Madeira, the "dagos" and the Other Winston Churchill

Abstract

Any visitor to Madeira quickly becomes aware of Sir Winston Churchill’s association with the island. The British statesman made a much-publicised visit in 1950, less than a year after Portugal became a founder member of NATO, much to the chagrin of those in the democratic opposition to the Salazar regime who had hoped that the nations which had emerged victorious from the war against fascism would help to bring about a peaceful transition to democracy. Few islanders are aware, however, that another Winston Churchill – an American novelist who was, at one time, even more famous than the politician, chose the island as a setting for his first short story. This article revisits the literary career of the now-forgotten author whose work is still confused with that of his celebrated namesake