The Hope Not Plot: A Novel of Churchill's Final Farewell Hardcover – September 23, 2025

As 90-year-old Winston Churchill barely clings to life in January 1965, Great Britain and the world prepares for the funeral of the century. The long-planned grand farewell has a code name: Operation Hope Not.  A "who's who" list of world leaders plan to attend.But Lyndon B. Johnson is a no-show. Why does the President of the United States, a consummate and ego-driven politician, who has just been inaugurated for his own term, following a landslide election victory the previous November, choose to stay home instead of making his presence known as the leader of the free world while 350 million people watch via new satellite technology. And, why doesn't President Johnson send his new Vice President, Hubert Humphrey, in his stead? Why also will the American Secretaries of State and Defense travel to London as part of the "official" US delegation, only to skip the actual service at historic St. Paul's Church? With these verified historical facts as a backdrop, best-selling author DAVID R. STOKES takes us through the "looking glass" and into a world of shadows, mystery, and intrigue. At the center of THE HOPE NOT PLOT is Winston Churchill himself. His accomplishments. His mistakes. His admirers. And his enemies. THE HOPE NOT PLOT is fiction, yet it is saturated with historical details. You may wonder what is real and what is made up and be tempted to reach for your smart phone to check things out. Read more