Review note: Special thanks to Yale University Press for providing an electronic review copy of this work --Booklight staff

Katherine Carter has spent, according to this work, ten years at Chartwell which is a long time to research and explore. To an American ear, this might not set off immediate connection since Chartwell is a subject that has flown below the radar concerning World War II. The needed reference point concerns the knowledge that Chartwell was Winston Churchill's country abode. What makes Chartwell interesting, however, is that it also served as a place where Churchill amassed military intelligence from many sources from well before Hitler came fully into power. Chartwell, then, was where secret meetings with people such as Einstein and China's political elite took place. It is also where people such as the famed 'T.E. Lawrence'--better known as Lawrence of Arabia--met Churchill before Lawrence's untimely, unfortunately fatal, motorcycle wreck.

What the narrative endeavors to undertake is how and in what way Chartwell influenced the development of Churchill's political career. A strong metaphor can be made to Chartwell being Churchill's Garden of Eden. This metaphor is helped, perhaps in not a small way, by key political players in Churchill's retinue being named Eden.

Here, at Chartwell, Churchill banged out various writing pieces and crafted speeches designed to warn the world of the approaching Nazi menace to which it turned, until the situation became dire, a deaf ear. Principally, Churchill wished to ready the Air Force so that Britain could counter any attack that Germany might be inclined to send. An early partner in this endeavor, who is an interesting study all on his own, is a person by the name of Ralph Wigram who acts as a key informant to Churchill on Germany's rearmament. It may be the Wigram was a pivotal piece that was necessary so that Churchill could forge his own convictions about the coming world conflagration. If nothing else, he was an important informant that helped shape Churchill's opinion in 1934.

Here at Chartwell also was where Churchill banqueted with especially formal meals and recipes for as long as his budget could afford to do so. Eventually, however, pecuniary necessity begins to settle on the estate, and Churchill must wrestle with what to do with the place that he so dearly loves. The decision he makes proves to be fodder for a later scandal.

Carter includes details that are not easily discovered concerning the early parts of World War II, or to borrow a famous Watergate phrase, "What Churchill knew and when he knew it." It paints a picture of Joseph Kennedy and an America that is not especially fond of Britain, nor desirous of entering into any further conflicts. Likewise, it shows a Britain that wishes to close its eyes to the menace soon to be at its borders and wishes instead to avoid any direct action that might lead to more conflict. Chamberlain, famously, wanted 'peace at any price' and this appeasement, of course, was desired from having witnessed the horrors of the First World War. Carter also tells the narratives of deposed French Prime Ministers, ousted Nazi political opponents of former high station, and German military informants who cannot believe that Hitler is doing in Germany what he appears to be doing.

Oh yes, and there there is the all-encompassing story of Churchill's ambition to politically 'get back on top'. His reasoning for desiring these political positions are ultimately good in context, but it is clear he wants to be back where he was--somewhere in Admiralty. His course would take him to the office of Prime Minister. Carter's exploration of how Chartwell contributes to this trajectory is novel.

A piece of criticism of Carter's work, however, might be that the ending is unexpectedly abrupt. One feels, somehow, like there is more to be said about Chartwell at the end of the war. This is especially so since we learn all about Churchill's family and what they do there and we do not get to hear what happens once the dark cloud of war passes from Chartwell's perspective. What we do get, which is quite nice, is a long timeline of events after what feels like an abrupt ending--and a detailed number of notes and sources. Perhaps Carter plans a sequel to this work some day. If so, the ending makes sense. Churchill himself, assuredly, would approve.

Original post available over at the booklight here.