Churchill's Bodyguard

Based on the posthumous memoirs of Walter H. Thompson, protector of Winston Churchill, Churchill's Bodyguard explores the life and times of the World War II era British prime minister through the eyes of the man who kept him from harm for nearly 18 years. Combining archival footage, dramatic re-enactments, and Thompson's own words, the 13-part documentary miniseries begins with a 1911 incident in which the 35-year-old Churchill, then Home Secretary, led police during an attempt to capture anarchists who robbed a bank. Watching from the London crowd, Thompson saw a bullet barely miss Churchill, and before long wound up personally guarding him (Franklin Delano Roosevelt would later say, “Take care of him Thompson, he's the greatest man in the world”). Of particular interest is the social contrast: middle-class Thompson was the son of an insurance salesman, while Churchill came from a wealthy family, and although the latter helped save the civilized world from the Axis threat, it was Scotland Yard detective Thompson who kept him alive for his rendezvous with history. It was a busy job: the numerous attempts on Churchill's life came from the likes of Irish terrorists, Indian assassins, Hitler's hit men, Luftwaffe fighters and U-boats, V2 rockets striking London, hidden explosives, and random crazed gunmen. DVD extras include a gallery of archival photos. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)