Churchill believed marriage to be a simple thing and sought to dispel its mysteries through a series of aphorisms. “All you need to be married are champagne, a box of cigars, and a double bed,” he said. Or this: “One of the secrets of a happy marriage is never to speak to or see the loved one before noon.” Churchill had a formula for family size as well. Four children was the ideal number: “One to reproduce your wife, one to reproduce yourself, one for the increase in population, and one in case of accident.”

From “The Splendid and the Vile,” by Erik Larson

This well-written book relates the trials and tribulations of Winston Churchill during the Second World War.  It reads like a novel, the author utilizing excellent distinct words with keen meanings.

Churchill, the man, comes alive. I do not know how successful he was in his marriage. That is an area where non-fiction accounts are more fictional than novels. His first advice on how to achieve a happy marriage reveals his enormous selfishness: “All you need to be married are champagne, a box of cigars, and a double bed.” The second might be acceptable. A lot of people feel cranky before noon.