Ismay’s War

Abstract This chapter analyses Ismay’s contribution to Churchill’s success as prime minister and to the Allied victory. It describes Ismay’s design and leadership of what Churchill called his “handling machine” (his executive staff), Ismay’s key role as mediator between Churchill and the Chiefs of Staff, his relations with the three longest serving Chiefs (Brooke, Pound, and Portal), with Churchill’s cronies (Bracken, Morton, Beaverbrook, Professor Lindemann, and Dr Wilson), and with the Churchill family members. It highlights as one of Ismay’s greatest contributions his work in helping to cement the Anglo-American partnership. It includes the views of Ismay’s critics, Ismay’s opinion of Churchill, both as wartime political leader and as a strategist, and analyses the extent of Ismay’s influence on him.