Welcome to History's Not Boring by kidopoly.com. I'm Mira. And I'm Finn. Wait, Mira? Usually today is our big quiz episode. Are we doing a special bonus interview today, too?
SPEAKER_02We absolutely are. We just finished our quiz episode about a very famous leader. And reading a lovely message from a 10-year-old listener named Mackay from the Netherlands made us realise the timing is perfect to actually meet him in person.
SPEAKER_01Oh wow! I love when we get to talk to the people from history.
SPEAKER_02Me too. And before we step through the time door, we have a very special birthday shout out. A huge big birthday hello to Maeve in Cork, Ireland, who just turned seven.
SPEAKER_01Happy birthday, Maeve! We hear that you listen to our stories every single night before bed. This one is especially for you.
SPEAKER_02Now, grab your flashlights, Finn. We are going back to late 1940. It's a very dangerous time in Europe, and we are heading deep underground, right beneath the busy streets of London.
SPEAKER_01Underground? It feels so cramped down here. It smells like damp bricks, old paper, and a lot of cigar smoke. I can hear typewriters clacking away really fast down the hall.
SPEAKER_02Look, right through that heavy wooden door, there's a man in a dark suit with a polka dot bow tie. He is staring fiercely at a giant map of the world that takes up the entire wall. Let's go say hello. Excuse me, Prime Minister. Thank you so much for taking a moment to speak with us today.
SPEAKER_00Eh? What's this? Oh, the young visitors have arrived. Come in, come in. Watch your step. Don't trip over the telephone wires trailing across the floor. Find yourselves a seat on that rather uncomfortable wooden chair in the corner.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, sir. It's a massive honor to meet you, Mr. Winston Churchill. Are we inside a secret underground bunker right now?
SPEAKER_00You are indeed, my boy. These are the cabinet war rooms, tucked safely beneath the government buildings of Whitehall. It is late 1940, and from this tiny, cramped little basement, with its maps and blinking telephones, we are directing a global war.
SPEAKER_02It feels incredibly serious down here. Everyone in the hallway is rushing around with files and papers, looking very worried.
SPEAKER_00Well, my dear, the times are incredibly serious. I have been Prime Minister for several months now, and the burden is rather heavy. But we must keep our chins up. Britain has an enormous task ahead of her.
SPEAKER_01Why do you have to work all the way down here, underground?
SPEAKER_00Because the enemy is sending aeroplanes to drop bombs on our beautiful city. The people of London are showing immense bravery. Many families are taking their blankets and sleeping in the deep underground railway stations at night to stay safe from the falling bombs. It is a desperately hard time. But they remain cheerful and unbroken.
SPEAKER_02You're the leader of the entire country right now, dealing with all this danger. But what were you like when you were our age?
SPEAKER_00I was a complete and utter nuisance, I assure you. I was born at a grand estate called Blenheim Palace in 1874. But I was not a terribly good student at school. I absolutely despised mathematics.
SPEAKER_01Really? The Prime Minister of Great Britain didn't like math.
SPEAKER_00Hated it with a passion. But I loved history, and I loved the magic of the English language. I loved writing dramatic sentences and reading tales of great historical battles. I always knew I wanted an adventurous life, to be out in the world making a mark.
SPEAKER_02And you certainly found adventure. Didn't you escape from a prison camp when you were a young man?
SPEAKER_00I certainly did. I was 25 years old, working as a daring newspaper reporter during a war in South Africa. I was captured by the enemy and put into a prison camp in Pretoria. But I am a very stubborn man, Finn. I refuse to remain locked up.
SPEAKER_01How did you manage to get out?
SPEAKER_00I waited until the guards were looking the other way, climbed right over a massive iron fence, and ran out into the dark night. I jumped onto a moving freight train, hid myself secretly among the dirty coal sacks, and even sheltered in a rat-infested coal mine.
SPEAKER_02That sounds exactly like a scene from an action movie.
SPEAKER_00It felt exactly like one. I traveled nearly 300 miles to freedom, sneaking past guards and hiding in the brush. It taught me very early on that one must never, ever give up, no matter how dire the situation seems.
SPEAKER_01But things are pretty dire right now, aren't they? I mean, here in 1940.
SPEAKER_00Yes, my boy. They are as dire as they could possibly be. The French army has unfortunately surrendered. Earlier this year, the British Army was nearly trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk in France. We thought we might lose hundreds of thousands of our bravest men.
SPEAKER_02But they got away, right? I read about the little ships that saved them.
SPEAKER_00Exactly right, Mira. It was a miracle of deliverance. Ordinary people in small fishing boats, little pleasure craft, and tiny ferries crossed the famously calm and flat sea to bring our boys safely home. It was a magnificent rescue. But we are now standing alone against a terrible regime that is hurting many people across Europe.
SPEAKER_01Are they going to try and invade Britain next?
SPEAKER_00They might well try. But earlier this year, I stood up in Parliament and made a speech to the whole country to prepare them. I told them that we shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.
SPEAKER_02Wow, just hearing you say it in this room gives me full-body goosebumps.
SPEAKER_00Words are a wonderful, powerful weapon, Mira. When the people are tired and frightened, the right words can give them the courage of a lion. The British people are the lion. I merely provided the roar.
SPEAKER_01Do you ever take a break from roaring? What do you do to relax when you aren't running the war?
SPEAKER_00Well, I do enjoy a good cigar, as you can probably smell. But my truest escape from all this worry is painting. I have painted hundreds of pictures so far, mostly bright, colorful landscapes. When I paint, the worries of the world completely fade away.
SPEAKER_02I had no idea you were an artist with hundreds of paintings. Do you have any pets to keep you company down here?
SPEAKER_00Oh, I absolutely adore animals. I have dogs, of course, but my favorite is a large gray cat named Nelson. He occasionally joins me for dinner. He is an excellent listener, which is far more than I can say for some of my politicians. I always say, dogs look up to you, cats look down on you, but pigs treat you as an equal.
SPEAKER_01Does Nelson the cat sleep down here in the bunker with you?
SPEAKER_00Sometimes, though I don't sleep very much at all, perhaps four hours a night. I keep a special green velvet suit to slip right over my pajamas. I call it my siren suit. It zips all the way up the front and looks rather like a giant baby's romper, but it's terribly practical during sudden air raids.
SPEAKER_02A velvet onesie for the Prime Minister. That is genuinely brilliant.
SPEAKER_00I am also rather proud of my speeches. Have you noticed how much I rely on the magic of the English language?
SPEAKER_01Oh, I definitely have. You give people the courage of a lion.
SPEAKER_00Precisely. It tells everyone who hears my voice without a shadow of a doubt that we absolutely believe we will win this war.
SPEAKER_02Mr. Churchill, you have to make so many difficult decisions every single day, and millions of people are counting on you. Is the burden ever too scary?
SPEAKER_00There are exceptionally dark days, yes. The worry can sit very heavily on my shoulders. But I feel as though my entire life, with all its wild mistakes and unexpected adventures, was simply a preparation for this very moment. When history calls your name, you must answer it with strength.
SPEAKER_01Do you think you can win this all by yourself?
SPEAKER_00Oh, certainly not. We have wonderful friends in the world. I write long letters constantly to President Roosevelt across the Atlantic Ocean in America. The deep friendship and partnership between our two nations gives me immense hope for the future. One person can stand firm, but it takes many hands to build a victory.
SPEAKER_02What would you tell a kid like Mackay or Maeve listening today about facing hard times in their own lives?
SPEAKER_00I would look them right in the eye and tell them this. Courage is the most important of all human virtues, because it makes all the other virtues possible. If you believe in what is right, stand firm. Never give in. Never, never, never. Not in things large or small, great or petty. Never give in.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so much, Mr. Churchill. Your words are really inspiring. We'll let you get back to your giant map room now.
SPEAKER_00Thank you, Finn. Thank you, Mira. It is incredibly good to know that the future is in such bright, curious young hands. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a war to win and a country to lead. Goodbye to you both.
SPEAKER_02Wow, Finn. He was absolutely incredible. Even though he had the entire weight of the world on his shoulders, he still painted landscapes, loved his pet cat, and wore velvet onesies.
SPEAKER_01And he really believed his words could change everything. I honestly feel braver just listening to him. It's amazing how one stubborn person can change history.
SPEAKER_02If you loved meeting the Prime Minister as much as we did, please take a moment to leave us a five-star review.
SPEAKER_01It really helps other kids find our show. And don't forget to check out our site, kidopoly.com. If you want a shout out like Maeve, or want to request a guest like Mackay did, email us at hello at kidopoly.com.
SPEAKER_02See you next time on History's Not Boring. Bye everyone. Keep making history.