Churchill and the "black dog" of depression : reassessing the biographical evidence of psychological disorder

Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Winston Churchill is widely believed to have been at risk from a congenital tendency towards prolonged, despairing, even suicidal, depression, from which he is said to have sought escape in ceaseless career-related endeavour. In this, the first book-length sifting of all the available biographical evidence, including extracts from archival letters and papers and never before been published materials, the truth emerges as significantly less grave than legend has it, but somewhat more complex. An essay Churchill published first in 1925 as a magazine article with the deceptively mundane title 'Hobbies' emerges as the key to understanding the cultural icon's actual psychological difficulties, and his management of them. Attenborough's pioneering book provides a clearer and deeper understanding of Churchill the man, and it substantially modifies the established interpretation of the influence of his inner world on Churchill the politician and statesman Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction: Black Dog and the Problem of Evidence....Pages 1-10 The Psychology of Churchill’s Ambition....Pages 11-27 Breakdown in the Commons....Pages 28-49 Depressing at the Home Office?....Pages 50-61 Near-Breakdown and Capital Cases....Pages 62-71 Churchill’s Black Dog Letter....Pages 72-81 Black Dog after the Admiralty?....Pages 82-94 Constrained by Lloyd George....Pages 95-107 Black Dog or Brown Study?....Pages 108-117 Contented at the Treasury and Chartwell....Pages 118-131 Depression and the Vision of Death....Pages 132-147 Moran’s Modus Operandi....Pages 148-158 The Quest for Vindication....Pages 159-174 Fighting Against Atherosclerosis....Pages 175-186 Doctored Diary and Noteworthy Notebook....Pages 187-197 Reassessing Black Dog....Pages 198-213 Back Matter....Pages 214-247 Churchill's 'black Dog' Is Widely Believed To Have Been An Inborn Tendency Towards Prolonged And Despairing Depression. In This, The First Book-length Study Of All The Available Biographical Evidence, Some Of Which Has Never Before Been Published, The Truth Emerges As Significantly Less Grave Than Legend Has It, But More Psychologically Complex.