Publication Date:  July 2010

Too many colleges and universities have become places for focusing on means and not upon ends—and, as such, places where the confused and bewildered of the next generation acquire techniques and tools, but graduate having gained neither direction nor order to their souls.

The Hillsdale College History Faculty has painstakingly assembled American Heritage: A Reader in order to provide its own students with a true liberal arts education grounded in the American tradition. Perfect for classroom use at the high school level and up, this extraordinary textbook will provide readers both inside and outside the classroom with a traditional educational experience that enlarges and ennobles the mind.

From the Preface:

“The primary role of this Reader is to supply a rich sample of documents from the periods we examine. These primary sources provide portals into the American past. Reading them, we escape the provincialism of our own time and culture. As artifacts of the past, they do not convey information merely, but they are the sources that historians interpret to make sense of our past.  Consequently, we invite students to engage in the same enterprise as they examine these fragments of the American past as the primary means of understanding both the roots of American order and sources for contemporary disorders.  This daunting task of viewing sympathetically ideas that, although part of our heritage, seem distant and alien is an important and exhilarating part of a proper education in which one seeks to make sense of oneself as an American.”

Larry P. Arnn, the President of Hillsdale College, traces the history of education from the founding of the U.S. Office of Education (based on the Prussian system) in 1869 to the Higher Education Act of 1965 and its subsequent reauthorizations, to contemporary legislation. He connects these changes to fundamental shifts in our understanding of what education is, of the purpose and ends of government, and of what it means to be human. He offers insight into the idea of liberal education as it developed in Western civilization, marked by the confluence of biblical religion and Socratic philosophy.

World War II is one of those rare events in history whose retelling will forever guide us toward a deeper understanding of freedom and tyranny; honor and infamy; the roles of prudence, folly, and chance in human affairs; and man’s capacity for courage, endurance, and sacrifice. These nine essays by leading World War II historians, adapted from presentations given at a Hillsdale College seminar, are written with an eye to these timeless and valuable lessons. Authors include Stephen E. Ambrose, John Lukacs, Martin Gilbert, Victor Davis Hanson, and Gerhard L. Weinberg, among others.

The eight-volume biography of Winston S. Churchill, begun by his son, Randolph Churchill, and completed by Martin Gilbert following Randolph’s death in 1968, was based on documents from the Churchill papers and from more than one thousand other archives, both public and private. Among the many archival jewels are Churchill’s most private and personal letters from his early childhood to his old age, uncensored family correspondence, the letters and diaries of his closest friends and fiercest opponents, secret diplomatic telegrams, and the daily exchanges of an active politician, a prolific writer, a vivid journalist, an historian, a painter, and a man of action.

Churchill’s personal papers are among the most comprehensive ever assembled relating to the life and times of one man. They are so extensive that it is only possible to include in the narrative volumes a part of the relevant documents. The volumes titled The Churchill Documents were planned to run parallel with the narrative volumes, and with them to form a whole.

Here in the first two volumes of The Churchill Documents—Volume 1: Youth, 1874-1896 and Volume 2: Young Soldier, 1896-1901—are set out all the documents relevant to the first volume of the biography, Winston S. Churchill: Youth, 1874-1900. When an extract or quotation appears in the narrative volume, the complete document appears here. Where space prevented the inclusion of a contemporary letter in the narrative volume, it is included here.

The young Winston Churchill led a varied and dramatic life in his first twenty-two years. From his childhood disputes with his parents and at school, and his struggles as an officer cadet to master the art of military life, to his first visit to New York and his remarkable impressions of that city, to his dangerous journey through war-torn Cuba as an eyewitness to the Spanish Army’s attempt to crush the Cuban insurgents, he set down his thoughts in letters that are vivid, well-argued, witty, and full of passion. The intensity of his feelings, the breadth of his opinions, and his tenacity of purpose shine through in these early years, as he gathered the will and determination to confront the world.

Randolph S. Churchill, the only son of Winston Churchill, was born on May 28, 1911.  Educated at Eton and Christ Church Oxford, he became a widely read journalist in the 1930s, reporting at first hand on the German elections of 1932 and warning of Hitler’s military ambitions.  In the 1930s he fought three vigorous but unsuccessful campaigns to enter Parliament.  In the Second World War he served as an intelligence officer at General Headquarters, Middle East, and in the Special Forces in the Western Desert.  In 1944 he volunteered to the parachute behind enemy lines to serve as a liaison officer with the Yugoslav partisans.  For his war services, he was awarded the MBE (Military).  For the five war years he was a Member of Parliament for Preston.  He was three more times an unsuccessful candidate – in 1945, 1950, and 1951.  Between 1938 and 1961 he edited six volumes of his father’s speeches.  His own books include The Rise and Fall of Sir Anthony Eden; Lord Derby, King of Lancashire; The Six Day War, a history of the six-day Arab-Israeli war of 1967, written with his son, Winston; and the first two main and five document volumes of the biography of his father: Youth, 1874-1900 and Young Statesman, 1901-1914.  A trustee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and an Honorary Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, Randolph Churchill died at his home Stour, East Bergholt, Suffolk, on June 6, 1968.

The eight-volume biography of Winston S. Churchill, begun by his son, Randolph Churchill, and completed by Martin Gilbert following Randolph’s death in 1968, was based on documents from the Churchill papers and from more than one thousand other archives, both public and private. Among the many archival jewels are Churchill’s most private and personal letters from his early childhood to his old age, uncensored family correspondence, the letters and diaries of his closest friends and fiercest opponents, secret diplomatic telegrams, and the daily exchanges of an active politician, a prolific writer, a vivid journalist, an historian, a painter, and a man of action.

Churchill’s personal papers are among the most comprehensive ever assembled relating to the life and times of one man. They are so extensive that it is only possible to include in the narrative volumes a part of the relevant documents. The volumes titled The Churchill Documents were planned to run parallel with the narrative volumes, and with them to form a whole.

Here in the first two volumes of The Churchill Documents—Volume 1: Youth, 1874-1896 and Volume 2: Young Soldier, 1896-1901—are set out all the documents relevant to the first volume of the biography, Winston S. Churchill: Youth, 1874-1900. When an extract or quotation appears in the narrative volume, the complete document appears here. Where space prevented the inclusion of a contemporary letter in the narrative volume, it is included here.

The young Winston Churchill led a varied and dramatic life in his first twenty-two years. From his childhood disputes with his parents and at school, and his struggles as an officer cadet to master the art of military life, to his first visit to New York and his remarkable impressions of that city, to his dangerous journey through war-torn Cuba as an eyewitness to the Spanish Army’s attempt to crush the Cuban insurgents, he set down his thoughts in letters that are vivid, well-argued, witty, and full of passion. The intensity of his feelings, the breadth of his opinions, and his tenacity of purpose shine through in these early years, as he gathered the will and determination to confront the world.

Randolph S. Churchill, the only son of Winston Churchill, was born on May 28, 1911.  Educated at Eton and Christ Church Oxford, he became a widely read journalist in the 1930s, reporting at first hand on the German elections of 1932 and warning of Hitler’s military ambitions.  In the 1930s he fought three vigorous but unsuccessful campaigns to enter Parliament.  In the Second World War he served as an intelligence officer at General Headquarters, Middle East, and in the Special Forces in the Western Desert.  In 1944 he volunteered to the parachute behind enemy lines to serve as a liaison officer with the Yugoslav partisans.  For his war services, he was awarded the MBE (Military).  For the five war years he was a Member of Parliament for Preston.  He was three more times an unsuccessful candidate – in 1945, 1950, and 1951.  Between 1938 and 1961 he edited six volumes of his father’s speeches.  His own books include The Rise and Fall of Sir Anthony Eden; Lord Derby, King of Lancashire; The Six Day War, a history of the six-day Arab-Israeli war of 1967, written with his son, Winston; and the first two main and five document volumes of the biography of his father: Youth, 1874-1900 and Young Statesman, 1901-1914.  A trustee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and an Honorary Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, Randolph Churchill died at his home Stour, East Bergholt, Suffolk, on June 6, 1968.

This volume of The Churchill Documents covers the years 1901 to 1907. The second letter, which rightfully belongs in Volume 2, was only found after that volume had been printed. It contains Churchill’s fullest recorded reflections on religion.

The writings in Volume 3 mine a rich seam of correspondence, and include the first speech that Churchill made in the House of Commons. It examines his activities as a new Member of Parliament—his determination to fight for the maintenance of Free Trade within the Conservative Party and his failure to do so—culminating in his decision to leave the Conservative Party and join the opposition Liberal Party, for whom he helped fight a successful election. He was then brought into government as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies.

During this period he also wrote a two-volume biography of his father. In addition to the Churchill Papers—now at Churchill College, Cambridge—this volume contains letters from the archives of those to whom Churchill wrote, and from the archives of the publishing company that published his book Lord Randolph Churchill. It includes Churchill’s letters to his mother, letters that range over every aspect of his public and private life.

Included as well are letters from his American friend Bourke Cockran, from Frank Harris, who acted as his literary agent, and from Lord Hugh Cecil, his closest friend at the time, with whom he sought to break the mould of politics.

The correspondence in this volume shows a young man in a hurry, but with strong convictions and clear abilities, on determined to make his mark on the national stage.

Randolph S. Churchill, the only son of Winston Churchill, was born on May 28, 1911.  Educated at Eton and Christ Church Oxford, he became a widely read journalist in the 1930s, reporting at first hand on the German elections of 1932 and warning of Hitler’s military ambitions.  In the 1930s he fought three vigorous but unsuccessful campaigns to enter Parliament.  In the Second World War he served as an intelligence officer at General Headquarters, Middle East, and in the Special Forces in the Western Desert.  In 1944 he volunteered to the parachute behind enemy lines to serve as a liaison officer with the Yugoslav partisans.  For his war services, he was awarded the MBE (Military).  For the five war years he was a Member of Parliament for Preston.  He was three more times an unsuccessful candidate – in 1945, 1950, and 1951.  Between 1938 and 1961 he edited six volumes of his father’s speeches.  His own books include The Rise and Fall of Sir Anthony Eden; Lord Derby, King of Lancashire; The Six Day War, a history of the six-day Arab-Israeli war of 1967, written with his son, Winston; and the first two main and five document volumes of the biography of his father: Youth, 1874-1900 and Young Statesman, 1901-1914.  A trustee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and an Honorary Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, Randolph Churchill died at his home Stour, East Bergholt, Suffolk, on June 6, 1968.

Volume 4 of The Churchill Documents begins with Churchill’s remarkable visit to East Africa in 1907 and his journey down the Nile. Then follows his entry into the Cabinet as President of the Board of Trade, his courtship with and marriage to Clementine Hozier, his prominent part in the successful parliamentary and public struggle to curb the powers of the House of Lords, his work for prison reform as Home Secretary, his deepening involvement in defence matters, and his opening months as First Lord of the Admiralty.

The correspondence relating to his journey through East Africa and along the Nile shows that he combined political action and reflection with a sense of adventure. On his return, his private life took a turn toward courtship and marriage. His correspondence with “my darling Clementine” weaves an intimate and revealing thread throughout the remaining document volumes.

From the spring of 1908, Churchill was a full and active member of the British Cabinet, and remained so for seven years. These letters disclose how seriously he took his Cabinet responsibilities, and how fertile was his administrative work. He was at the forefront in challenging and destroying the power of the House of Lords to veto social legislation involving government expenditure. It was a prolonged and bitter battle that brought him in conflict with the Court.

The prison reform correspondence reveals a humane and compassionate Churchill. He had also, as Home Secretary, to confront and suppress the riots and disturbances that followed the industrial unrest of 1910. His refusal to allow troops to confront the miners of Tonypandy, in South Wales, was denounced by his former Conservative colleagues as too lenient.

With the Agadir Crisis of 1911, Churchill moved to confront concern for Britain’s weakness at sea. Recognising his patriotic zeal and practical abilities, Prime Minister Asquith appointed him First Lord of the Admiralty. The last pages of this volume follow his steps into this new responsibility.

Randolph S. Churchill, the only son of Winston Churchill, was born on May 28, 1911.  Educated at Eton and Christ Church Oxford, he became a widely read journalist in the 1930s, reporting at first hand on the German elections of 1932 and warning of Hitler’s military ambitions.  In the 1930s he fought three vigorous but unsuccessful campaigns to enter Parliament.  In the Second World War he served as an intelligence officer at General Headquarters, Middle East, and in the Special Forces in the Western Desert.  In 1944 he volunteered to the parachute behind enemy lines to serve as a liaison officer with the Yugoslav partisans.  For his war services, he was awarded the MBE (Military).  For the five war years he was a Member of Parliament for Preston.  He was three more times an unsuccessful candidate – in 1945, 1950, and 1951.  Between 1938 and 1961 he edited six volumes of his father’s speeches.  His own books include The Rise and Fall of Sir Anthony Eden; Lord Derby, King of Lancashire; The Six Day War, a history of the six-day Arab-Israeli war of 1967, written with his son, Winston; and the first two main and five document volumes of the biography of his father: Youth, 1874-1900 and Young Statesman, 1901-1914.  A trustee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and an Honorary Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, Randolph Churchill died at his home Stour, East Bergholt, Suffolk, on June 6, 1968.

Through the documents in these pages, Martin Gilbert takes the reader on a fascinating journey, covering a wide range of domestic and international problems. Churchill’s vivid personality is evident as each controversy unfolds—traced through private letters and secret Cabinet records. Martin Gilbert’s explanatory notes, never obtrusive, illuminate both the individuals and the events of twenty-one dramatic months.

Covering every aspect of Churchill’s life when he was successively Minister of Munitions and Secretary of State for War, Martin Gilbert has also drawn material from the Churchill Papers, now at Churchill College, Cambridge, and from many other archival sources, both private and public.

For Churchill, the period was dominated by the early problems of peace, the continued intervention in Russia against the Bolsheviks, the Russo-Polish war, terrorism, and the search for conciliation in Ireland, revolt in Iraq, Britain’s Palestine Mandate, and the future of Britain’s position in the Middle East. His wife Clementine is an ever-present influence.

Sir Martin Gilbert was born in England in 1936.  He is a graduate of Oxford University, from which he holds a Doctorate of Letters, and is an Honorary Fellow of Merton College, Oxford. In 1962 he began work as one of Randolph Churchill’s research assistants, and in 1968, after Randolph Churchill’s death, he became the official biographer of Winston Churchill.  Since then he has published six volumes of the Churchill biography, and has edited – to date – twelve volumes of Churchill documents.  As a Distinguished Fellow at Hillsdale College, Michigan, he is currently completing the Churchill document volumes.

During forty-eight years of research and writing, Sir Martin has published eighty books, including The First World War, The Second World War, The Somme: The Heroism and Horror of War, D-Day, The Day the War Ended, and a three-volume History of the Twentieth Century.  He has also written, as part of his series of ten historical atlases, Atlas of the First World War, and, most recently, Atlas of the Second World War.

Sir Martin’s film and television work has included a documentary series on the life of Winston Churchill.  His other published works include Churchill: A Photographic Portrait, In Search of Churchill, Churchill and America, and the single volume Churchill, A Life.

Volume 5 of The Churchill Documents begins with Churchill’s prominent part in the Liberal Government’s attempts to introduce Home Rule for Ireland. It continues with his spirited opposition to Votes for Women, during which he incurred the anger of the militant wing of the Suffragettes. It continues with his extraordinarily active and creative years as First Lord of the Admiralty, ensuring the ability of the Royal Navy to defend Britain and its colonies in the event of war, supervising the transformation of the Fleet from coal-burning to oil-burning ships, securing for the British Government a majority stake in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, pioneering the Royal Naval Air Force, and learning to fly, despite being almost twenty years older than the average pilot of those days.

Churchill’s letters to his wife provide a continuing insight into his most private feelings, including his reflections on the sinking of the Titanic. The family man is also on view, including the arrival and early years of his two children, Diana and Randolph. His wife’s anguish at the dangers of his flying lessons is also a powerful and moving motif, as he relished the new art of flying and wanted to achieve his pilot’s certificate. But following the deaths of two of his flying instructors in air accidents, he deferred to her plea to give up flying altogether.

The Royal Navy, its needs and its potential, are the main thrust of Churchill’s letters and memoranda in this volume. These documents show how determined he was not to see Britain vulnerable to the growing naval power of Germany. But his instinct for conciliation is seen as well, in his two unsuccessful attempts to secure a halt to the naval arms race between Britain and Germany.

This volume ends on the eve of the outbreak of the First World War. Churchill’s letters to his wife in the last two weeks of July 1914 give a poignant picture of how rapidly the crisis evolved, and of Churchill’s own moods, proposals, and actions in facing what he warned her would be “the unknown and the unexpected.”

Randolph S. Churchill, the only son of Winston Churchill, was born on May 28, 1911.  Educated at Eton and Christ Church Oxford, he became a widely read journalist in the 1930s, reporting at first hand on the German elections of 1932 and warning of Hitler’s military ambitions.  In the 1930s he fought three vigorous but unsuccessful campaigns to enter Parliament.  In the Second World War he served as an intelligence officer at General Headquarters, Middle East, and in the Special Forces in the Western Desert.  In 1944 he volunteered to the parachute behind enemy lines to serve as a liaison officer with the Yugoslav partisans.  For his war services, he was awarded the MBE (Military).  For the five war years he was a Member of Parliament for Preston.  He was three more times an unsuccessful candidate – in 1945, 1950, and 1951.  Between 1938 and 1961 he edited six volumes of his father’s speeches.  His own books include The Rise and Fall of Sir Anthony Eden; Lord Derby, King of Lancashire; The Six Day War, a history of the six-day Arab-Israeli war of 1967, written with his son, Winston; and the first two main and five document volumes of the biography of his father: Youth, 1874-1900 and Young Statesman, 1901-1914.  A trustee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and an Honorary Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, Randolph Churchill died at his home Stour, East Bergholt, Suffolk, on June 6, 1968.