Becoming Winston Churchill The Untold Story of Young Winston and his American Mentor by Michael McMenamin & Curt Zoller

 Mary Soames once wrote that she owed her father what every English person owed him - Liberty. This is the greatest gift of all. One wonders if Churchill could have achieved what he did in the Second World War without the influence of his friend and mentor, the American,  Burke Cochran, when he was young. This book relates how this brilliant orator and adviser to two Presidents took Churchill under his wing, and gave him excellent advice, especially when Churchill left the Conservatives for the Liberals. It includes actual letters of the two men.

I especially liked the way in which each chapter began with a fictional account of the situation. Some of the politics was a bit dry, I thought, but it’s a story well-worth telling. Not many people have heard of Burke Cochran these days, which is a pity.

This is recommended, especially for any fan of Churchill.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.