The Speeches of Sir Winston Churchill (1 Viewer)

Currahee Chris

Currahee Chris

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Nothing on the TV last night so my son and I popped in one of my target $2 WW2 DVDS. It had a segment on DDay and then a biopic about Churchill which was split into 2 parts. The first part was his life up to WW2 and then the second part was mostly his really famous speeches played with WW2 footage rolling in the background. Pretty interesting. The guy sounded slightly drunk but it was neat to hear the speeches. There were snippets from his speeches to our US Congress as well.

I had never heard these in their entirety- most Churchill speeches I ever heard were intro's to Iron Maiden songs. ^&grin. he was quite the wartime leader- touring the rubble amongst his fellow Britons and refusing to evacuate. Can't imagine how hard he took it when the people voted him out of office a few years later. England must have one fickle political landscape ^&confuse

Anyone else hear Churchill's speeches or interested in the speeches of other notable figures- I know Jazzeum posts a lot about Lincoln.
 
This is a pretty good site for Churchill's speeches, http://www.winstonchurchill.org

He also had same great lines such as:

Upon being told by Lady Astor, "If you were my husband, I'd put poison in your tea," he responded by saying, "If I were your husband, I’d drink it!"

Another classic:

Liverpool socialist MP Bessie Braddock told him, "Winston, you're drunk," and he responded "Bessie, you’re ugly. And tomorrow morning I’ll be sober, but you’ll still be ugly."
 
He was a one off was Mr Churchill, talk about the right man at the right time. He had many faults, made some bad mistakes, but when it came to rousing this country and giving it a defiant voice to Hitler he was a legend. He is still loved so much in this country that a recent poll he was still named favourite Briton of all time. As Brad has said he had a quick wit and good sense of humour, I've already posted his quip to his aide about the two guys caught together in one of the Royal Parks so I won't bore you with it again, but he really was never short of a humorous quip.

He was indeed heartbroken when voted out at the end of the War, possibly the most shocking election result in British political History, I guess many were tired of War and wanted a total change.

Rob
 
Currahee Chris said:
...Can't imagine how hard he took it when the people voted him out of office a few years later. England must have one fickle political landscape ^&confuse

...
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I imagine he took it in stride. After all, for most of his political career, up to 1940, he was more of an outsider. Prescient on some issues, to be sure, but I don't think anyone on either side of the aisle in Parliament took him seriously. I don't think that bothered him then, and after the war, of course, he had hero and elder statesmen status throughout the free world.

Prost!
Brad
 
Good points Brad (theBaron)

I should start reading some of his funny quotes definately struck me as someone with a good sense of humor. HBO had a movie on within the last year or so that I believe they produced. It was about Churchill. There was a scene where he is taking a bath and talking to FDR- he goes to get out of the tub and his towel falls off and he is standing there in his birthday suit!! Very comical- I forget his exact line but it was really humorous ^&grin%^V

I dunno know, I think the guy loved England so much that losing the election did probably hurt him - he did suffer terribly from depression during his life. In the first part of the biography, they discussed how he was sent off to school and his dad was nearby giving a speech or something and didn't make time to see him- tough to take.
 
WSC on FDR:

"Meeting Franklin Roosevelt was like opening your first bottle of champagne; knowing him was like drinking it."

Raymond.:)
 
Rob said:
He was indeed heartbroken when voted out at the end of the War, possibly the most shocking election result in British political History, I guess many were tired of War and wanted a total change.
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From my readings, this is quite correct, on both counts.
 
Sir Winston was undoubtedly one of the greatest leaders, and speakers, in modern history.
 
He wrote some and some were wrote for him. He was a very eloquent man overcoming the speech impediment and, recieved the nobel prize for literature in 1953.

I think Rob was right about the fact the british population was more sick of the long six years of total war and the restrictions it placed on britain so, IMO far from snubbing Churchill it was a complete change in every facet of life the public wanted in order to forget the depravations we faced as a country.

Far from going into political obscurity after the electoral defeat it should be noted he served us well again shortly after WWII. A giant, no other leader at that time was equal to him
Mitch
 
I remember reading something that after he lost, Mrs. Churchill said something like you'll see the benefit of this and he grumbled back that's a little hard to see right now. I'll try to get the exact quote tonight.
 
Rob said:
...He was indeed heartbroken when voted out at the end of the War, possibly the most shocking election result in British political History, I guess many were tired of War and wanted a total change.

Rob
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Ha, Rob, looks like we were responding at the same time :D I stand corrected, bowing to your better knowledge.

On reflection, it seems odd that he didn't see it coming, given how perceptive he was about so many other things in politics.

Prost!
Brad
 
If interested in Churchill, you might enjoy the movie " Young Winston" . Prior to going into politics Winston was a professional soldier and war correspondent.
 
I found the quote I was looking for. It is mentioned in David Reynolds' In Command of History: Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War.

On July 26, 1945, the day the Labor Party won a massive victory, the Churchill family dined in almost "Stygian gloom," according to Reynolds, almost choking on their food as their daughter Mary wrote in her diary. Trying to brighten the mood, Clementine Churchill said "It may well be a blessing in disguise."

Churchill grunted, "At the moment, it seems quite effectively disguised."
 
I am the First Australian to post here . Maybe that says something . I didn't mind him had his faults but stood fast and strong when the time came. Our Prime minster John Curtin was the same at the time . Stood fast Against Winston and brought the Australians back to defend Australia when we had nothing. I hope I have not lead this thread in a different direction. But Winne was ok with me. Simmo.
 
theBaron said:
Ha, Rob, looks like we were responding at the same time :D I stand corrected, bowing to your better knowledge.

On reflection, it seems odd that he didn't see it coming, given how perceptive he was about so many other things in politics.

Prost!
Brad
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Hey Brad, it looks like we were!. Yes you'd have thought he may have spotted it, I suspect he was totally exhausted after WW2 and probably not firing on all cylinders and lacked energy for that political campaign.

Simpson & his donkey. said:
I am the First Australian to post here . Maybe that says something . I didn't mind him had his faults but stood fast and strong when the time came. Our Prime minster John Curtin was the same at the time . Stood fast Against Winston and brought the Australians back to defend Australia when we had nothing. I hope I have not lead this thread in a different direction. But Winne was ok with me. Simmo.
Click to expand...

Hey Simmo, all opinons very welcome here I'm sure, there are plenty of people who disliked Chruchill too, my mother in law and her sister both didn't like him and thought him a warmonger. Thing is he was the right man at the right time and just what this country needed to stick two fingers up to Hitler.

Rob
 
This was Churchill's remark after Chamberlain returned from signing the Munich Pact on 30th September 1938 with Hitler :

"You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour and you will have war."

Here is the link to Churchill's speech on the Munich Agreement in the House of Commons on 5th October 1938 :

http://www.winstonchurchill.org/lea...of-winston-churchill/101-the-munich-agreement

Raymond %^V
 
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