Soundings

Interpreting problems

There is, however, much discussion of Sir Winston Churchill's drinking in at least three biographies--those by J Charmley, Norman Rose, and Clive Ponting:

At this period, Churchill's heavy drinking became apparent for the first time, although it was not on the gargantuan scale it reached later in life ... there is no doubt that he had an alcohol addiction problem--he drank throughout the day and in large quantities. He wrote to Clementine in April 1924 "I drink Champagne at all meals and buckets of claret and soda in between." (Ponting, pp 287-8)

He would take his first whisky and soda soon after breakfast. For the rest of the day the tumbler was rarely empty. (Rose, p 194)

After his regular afternoon nap he would have two or three glasses of "iced whisky and soda" before dinner, at which "he always had champagne, followed by several doses of brandy"; this would be followed by several whisky and sodas as the night wore on. (Charmley, p 549)

On the 2 April [1940] he had a great difficulty finishing a speech in the Commons and had to be led away. One observer [Cecil King, in his diary entry of 3 May 1940] commented, "It is at times like these that age and excessive brandy drinking tell." (Ponting, p 428)

Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles had met Churchill in March 1940 when in Europe on a peace mission for the President. Welles found him reading the paper, smoking a large cigar and drinking whisky and commented, "it was quite obvious that he had consumed a good many whiskeys before I arrived." Churchill subjected his visitor to a two-hour monologue about how Britain would win the war "in the course of which he became quite sober" [Roosevelt Library, PSF Box 9, 12 March 1940].... Roosevelt observed to the Cabinet that "he supposed Churchill was the best man that England had, even if he was drunk half his time." [Harold Ickes's Diary, 12 May 1940]. (Ponting, pp 497-8)

Perhaps the worst meeting of all was of the Defence Committee on 6th July [1944], which lasted from 10 pm to 2 am. Three separate records exist. Cunningham described Churchill as "in no fit state to discuss anything--too tired and too much alcohol." [Cunningham's Diary, 6 July 1944]. (Pointing, pp 619-20)

Sir Winston Churchill was an immense figure by any standards. He clearly had a huge tolerance for alcohol, however, and it was this physiological adaptation to the drug which allowed him to be the great politican and writer that he was, in spite of excessive, problematic drinking; the argument that he could not have been a problem drinker because of what he achieved fails to recognise that this very tolerance is the core of the addiction. Sir Winston Churchill also showed many of the features of problem drinking which are the close companions of tolerance: depression, aggression, and unpredictability. These are disturbing features in any national leader.

Ian Robertson 

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Nicholson, G. (1995). Churchill's biographers disagree over alcohol consumption. BMJ 310: 257c-257 [Full text]