Let's play a piece of a Churchill speech. We'll worry later about whether.

Who's having those on?

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, and if, because I do not for a moment believe, this island or large part of it, was subjugated and starving, then our empire beyond the seas,

armed and guarded by the brief fleet, would carry on the struggle until in God's good time. The new world with all its power might step forth to the rescue and the liberation of the whole.

So first of all, astonishing language. Which he crafted meticulously, there wasn't a comma or even a breath that I don't think was choreographed in advance. He was a performer as a speaker.

Now Churchill coined a number of things that Churchill said throughout history of become ingrained in our language. Never, never, never, never, never, never give in.

Do I now have said those words on this program? Need to send a check to somebody? How does it work?

Yes, I think it should send it to me and I'll forward it.

Thank you.

From WNYC and APM, American Public Media, this is Freakonomics Radio, the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything. Here's your host, Stephen Dupner.

So Barry, Singer, welcome. Thank you. I know you. In fact, we're old friends. I think it's safe to say we're friends. For sure.

Barry Singer is a writer, the author of several books about music and the theater. And for the past 30 years, he has also run a shop in New York City called Chartwell Booksellers.

It's a regular bookshop, but it specializes in Churchilliana, that is books, manuscripts, and artifacts that relate to the long and storied life of Sir Winston Spencer Churchill.

Chartwell, in fact, is the name of Churchill's home in Kent, in Southeast England.

Despite knowing a great deal about Churchill and, despite having written several books, it wasn't until recently that Barry Singer himself wrote a book about Churchill. It's called Churchill's Style, the Art of Being Winston Churchill.

And in the course of writing the book, something strange happened. Something having to do with Churchill's estate and money and Barry Singer.

But before we get to that, let's hear a bit more about Churchill himself in his well-appointed life.

I love the fact that away from his life, he nurtured himself. It seemed to me in a very holistic and fascinating way, so that he had the strength to weather all the defeat that was actually part of his career.

Churchill lost, I think, at least five elections in the course of his career. He was constantly swatted down. He was constantly dismissed, including at the end of World War II.

Before the war ended, he was voted out of office as Prime Minister.

And I believe that the life that he created for himself away from politics was the source of his strength.

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