"A charmer and a bully, Winston Churchill was driven by a belief that the English were a superior race, whose goals when 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 midcareer Churchill had become a global brand), Richard Toye provides the first comprehensive analysis of Churchill's relationship with the empire. Instead of locating Churchill's position on a simple left/right spectrum, Toye demonstrates how the statesman evolved and challenges the reader to understand Churchill's need to reconcile the demands of conscience with those of political conformity"--Cover, p. 2.

"A John Macrae book." "Originally published in Great Britain in 2010 by Pan Macmillan"--T.p. verso.

Learning to think imperially, 1874-1897 -- Jolly little wars against barbarous peoples, 1897-1899 -- A convenient way of seeing the empire, 1899-1901 -- That wild Winston, 1901-1908 -- The fate of an empire, 1908-1922 -- Diehard, 1922-2939 -- Undismayed against disaster, 1939-1942 -- Hands off the British Empire, 1942-1945 -- Once magnificent and still considerable, 1945-1955 -- Epilogue.