This book is a biography of Winston Churchill through the houses he lived in and the gardens he made. It culminates with the full story of his purchase, alteration and creation of Chartwell, Kent, where he lived for more than forty years before and after the war, and which is now owned and run by the National Trust in keeping with his intentions. Churchill was born amidst the splendour of Blenheim Palace but, ever a restless spirit, he owned or rented many houses, both grand and relatively modest, over the course of his long life, including country retreats, modern town apartments and, as First Lord of the Admiralty, Admiralty House.

But it was his house at Chartwell that would be for ever associated with the name Churchill. Based on extensive and scholarly archive study, this unique book brings to light an array of previously unpublished details and reveals a fascinating side to Britain's greatest war leader. Winston Churchill was named the Greatest Briton of all time in a BBC poll that attracted nearly a million votes.

He remains a hugely popular figure. This is the first book on Churchill to focus on this relatively private aspect of his character. It contains material from the Churchill archives, including reproductions of his paintings.