WATCH MARY TESTA READ “THE WOMAN WHO CENSORED CHURCHILL” BY RUTH IVE

BOOK #26 IN OUR '40TH READINGS AT CHARTWELL BOOKSELLERS' VIDEO SERIES

In honor of Banned Books Week, which just concluded, and in solidarity with every library or school in this (or any) country that has heroically fought the removal of books from its shelves by self-anointed censors, we celebrate a rare heroic act of censorship, THE WOMAN WHO CENSORED CHURCHILL, by RUTH IVE.

Published in 2008, it is Book #26 in our 40TH READINGS AT CHARTWELL BOOKSELLERS video series, as read by the indomitable actress: MARY TESTA.

RUTH IVE attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with the hope of going on the stage but her father’s disapproval redirected her to a commercial school. Graduating with verbatim shorthand-speed typing skills, she applied for work at the Government Postal and Telegraph Censorship Department and wound up, to her surprise, transcribing and on-the-spot censoring the transatlantic phone calls of “Mr. Smith” and “Mr. White,” a.k.a Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt, for the duration of World War II.

MARY TESTA is a three-time Tony Award nominee for revivals of the musicals On the Town, 42nd Street and Oklahoma. She is best known for her involvement in the development of original new work on and Off Broadway, as well as frequent film and television appearances, and extensive concertizing.

40TH READINGS AT CHARTWELL BOOKSELLERS
toasts the best 40 books about Winston Churchill published during our forty year existence.
We launched the series on April 11 with actor JOHN LITHGOW reading THE LAST LION.
You can watch that reading: HERE