A Study in Failure
Churchill at the Admiralty, 1939-1940
Published on 10. May 2026
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-0-85730-624-1 (ISBN)
Description
Every politician's rise to power is a story of success and failure, accompanied by tantalising what-might-have-beens.
The career of Winston Churchill was no exception, with his eight months prior to becoming Prime Minister as First Lord of the Admiralty marked by the loss of important warships, the planning of disastrous expeditions and the design of impractical weapons.
Based on archival and biographical research, this account argues that Churchill's actions at the Admiralty were for the most part misjudged and dangerous. Much of what happened could have been avoided, with lives saved and the defence of western Europe strengthened had other counsels prevailed.
Very much the opposite of a hagiography, A Study in Failure provides an alternative perspective on the man regularly considered the UK's greatest ever leader.
The career of Winston Churchill was no exception, with his eight months prior to becoming Prime Minister as First Lord of the Admiralty marked by the loss of important warships, the planning of disastrous expeditions and the design of impractical weapons.
Based on archival and biographical research, this account argues that Churchill's actions at the Admiralty were for the most part misjudged and dangerous. Much of what happened could have been avoided, with lives saved and the defence of western Europe strengthened had other counsels prevailed.
Very much the opposite of a hagiography, A Study in Failure provides an alternative perspective on the man regularly considered the UK's greatest ever leader.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Harpenden, Herts
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Work includes 8 pages of full colour illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 164 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
476 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-85730-624-1 (9780857306241)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
SIMON MATTHEWS has had a varied career including serving as a local councillor in London for more than ten years, a spell running the British Transport Films documentary film library and several years singing in semiprofessional rock groups. He has contributed articles on music, film and cultural history to Record Collector, Shindig! and Lobster magazines. Psychedelic Celluloid, his illustrated history of UK music, film and TV between 1965 and 1974, was published by Oldcastle Books in 2016; the sequel, Looking for a New England, followed in 2021. He is also the author of House in the Country, Free Your Mind! and Before It Went Rotten.