Brendan Bracken | Series of c.140 letters to Lord Beaverbrook, on Churchill, British politics, and other subjects, 1925-58

Brendan Bracken

Substantial series of nearly 140 letters to Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook,

comprising forty-seven autograph letters signed and ninety-two letters signed, setting out his reactions to the political issues of his day from the Appeasement of Hitler to the Suez crisis, with unguarded gossip and often amusing comments about his contemporaries, many with autograph postscripts or annotations, c. 220 pages, quarto and octavo, 8 Lord North Street, Ministry of Information, Admiralty, 10 Downing Street, and elsewhere, 4 May 1925 to 5 August 1958 (three days before his death), housed in eight green ring-binders

“…Now that Hitler has incorporated about eight million aliens into the Reich, the worth of his promises is evident even to the stupidest elector ... It was very stupid of Chamberlain to issue his declaration on Friday that European tension was decreasing and that the German government were becoming more moderate, and that the public might hope for a disarmament conference before the end of the year. This is the fourth time that an optimistic declaration by him has been followed by ructions in Europe. Poor little Sam Hoare's efforts to support his Master have been even more unfortunate. He told us that the golden years were coming…” (March 1939)

Bracken (1901-58) was perhaps Churchill’s most loyal political acolyte. A financial journalist and Conservative politician with an unusual background (his father had been a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood) and a flair for self-invention, Bracken was an MP from 1929 to 1951. He oversaw the Financial Times’s establishment as the premier business paper, and also published The Economist and History Today. His support for Churchill through the “Wilderness Years” of the 1930s led to his appointment as Minister of Information in 1941.

These chatty and informal letters to Max Aitken – another self-made newspaper publisher and ally of Churchill – include much political gossip, whether it be observations on the public standings of the parties, acid commentary on competing Tory factions, speculation on appointments including the “boring and almost inconsequential job” that is ambassador to Washington, or comments on finance ("...mysterious finance is almost always crooked..."), as well as more personal affairs.

Churchill is a regular subject in these letters. Bracken describes with pride the tremendous reception his leader received at the Conservative Party conference of 1946 and the defeat of the "Neo-Socialists", but also takes part in the widespread speculation about Churchill's retirement: "Winston is in very good fettle and is determined to continue to lead the Tory party until he becomes Prime Minister on earth or Minister of Defence in heaven". By December of 1953, however, he admits that "He intends to give up before June [...] the desire for office has diminished rapidly" (although in fact Churchill was to continue in office for another year). Other frequent subjects are the British retreat from Empire, South African politics, and delight at the mishaps of his many enemies, including insufficiently loyal Tories (such as Macmillan) as well as members of the Labour Party. He gives a coruscating view of Clement Attlee’s post-War Labour Government:

“... I doubt if we have had a worse Government since the days of Lord North's. That nobleman had a King behind him who controlled more than a hundred Members of the House of Commons. His control was very unpopular in the country. But I have no reason to believe that the T.U.C. control of far more Parliamentary votes than King George III possessed is unpopular. I think a large part of the electorate is content to put up with all sorts of shortages if they are quite certain that the privileged are being grilled […] We Tories ought to pray that the Socialist ministers will be glued to the Treasury Bench for at least another year. Given that space of time it is not foolish to expect that the public will become tired of being pushed around by muddled Socialists…”

The letters also include comment about high society and parties with mutual friends such as the Duke of Windsor ("...the Prince over the Water.."). As would be expected, there are references to the newspaper world, including his opinion that "Australia is indeed a good country for the newspaper owner" (22 September 1936) and suggestion that Aitken discuss the subject with Keith Murdoch, father of Rupert Murdoch, who was then in London.

PROVENANCE:

Sotheby's, London, 23 July 1979, lot 101