Sir Winston Churchill

Coniston Sir Winston Churchill

The historical novel Coniston takes New Hampshire politics as its subject; American novelist and playwright Winston Churchill, although born in St. Louis Missouri, spent most of his life in New Hampshire. Churchill shared his first and last names with the legendary English Prime Minister; in correspondence between the two men, the English Churchill proposed that he add his middle name (Spencer) or the initial S. to his own writings, in order to avoid confusion, since the American Churchill had no middle name (Winston S. Churchill, My Early Life). The American Churchill, who achieved literary success earlier than his contemporary, wrote mainly novels and plays, whereas the English Churchill was a prolific writer of nonfiction. Both were politicians, both had served in the military, and both were amateur painters. The novel was first published in June 1906, and reprinted in July and August (as with this copy) of the same year; it was also issued in a signed limited edition in the same year.