More than 50 years after his death, Winston Churchill is everywhere. John Lithgow's performance as the great prime minister enlivened the first season of “The Crown” on Netflix. Gary Oldman is earning praise for his portrayal in “Darkest Hour.” A Google alert for Churchill's name returns at least 50 citations daily, many beginning with “Winston Churchill once said . . .”
Churchill produced more than 15 million words during his lifetime, making him a fertile source for commentators of all stripes. Buried in that mountain of copy is something for everyone. But with these repeated citations has come what one scholar describes as “Churchillian drift”—the never-ending circulation of Churchillisms that sound right but are, in fact, wrong.
Read Full Article »