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Sir Martin Gilbert, author of the multi-volume official life of Winston Churchill, died at the beginning of February. His obituary was published in The Times on February 5. In a supplement to it, printed in The Times on February 17 and reproduced below, Alistair Lexden recalled a significant episode in Sir Martin’s life: his association with Sir John Major when the latter was Prime Minister:
Martin Gilbert accompanied John Major on a highly successful visit to Israel and Gaza in March 1995, contributing to speeches and providing invaluable historical analysis. A close friendship developed and there was much speculation that a biography of Major would be added to Gilbert’s publications.
In the event he was entrusted with a large number of confidential documents that Sir John assembled to write his autobiography, but had to use circumspectly. In the fullness of time, he said, the papers would “assist future historians to understand the motives” of those who were part of his troubled government.
In a lecture which I chaired in 1997 Gilbert referred to “several links” between Churchill and Major, including a belief in the need for “the equal education of the whole people”. Shortly afterwards I became General Secretary of the Independent Schools Council. “How very reassuring”, he said to me, "that the public schools should give their senior official a job title borrowed from the trade unions”.