Duty and Destiny: The Life and Faith of Winston Churchill

Smith (A History of Christianity in Pittsburgh), professor of history emeritus at Grove City College, takes a cursory look at “how [Winston Churchill’s] religious convictions may have influenced his objectives and policies” in this thin study. Drawing on existing scholarship as well as Churchill’s letters and diaries, Smith walks readers through Churchill’s childhood of neglect, how attending boarding schools inspired in him a dislike for authoritarian rules (particularly from Catholic clergy), his experiences as a soldier and war correspondent, and his role as a “statesmen and evangelist” working to defeat and reform Europe after “the Devil” Hitler’s catastrophic rise to power. It’s difficult, however, to find any argument or thesis here. The bulk of the work consists of quotes or statements from other historians or the Churchill family, which appear with little or no analysis or comment from Smith himself. The author assembles a rich trove of source material, but fails to do anything of note with it. (Jan.)