Sir Winston Churchill quotes
1874 – 1965 · 20th century · Statesman, writer
About Sir Winston Churchill
Born 1874 at Blenheim Palace, died 1965 in London. Churchill led Britain through World War II, became famous for stirring oratory and extensive writings, and had a long political career defined by resolve, national morale and public service.
Works: The Second World War; My Early Life; A History of the English‑Speaking Peoples
Quotes
“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
MisattributedWhat we know
- What is documented
- Research identifies early anonymous instances (1950s) and a related 1938 advertisement; Churchill’s writings and speeches do not contain this wording.
- What remains uncertain
- The attribution is disputed and widely regarded as apocryphal: the saying likely originated as an anonymous motivational proverb later linked to Churchill.
The line distills a practical truth: keeping enthusiasm is what turns repeated setbacks into eventual progress. Its theme matches Winston Churchill’s public persona, which explains the misattribution, but scholars find no trace of this exact wording in his corpus. It’s a later, popular maxim, not a verified Churchill quote.