Churchill’s Admiral

Jim Crossley

Pen and Sword

£25

Admiral of the Fleet Lord Keyes was a close friend of Churchill and served, like him, through both world wars. Keyes was trained in the days of sail. In 1887, aged 15, his first posting was to the iron frigate HMS Raleigh where he was expected to work on the yards and topmasts and be ready to wield a cutlass. When off duty he loved to sail the ship’s cutter. Jim Crossley, a keen sailor, shows how this experience stood Keyes in good stead when navigating the currents and shallows of the Peiho River to Tientsin. Conversely Keyes’s belief in personal dash and courage could make him a nightmare in his dealings with later Lords of the Admiralty – including his old friend Churchill.