Churchill and Empire: A Portrait of an Imperialist

by Lawrence James

One of our finest narrative historians, Lawrence James has written a genuinely new biography of Winston Churchill, one focusing solely on his relationship with the British Empire. As a young army officer in the late nineteenth century serving in conflicts in India, South Africa, and the Sudan, his attitude toward the Empire was the Victorian paternalistic approach - at once responsible and superior.

Conscious even then of his political career ahead, Churchill found himself reluctantly supporting British atrocities and held what many would regard today as prejudiced views, in that he felt that some nationalities were superior to others, his (some might say obsequious) relationship with America reflected that view. America was a former colony where the natives had become worthy to rule themselves, but - he felt - still had that tie to Britain. Thus he overlooked the frequently expressed American view that the Empire was a hangover from a bygone era of colonisation, and reflected poorly on Britain's ability to conduct herself as a political power in the current world order.

This outmoded attitude was one of the reasons the British voters rejected him after a Second World War in which he had led the country brilliantly. His attitude remained decidedly old-fashioned in a world that was shaping up very differently. However, it would be a mistake to consider Churchill merely as an anachronistic soldier. He grasped the problems of the Cold War immediately, believing that immature nations prematurely given independence would be more likely to be sucked into the vortex of Communism. This view chimed with American foreign policy, and made the Americans rather more pragmatic about their demands for self-governance for Empire countries.

This ground-breaking volume reveals the many facets of Churchill's personality: a visionary leader with a truly Victorian attitude toward the British Empire.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, War, Politics, British Literature, World History

448 pages, Hardcover

First published July 18, 2013

About the author

Edwin James Lawrence, most commonly known as Lawrence James, is an English historian and writer.

James graduated with a BA in English & History from the University of York in 1966, and subsequently undertook a research degree at Merton College, Oxford. Following a career as a teacher, James became a full-time writer in 1985.

James has written several works of popular history about the British Empire, and has contributed pieces for Daily Mail, The Times and the Literary Review.

Reviews

[Isa · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the year of our lord 2013 (when this book was first published) Lawrence James really went about writing racial slurs outside of quotations, and reminiscing, with a tear in his eye, over what he so obviously saw as benevolent imperialism. Wow.

[KOMET · Rating 3 out of 5]

"CHURCHILL AND EMPIRE: A Portrait of an Imperialist" provides the reader with a view as well as insights into the life and character of Winston Churchill from the time he graduated from Sandhurst as a young army officer in the mid-1890s (when Britain was the premiere world power with an Empire that straddled the globe) to a 64 year Parliamentary career marked by many highs and lows.

Churchill was a true believer in all that the British Empire purported itself to be. It was a belief he steadfastly maintained throughout his life, even after it was becoming clear in the early post-World War II era that Britain (which had emerged victorious - though broke - in 1945) was no longer capable of shaping and influencing the destinies of nations. Indeed, by the time Churchill became Prime Minister for a second time in 1951, he had largely become an anachronism in a world far removed from the Victorian values he cherished. It was a world shaped by Cold War realities, dominated by the U.S. and Soviet Union, where decolonization was widely embraced and promoted among democratic and Communist nations alike.

In his dotage, Churchill was out of step with the times and, slowed by declining health, resigned as Prime Minister in 1955. Ten years later, he died, aged 90, honored across the world for his standing up to Hitler in 1940 (when Britain stood alone) and for his wartime leadership and inspirational value to free and oppressed peoples across the world.

[Linda Dew · Rating 5 out of 5]

In depth review of the politics of WWI, WWII and the periods after each war. Helped me to understand current world politics even better.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, providing a focused biography of Winston Churchill, concentrating on his actions and values with respect to the British Empire and its many subject peoples. The author starts out by pointing to a certain dichotomy in Churchill’s life, though considered know to be one of the last Empire centric Britons, and in many instances vilified for his actions with various cultures, in his younger days and up through WWII he was thought of by contemporaries as less Empire minded than most and even considered by some as a danger to the British Empire. The book attempts to explain this dichotomy, showing how Churchill’s focus was always more on Britain itself, how his conservative economic views rarely squared with Empire focused spending, and that his penchant for peripheral operations meant he saw positive actions in using the Empire’s resources and geography, but not because he wanted to either benefit or degrade those areas. The book is truthful, it doesn’t present an apologia for Churchill, but it does analyze his major decisions with the information he had at the time. The resulting cultural relativism is a fascinating thought study and a good examination of Churchill and the world in which he lived. A great book for those wanting to explore more about Britain’s slow move away from Empire.

[Julian Douglass · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to write two reviews. One for the way the book was written and one for the content. Mr. James paints a brief, but very detailed portrait of Mr. Churchill and his life in the realm of foreign policy, specifically in matters regarding the empire. He gives detailed accounts of all of the events, from the Irish issue to the partition of India. The writing was easy to follow and wasn't to hard to follow or stay focused.

The content, on the other hand, was another story. I have always said that books praising the good while glossing over the bad should be taking with caution and this is no exception. Mr. James seems to miss the days of the empire and all that it stood for. While it offered some stability to the regions, what happened by the British in the colonies should not be forgotten as violations of human rights. Mr. James seems either unwilling to recognize that or gives the lame historians excuse of "It's not that Churchill agreed with it, but he wanted to maintain the order of the empire". Either way, this is not a critical look at him and more of a sunshine and rainbows look at him. Hopefully, Andrew Roberts biography does a better job.

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book was Churchill's motivation throughout his life was to maintain the British Empire. With that concept, a lot of what Churchill did makes sense.

The book is a good read on the life and times of Churchill, but seemed at times to be discussing world events and did not have enough direct quotes from the man himself. There also seemed to me to be a bit of pro-Churchill, pro-Empire in the author and a few statements that did not have any evidence behind them. The author showed no sympathy with those who wanted their independence.

In the end this book left me feeling a bit cold.

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book delivers what it promises. It is an extensive analysis of Churchill's relationship with the British Empire. Since it focuses solely on this aspect of Churchill's life, it brings lots of information not easily found elsewhere, including Churchill's concern with a dictatorship of the Hindu majority after the independence of India. To a certain extent, it is a brave book, since it is able to face the modern political correctness related with the word "colonialism".

[Hans Gieskes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Nothing wrong with reviewing a Great Man's thinking and actions against both norms in his times vs. contemporary hindsight.

[Miroku Nemeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much of a secular hagiography (though, in some ways, it is more of a kind of history of the times of Churchill than a straightforward biography) and too little critique of imperialism for what I expected in a contemporary book with a title like it has, "Churchill and Empire: A Portrait of an Imperialist". It is, actually, a kind of apology for Churchill as an imperialist more than anything else, though however fervid James may be as an imperialist himself, he seems to have to tone it down for a modern reader, and for the most part resorts to the kind of racism and paternalistic perspective that makes one read a bit between the lines to understand. Good review of history in a way, and a bit of a different read for me as it takes a British imperialist perspective rather than an American perspective, but I chose this over other biographies in the hope it would actually deal with empire and imperialism in a more mature and critical manner. Instead,it was a preservation of a perspective that is best left upon the dust bin of history.

[Paul Mullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is as much a history of the world from pre-World War I through the Korean War. It follow's Churchill's personal engagements and provides what appears to be a detached appraisal of his character. At times Churchill seems hopeless self-obsessed and at times courageous and insightful.

The book is detailed in the extreme, but mostly to paint a picture of Churchill's process of reasoning and the world in which it played out. There is no way to absorb all of the details and recall them on a quiz, but the overall painted picture is clear. It makes clear more of the causes of the three big conflicts of Churchill's life (WWI, WWII, and Korea) and the world events and trade-offs he was forced to face.

[Paul Duggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being somewhat uneven and choppy with dates, this volume was helpful to me in understanding the course of the British Empire from the late nineteenth through the twentieth. Certainly Churchill exemplified the Empire and more than any single person saved it from totalitarian domination in the Second World War.

The book is somewhat harsh in its treatment of American diplomacy during and after the War - its author is an English historian - and the Suez Crisis, perhaps the greatest split in "the special relationship" is omitted entirely.

The author seems to see America as the new imperium despite the Soviet Union's post-war domination of eastern and central Europe.

A great fault is the book's startling lack of maps.

Still recommended.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This not your typical look Churchill. It takes the world that Churchill grew up in and how that viewpoint, that of the glories and advantages to the world of a strong imperial England, influenced his actions of the rest of his life. While England's colonies moved toward independence, Churchill did his best to keep them in the empire, particularly India. During both world wars he always looked to keep or expand the empire. It is quite an interesting read.

[David Lough · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and convincing slant on the Churchill's foreign policy philosophy - recommended

[Sherri Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads give away book. It was fascinating, informative and well written. It was interesting reading a different take on events during Churchill's time. Thank you very much!

[Howard Sundwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful and insightful addition to my always-growing Churchill library.

[nat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of all the books assigned in History of the British Empire course, this was by far the most enjoyable! That said, it reads significantly less like a biography so much as it is a jam-packed history lesson in all things British-Empire, through the lens of Churchill. Now, there's nothing wrong with that per se ... just not what I was hoping to find in this book. (Take this review with a grain of salt, however, as the fact that this was an assigned reading very well may color my perception of it.)

[Skuli Saeland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ágætis ævisaga um Churchill. Hún hefur nokkuð þröngan fókus á viðhorf hans til nýlenda Bretlands sem hann vildi halda í og varðveita til frambúðar. Gat í raun ekki séð fyrir sér framtíð landsins og heimsveldisins án nýlendanna. Um leið og sagan gerir þessum þætti vel skil þá er öðrum þáttum í persónuleika Churchills og lífi hans gerð ýmist lítil eða engin skil.

[Jeroen Van de Crommenacker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this biography unfortunately a little bit boring. Trying to hang up the whole book on Churchill’s link to the Empire is a bit tenuous and it shows.

[MisterLiberry Head · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although generally readable and lucid, I don’t quite understand why Lawrence James wrote this book. No surprises herein. Maybe I needed more familiarity with the minutiae of British parliamentary foreign policy to fully appreciate CHURCHILL AND EMPIRE. What’s apparent is that Churchill’s attitudes to empire and race marked him as an unregenerate dinosaur. From his service as Liberal under-secretary for the colonies in 1905 to the end of his second term as prime minister in 1955, his racial views and his dogged embrace of Britain’s moral right to sustain imperialism scarcely changed by the smallest degree. By that time, the British Empire was cooked and done--the “colonials” it ruled were sick to death of British coercion and rapine. (His casual indifference to diverse ethnicities was best illustrated when Churchill stitched together the completely bogus state called “Iraq”--thanks, Winston!) Most famously, he totally misjudged the nationalists in India. Despite his admirable qualities as a war leader, Churchill wore old-school blinders as a statesman. On the topic of empire, Churchill was a stereotype of John Bull.

[Kevin]

Winston Churchill, Empire, Freedom and Human Rights? Oxymoron? Gandhi, Dominion or Independence? Why New Zealand, Canada and Australia are different from Egypt and India? How the Jewish and Palestinian conflict was originated from Churchill's alliance with Zionism?

"Never separated with the United States" was Churchill's words that are still followed by all his successors. The "Informal Empire" of US. The transfer of power from British Empire to the "informal" Empire of America entangled with the Cold War.

[Erwin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only made it 2/3 of the way through this one, but I didn't find it very interesting. Lots of minutiae. Lots of hindsight judgments about actions taken many years ago through reviewed through the lens of today. I strongly recommend the older historical works by Harold Lamb over this. Unfortunately Lamb never wrote a book about Churchill.