'Churchill's Little Redhead' is the autobiography of much-travelled author and television presenter, Celia Sandys, Winston Churchill's granddaughter. In 1959 she accompanied her grandparents on the 'Christina', Aristotle Onassis's superyacht, for a grand tour of the Mediterranean with another guest, the legendary diva, Maria Callas. During the extraordinary journey, sixteen-year-old Celia witnessed the burgeoning romance between Onassis and Callas, a love affair which resulted in two divorces within a year. Celia was born in war-ravaged London in 1943, the daughter of Duncan Sandys, her grandfather's Minister of Supply in his war cabinet, and Diana Churchill. Celia recalls in much detail post-war rationing and the make-do atmosphere that prevailed at the time. In her spirited book she describes the ups and downs of her three marriages, from which she bore three sons and a daughter. The sad death of her divorced mother is touched upon with tenderness, and the death of her favourite aunt, Sarah, who had spent several years deteriorating into alcoholism following the sudden death of her beloved husband is narrated with much understanding and obvious love. Once her children had flown the nest, Celia developed a new career as an author and wrote three books on her grandfather. One of which, 'Chasing Churchill', led her to present it as a television series, in which she travelled the world re-tracing her grandfather's footsteps: from his military escapades in Cuba, the Boer War, his vital wartime meetings with President Roosevelt and countless other visits to his 'other country' the United States. A thoroughly modern and independent woman of spirit, Celia's eventful life makes for a fascinating read.
Celia Sandys, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill's eldest child, Diana and Cabinet Minister Duncan Sandys, is an internationally acclaimed author, journalist, television presenter and speaker. Celia has published five books on various aspects of Winston Churchill's life. These combine intensive historical research with personal anecdotes recalled from the time she spent with him in England and abroad. Her most recent book, 'We Shall Not Fail-The Inspiring Leadership of Winston Churchill', describes the principles of leadership which enabled Winston Churchill, Britain's Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945, to lead his country and the rest of the free world to overwhelming victory against Nazi Germany and its allies in World War II. Another of her books, 'Chasing Churchill', is the basis for a documentary which was first aired on PBS in the USA and on the Discovery Channel in the UK in 2008. Presented and narrated by Celia Sandys, the programme describes her grandfather's extensive military, political and private travels across the world, including the many journeys on which she accompanied him. It includes fascinating interviews with some of those who met Churchill during the course of these travels or whose parents or grandparents had done so. This riveting portrait of one of the twentieth century's iconic figures as painted by someone who knew him as 'Grandpapa'. In great demand as a speaker, Celia Sandys has fascinated amused and enthralled audiences around the world. Drawing on her vast and intimate knowledge of Winston Churchill's personal and political life, and her own extraordinary network of friends around the globe, her speeches to groups both large and small are often accompanied by excerpts from some of her grandfather's speeches as well as photographs and other material drawn from her private collection. Among the more popular of her subjects are 'Memories of My Grandfather At Home and Abroad', 'The Inspiring Leadership of Winston Churchill' and 'Churchill in America'.
Churchill Family Tree; Foreword; Acknowledgements and Picture Credits; Introduction; 1 Tuesday's Child; 2 A Pink Cake; 3 A Tale of Three Childhoods; 4 Schooled for a Belted Earl; 5 Coming Out; 6 Travels with my Grandfather; 7 Growing Up; 8 White Mischief; 9 The Passing of a Legend; 10 A Politician's Wife; 11 Living on my Wits; 12 Gorgeous Gianni; 13 More Adventures; 14 A Merciful Death; 15 A General's Wife's; 16 A Little Box of Treasure; 17 Telly Time; 18 Never Give In.
