Raptis Rare Books is pleased to welcome back acclaimed speaker and historian Lee Pollock of The International Churchill Society as he presents: At Churchill’s Table: Dining and Diplomacy with History’s Greatest Leaders.

Beyond his stature as a world statesman, Churchill is almost as well known for his love for—and consumption of—food and wine and for his ubiquitous cigars. Stories—often humorous and sometimes exaggerated—about his indulgence have been told and retold for almost a century. But Churchill’s eating, drinking and smoking served a larger purpose and played an important role in his mastery of politics, diplomacy and statecraft.

His belief in the power of the table and personal relationships was summarized in his comment, “If I could have dinner with Stalin once a week, all would be well.”