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6.Character.
Churchill always self-confidently believed himself to be a man of destiny and, because of this, he lacked restraint and could be reckless.[634][635] His self-belief manifested itself in terms of his "affinity with war" with which, according to Haffner, he exhibited "a profound and innate understanding".[636] Churchill considered himself a military genius but, according to Addison, his failure at Gallipoli was "the greatest blow his self-image was ever to sustain".[637] Jenkins pointed out, however, that although Churchill was excited and exhilarated by war, he was never indifferent to the suffering it causes.[638]
Jenkins stated that in Churchill's early parliamentary years, he was often deliberately provocative and "argumentatively dexterous to an unusual degree"."[639] Rhodes James was of the view that, when speaking in the House of Commons, Churchill gave the impression of having a chip on his shoulder and was "deliberately aggressive".[640] His barbed rhetorical style earned him many enemies in parliament.[641][642] On the other hand, Gilbert said of Churchill's early parliamentary career that he reflected "zeal, intelligence, and eagerness to learn".[104] Churchill was nevertheless deemed to be an honest politician who was, according to Jenkins, "singularly lacking in inhibition or concealment".[643] Rhodes James said he "lacked any capacity for intrigue and was refreshingly innocent and straightforward".[644] Gilbert noted that Churchill's literary style was "outspoken, vigorous, with the written equivalent of a mischievous grin".[99]
Rhodes James described Churchill as "a career politician, profoundly ambitious and eager for prominence".[645] Churchill had a good memory,[646] and according to Addison had "the capacity to combine a highly personal vision with command of the smallest detail".[647] In his later career, Churchill gained a reputation as being the last Victorian in British politics.[648] Jenkins thought this was not a fair assessment, stating that Churchill remained "essentially an Edwardian rather than a Victorian" in his attitudes.[648]
Churchill developed a reputation for being a heavy drinker of alcoholic beverages, although this was often exaggerated and he was an extremely active man.[649] He was a particular fan of polo, a sport that he played while stationed in India,[618][636] and throughout much of his life went hunting, whether for grouse and stag in Scotland or boar in northern France.[650]
Churchill displayed particular loyalty to his family and close friends.[651] For instance, when Lloyd George was going through the Marconi scandal, one of the lowest points of his career, Churchill supported him.[652] One of his closest friends, even when he was a Liberal, was the Conservative MP F. E. Smith.[653] In 1911, he became close with Grey,[654] and another longstanding friend was Violet Asquith.[655] Like his father, Churchill faced jibes that many of his friends were Jewish
From childhood, Churchill had been unable to pronounce the letter s, verbalising it with a slur.[47] This lateral lisp continued throughout his career, reported consistently by journalists of the time and later. Authors writing in the 1920s and 1930s, before sound recording became common, also mentioned Churchill having a stammer or stutter, sometimes describing it in terms such as "severe" or "agonising".[656] The International Churchill Society says the majority of records show his impediment was a lateral lisp and that the alleged stutter is a myth. Churchill worked hard on his pronunciation by repeating phrases designed to cure his problem with the sibilant "s". He was ultimately successful and was eventually able to say: "My impediment is no hindrance". In time, he turned the impediment into an asset and could use it to great effect, as when he called Hitler a "Narzee" (rhymes with "khazi"; emphasis on the "z"), rather than a Nazi ("ts").[657]
Rhodes James thought that, in part because of his speech impediment, Churchill was "not a natural impromptu speaker".[658] Churchill therefore memorised speeches before he gave them.[659] Gilbert believed that during the early 1900s, when Churchill worked as a professional speech giver, he mastered "every aspect of the art of speech-making".[660] Jenkins noted that "Churchill lived by phrase-making. He thought rhetorically, and was constantly in danger of his policy being made by his phrases rather than vice versa".[661] For Rhodes James, Churchill was "particularly effective" at "invective and raillery" and that he was "at his most effective when he made deliberate use of humour and sarcasm"
Churchill was christened in the Church of England[663] but, as he related later, he underwent a virulently anti-Christian phase in his youth,[664] and as an adult was an agnostic.[665] In an 1898 letter to his mother, Churchill related: "I do not accept the Christian or any other form of religious belief".[666] In a letter to his cousin he referred to religion as "a delicious narcotic" and expressed a preference for Protestantism over Roman Catholicism because he felt it "a step nearer Reason".[667]
According to the scholars David Reagles and Timothy Larsen, Churchill was nevertheless "sympathetic to religious belief" and retained "an emotional and spiritual connection with the Church of England—albeit one that stood at arms' length to its teachings".[663] He viewed Christianity as being linked to civilisation, thought Christian ethics provided a good grounding for children, and encouraged the religion's promotion through the British Empire
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