Churchill's Secret

Description

Nineteen-fifty-three is synonymous in the British memory with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June. But less well known is what happened in 10 Downing Street on 23 June. With Anthony Eden vying for power, the elderly Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, must maintain the confidence of his government, the press and the public. But after a diplomatic dinner in which he is on typically sparkling form, Churchill's Italian dining companions are rushed out of the building and his doctor called. The Prime Minister has had a stroke. Churchill is bedbound throughout the summer, and while secrecy agreements have been struck with leading newspaper barons, the potential impact of his health on public life is never far from the minds of his inner circle. With the help of a devoted young nurse and his indomitable wife, Clementine, Churchill gradually recoups his health. But will he be fit enough to represent Britain on the world stage?

Jonathan Smith was educated in Wales and at St John's College, Cambridge. KBO: The Churchill Secret, his seventh novel, is being adapted into a major ITV drama. An earlier novel, Summer in February, was made into a feature film, starring Dan Stevens and Dominic Cooper.

Praise for Jonathan Smith: Jonathan Smith's style is in keeping with the breezy naturalism with which Munnings and Laura Knight painted - Times Literary Supplement An excellent and subtle novelist Subtle, accomplished and absorbing . . . a real and serious talent