calls to arms to allies. Learn more about Churchill’s development as a speaker, in an exhibition showcasing relevant . And this review of the exhibition in the .

Finest Hour 171, Winter 2016 Page 50 The River War: Churchill’s Firsthand Account of the Charge at Omdurman Lines printed in bold italics appeared in the first edition of The River War but not...

A complete list (arranged by date) of Churchill’s 43 book-length works in 72 volumes, published over the course of his lifetime (1874-1965) and posthumously When titles are divided by a slashmark,...

I have in my life concentrated more on self-expression than self-denial.

Shortly after leaving office he began his biography of his illustrious ancestor, the first Duke of Marlborough which was published in four volumes between 1933 and 1938 (it was originally published...

The Library at Chartwell, with its thousands of leather-bound volumes copyright: NTPL/Andreas von Einsiedel...

Writing a long and substantial book is like having a friend and companion at your side, to whom you can always turn for comfort and amusement.

I feel devoutly thankful to have been born fond of writing.