Mr. Churchill's Secretary - Elizabeth Nel

Mr. Churchill's Secretary

By Elizabeth Nel 

Published by Hodder & Stoughton, 1958

First edition, hard cover, dust wrapper with wear and tear, A 5 format, name inscription from previous owner, with  some illustrations, 188 pages.

Good condition. 

Elizabeth Nel (14 June 1917, Suffolk, England - 30 October 2007, Port Elizabeth, South Africa) was a personal secretary to Winston Churchill from 1941-45.. Her memoir was originally known as Mr Churchill's Secretary (written in 1958). One excerpt reads: "Sometimes [while dictating a letter] his voice would become thick with emotion, and occasionally a tear would run down his cheek. As inspiration came to him, he would gesture with his hands, just as one knew he would be doing when he delivered his speech, and the sentences would roll out with so much feeling that one died with the soldiers, toiled with the workers, hated the enemy, strained for victory ... [T]hat great man - who could at any time be impatient, kind, irritable, crushing, generous, inspiring, difficult, alarming, amusing, unpredictable, considerate, seemingly impossible to please, charming, demanding, inconsiderate, quick to anger and quick to forgive - was unforgettable. One loved him with a deep devotion. Difficult to work for - yes, mostly; loveable - always; amusing - without fail