Churchill's Empire

This “superb, unsettling new history” examines how the man who stood for freedom in WWII staunchly promoted Imperialism across the globe (Johan Hari, The New York Times Book Review).

A charmer and a bully, Winston Churchill was driven by a belief that the English were a superior race, whose goals went beyond individual interests to offer an enduring good to the entire world. No better example exists than Churchill’s resolve to stand alone against a more powerful Hitler in 1940 while the world’s democracies fell to their knees. But there is also the Churchill who frequently inveighed against human rights, nationalism, and constitutional progress—the imperialist who could celebrate racism and believed India was unsuited to democracy.

Drawing on newly released documents and an uncanny ability to separate the facts from the overblown reputation (by mid-career Churchill had become a global brand), Richard Toye provides the first comprehensive analysis of Churchill’s relationship with the empire. Instead of branding Churchill as a simple hero or villain of history, Toye demonstrates how the statesman evolved over time. He challenges the reader to understand Churchill’s need to reconcile the demands of conscience with those of political conformity.