Gentlemen,
I feel much more at ease now. Dave, Chairman of the CAC (Churchill Appreciation Club
) and Jim(Treasurer of said club) have directly addressed the points I was originally making. I could tell we were having to wrench that concession out of Dave with a pair of pliers! In the spirit of entente cordiale.. I will accept that compared to his contemporaries Marlborough was indeed an outstanding performer. However his performance was not really the issue of the debate (very informative and rather good natured really
). It was about the 'News International' type publicity machine that got going afterwards and has never really stopped. I admit I would be the guy standing in the middle of the railroad tracks trying to stop the express train with a red flag but that is just my awkward nature
If everyone esle says red I usually say blue
Two things then.. Jim's mention of no French writing about Marlborough. I think the reason for this is that they have found a much more respected miitary 'Rock Star' in Napoleon. If they never ever do another thing militarily in the history of the world they can dine out on Nappie for the rest of the existence of France and still class themselves up there with the Romans! Louix XIV, his life and times would have probably featured more promenently in historical writing if Napoleon had never existed. My twa' penneth on that.
On the large scale European adoration of Marlborough... well they would wouldn't they. He help scare off the bogeyman Louis XIV and for that you are going to be grateful.
A recent little example from my own experience. In Czech Republic with a Czech national having a beer. I commented on the ubiquity of McDonalds joints and how I always got a little unsettled by global American Corporations colonizing the High Streets of the planet. Quick as an instant he fired back..
"I love McDonalds and I love the Americans. Let's face it (looking straight at Barry the Brit) they were the only ones who never invaded us, betrayed us, abandoned us or stabbed us in the back!"
Case rests...
And by the way... I must admit, I WAS directly responsible for the WSS! I stuck my tongue out at a Frenchman once