Sir Winston Churchill

.... from Lawrence of Arabia to Winston Churchill.

I had a minor in history in my undergraduate degree. One of the most fascinating parts of history to me was the "Great Man" period... the two World Wars. Winston Churchill was perhaps the greatest of great men from that period.

He had a fascinating life... son of a lord, war correspondent, more or less a political exile over his support for the king during the abdication crisis of 1936. (King Edward abdicated the throne for a twice divorced commoner... Mrs. Wallis Simpson, an American no less!)

Churchill returned to political life in triumph, became Britain's most well known Prime Minister. He is perhaps best known for his refusal to back down or in anyway appease the German war machine. At the dawn of WWII, he is quoted saying to the House of Commons (whom he saw as notorious spineless appeasers), "...you were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, and you will have war."

In his post political life, he was a prolific artist, painting landscapes in oils; as well as a writer. He won a Nobel prize for a six volume history on the Second World War. He also wrote a four volume set named "The History of the English Speaking Peoples."

In days when our leaders bend to the will of influential friends, party politics and weekly opinion polls; they don't come like Winston Churchill anymore.