6 December 2023
The Churchill Archives Centre and Bloomsbury Publishing are excited to announce the forthcoming addition of Acquired Papers to the Churchill Archive. This new collection of papers not previously available includes personal letters, speech notes and diary entries. Offering more than 1,700 documents released to the public for the first time, the Acquired Papers offer an unrivalled view of not only Winston Churchill’s personal and political life, but also the global politics of the 20th century.
The collection, which is owned by the Sir Winston Churchill Archive Trust and deposited with the Churchill Archives Centre, gives intimate access to personal documents written by and about many notable historic figures, including Sir Winston Churchill, Lady Randolph Churchill, Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, Sir Noël Coward and Lord High Chancellor F.E. Smith.
Get insight into Churchill’s thought process behind his famed Iron Curtain Speech in 1946 by reading his handwritten notes. Follow him to the Western Front as he fights alongside hundreds of officers for 10 weeks and witnesses many of their deaths. See the world through his perspective as he theorizes that Germany will invade Russia, while also trying to foresee changes to the cabinet at home. Explore Greece with Churchill as he meets Georgios Papandreou, the Prime Minister of Greece, and the Archbishop Damaskenos as they drink ouzo and talk about the Royal Air Force Beaufighters strafing an ELAS (The Greek People’s Liberation Army) stronghold on one of the hills surrounding Athens.
In March 2024, these remarkable documents will be made available digitally on the Churchill Archive, which first launched in October 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing in collaboration with the Sir Winston Churchill Archive Trust and Churchill Heritage LTD. The Archive is a digital library of modern international history which currently includes more than 800,000 original documents. Documents range from Winston S. Churchill’s personal correspondence to his official exchanges with kings, presidents, politicians, and military leaders. This is more than a fantastic collection of primary source material; it is a unique online resource offering new insight into a fascinating period of our past.
This exceptional collection has an abundance of new and noteworthy details for students, researchers, academics, and anyone interested in Winston Churchill and 20th century history. The Churchill Archive is available for purchase by institutions via subscription or on a perpetual access basis.
Nigel Newton, Chief Executive of Bloomsbury, said, “It is impossible to overestimate the historical importance of these documents. Bloomsbury is proud to partner with The Sir Winston Churchill Archive Trust and serve as the digital home and caretakers for the Archive and deliver this content to the scholarly community on the Churchill Archive. I have been glad to work with the Churchill family over more than 10 years on this great archive.”
The Rt Hon the Lord Boateng CVO said, “The Trust is committed to making the contents of the S W C Archive widely available and is particularly concerned to ensure that the younger generation has access to this new material which provides fresh insight into this remarkable and challenging figure. Troubling and troubled times make the study of effective leadership in taking a stand against tyranny and terror both of which are reflected in this hitherto unseen material all the more relevant.”