Memos from the Bathtub

During World War II, Winston Churchill regularly dictates government memos from his bathtub or bed, sometimes in the middle of the night. His collaborators must follow a chaotic work rhythm organized around long nocturnal stretches, strategic naps, and continuous consumption of cigars and alcohol.

Winston Churchill's daily functioning surprises a large part of his political and military entourage during World War II. Unlike very codified British administrative habits, Churchill works according to an extremely irregular personal rhythm.

He often begins his day from his bed, surrounded by newspapers, military reports, and telephones. Several secretaries must remain available to take notes on the memos he sometimes dictates for hours without interruption. Churchill frequently continues these work sessions from his bathtub, where he also receives certain close collaborators.

The Prime Minister also adopts an unusual temporal organization based on a long nap in late afternoon followed by a second work period late at night. This rhythm sometimes allows him to work until two or three in the morning while maintaining intense political activity.

Testimonies from government secretaries describe an exhausting pace but also a remarkable intellectual speed. Churchill constantly modifies formulations, rhythms, and tones of his speeches or diplomatic telegrams. This staging of a political leader working relentlessly also contributes to the construction of his public image during the war: that of an energetic and tireless leader at the heart of a period of permanent crisis.