[MadIvan]

"Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." - Winston Churcill, October 29, 1941

I voted for Winston a very long time ago - I don't need to see a programme to convince me. He remains Britain's saviour and one of our finest orators and literary minds.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Poohbah]

An amazingly gifted orator and wordsmith, especially when you consider that he was extremely lysdexic.

[carton253]

Ivan,

I'm a huge Diana fan... but she's second? I don't understand that at all...

She was pretty, had a wonderful wardrobe, and did good things.

Churchill... not enough adjectives to describe his impact on the 20th century.

As we say across the pond... What are the British thinking?

Have a great day.

[Snuffington]

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

What the ?????

[jocon307]

Who in heaven's name is Isambard Kingdom Brunel? I have never heard of him, unlike all the others in the top however many. Help - pure information needed!

I voted in this poll, I can't remember who for tho'

[laconic]

Sorry, Ivan, I'd have voted for Elizabeth I. She took one of the poorest countries in Europe and turned it into a powerhouse that laid low mighty Spain. Discovery, the arts and the individual all flourished under her reign as never before.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

Ivan, can we ex-colonists vote, or is this just for Brits? If we can, could you give us a link? The thought of Diana beating out Churchill is appalling.

[paul in cape]

Genealogy site finds links between Bush, Churchill and Princess Di

[wimpycat]

What are the criteria for "greatest" Briton? I think Winston Churchill is a good choice, but we might be a little biased due to our proximity in time.

Where does Shakespeare come into all of this? If he's not in the top 5, there's something wrong with you people. If the criteria include greatest impact and influence on society, I would include Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Henry II and Edward I (for their foundation of the legal system, the creation of a martyr and major pilgrimage site, giving Geoffrey Chaucer something to write about), and even Oliver Cromwell (for his impact on the Irish, if nothing else), Samuel Pepys, who was British to the bone, a charter member of the Royal Society, and laid the foundation for the great British Navy, thereby enabling Britain to become a great colonial power. I could go on and on. All of these would be very credible choices.

Diana doesn't even register a blip on the screen in the big scheme of things.

[WhiskeyPapa]

Give Diana "sweetest Briton" or something. Churchill led Britain through its darkest days. He's the one.

I recently saw "The Gathering Storm" with Albert Finney in the lead role. He was great, it was great, and Churchill is the greatest.

Walt

[uncbob]

Yep
Brits loved the liberals until Hitler went on a rampage
So they voted in Sir Winston to save them . Soon as the war in Europe was won ( still raging in the Pacific), BACK came the liberals and adios Sir Winston

Just remember it happened here with Bush 1 and Clinton and can happen again to Bush 2

People get addicted to more and more liberalism until their butts are threatened

[Constitution Day]

Churchill ping!

"I therefore preach continually the doctrine of the fraternal association of our two peoples, not for any purpose of gaining invidious material advantages for either of them, not for territorial aggrandisement or the vain pomp of earthly domination, but for the sake of service to mankind and for the honour that comes to those who faithfully serve great causes."

-Winston S. Churchill
The Price of Greatness is Responsibility
Harvard, 1943

[AmishDude]

I can't wait for his acceptance speech.

[doberville]

Ah, my dear Ivan, shall we ask the Welsh about Mr Churchill's excellent qualities?

Should we ask about the lotteries and the price to read his memoirs? Shall we ask about his crossing the aisle from Tory to Labour to Tory?

Then there are the Aussies. Shall we ask them about Mr Churchill?

[yarddog]

There have been plenty of great ones not on the list but how in the world could any sane person vote for Princess Di or John Lennon?

I am not a fan of Di and positively dislike Lennon (although did like some of his music) but even if I did like them there is not much to indicate greatness.

I would probably vote for Churchill although Viscount Garnet Wolsley would be right up there too.

I also think Bernard L Montgomery was under-rated by history. The reason I think he was great is because his opponents rated him so highly.

[CreekerFreeper]

Churchill is now #3 behind Brunel and Diana (1 & 2).

[andy_card]

No, no, no.

Boadicea for best Briton.

Churchill for best American. His mother was American, and he himself was awarded honorary American citizenship at a time when the British couldn't care less for him.

[Happygal]

Oliver Cromwell made the freakin' list?

[Vic3O3]

Hey, Ivan, can you post a link to the voting site? We'd like to help make sure Winnie wins!

[Vic3O3]

You might want to ping the HS list so we can go out & vote for Sir Winston!