A charming story of a love affair that went up in smoke daily
During World War II, Winston Churchill’s cigar was such an necessary beacon of resistance that MI5, together with the nation’s top scientists, tested the Prime Minister’s furnishes on mice rather than risk sabotage. Today, Churchill and his cigar remains a international icon, memorialized by a 151-foot statue of a cigar in Australia, while his cigar stubs are precious as relics. Using introductory archival exploration and exclusive consultations with Churchill’s staff, Stephen McGinty explores Churchill’s passion for cigars and the consolation they brought. He likewise examines Churchill’s lasting friendship with Antonio Giraudier, the Cuban businessman who for 20 years stocked Churchill’s humidor, before fleeing Castro’s revolution.
