"Churchill Apologists" is an Interesting turn of phrase. Positively Irving-esque.
I'd say the apologists were those that strain so hard to attack Churchill, & as to what they're being apologist for... well...
Got to ask Macker; have you been reading the ridiculous 'Churchill's War' by Irving?
"It was his spitefulness that led to the Blitz" is a fascinating statement, and one I only ever hear in certain circles, not even the most critical sensible biography of the man follows that line, only those seeking to transfer some sort of blame from their boy Hitler.

Overrated? No, I don't think so. Despite the black dogs, the booze, and occasionally meeting chiefs of staff in the buff (none of which seems to have particularly held him back, or affected his overall judgements) he was exactly the right war leader to emerge and counter the Nazi project at that specific time.
We can take any major figure and pick a few holes, it's easy, the tabloids are experts at it - but a narrow list of cock-ups and some 'unusual' personal behaviour are not enough to build a solidly condemnatory view - the wider picture on WSC shows those factors to be largely irrelevant when building an honest picture of the man.

~A