Churchill and Empire, Lawrence James
Churchill and Empire, Lawrence James
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Churchill and Empire
A Portrait of an Imperialist

Author: Lawrence James

Narrator: Michael Healy

Unabridged: 17 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/15/2014

Synopsis

One of our finest narrative historians, Lawrence James has written an illuminating, genuinely new biography of Winston Churchill that focuses solely on his contradictory 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 some nationalities were superior to others; his (some might say obsequious) relationship with America reflected that view. 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. This groundbreaking volume reveals the many facets of Churchill's personality: a visionary leader with a truly Victorian attitude toward the British Empire.

About Lawrence James

Lawrence James, one of our finest narrative historians, especially on imperial subjects, is the author of The Rise and Fall of the British Empire, Raj, and The Aristocrats. He lives near Oxford.

About Michael Healy

Michael Healy has appeared off Broadway and on national television, most notably on Saturday Night Live for three years, as well as in several national commercials. He continues to hone his craft in Rhode Island, where he has won awards for acting. His audiobook recordings include Mr. Midshipman Easy by Frederick Marryat, The Collector of Lost Things by Jeremy Page, and The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Reviews

Goodreads review by KOMET on August 31, 2021

"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......more

Goodreads review by Linda Dew on April 14, 2015

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

Goodreads review by Julian on May 14, 2019

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 eve......more

Goodreads review by Hans on May 02, 2015

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

Goodreads review by Miroku on January 18, 2015

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 Imp......more

Quotes

“Should enlighten and entertain readers who wish to learn more about an empire that was more extensive and arguably more influential than that of Rome.” Washington Post

“Seemingly miraculously, Lawrence James has found something fresh to say about [Churchill] by concentrating on the great man’s lifelong romance with the Empire and viewing his multifaceted activities through that prism.” Sunday Telegraph

“Highly original…An entertaining read as well as a serious historical analysis…It will be of abiding interest to all those concerned with Britain's past and how it influenced the world in which we live today.” Times (London)

“James has a gift for writing generally pithy prose.” Financial Times

“James offers a fresh, welcome perspective on the exhaustively analyzed Churchill by focusing narrowly here on his ‘ardent and unswerving faith in the British Empire’…James’ complex, engrossing, and multifaceted portrait sheds new light on a flawed but brilliant man.” Publishers Weekly

“This work is history on the grand scale and includes a plethora of characters from Gandhi to FDR…This production is read by Michael Healy, who manufactures just the right tone to underscore Churchill’s more colorful observations.” Library Journal (audio review)

“James, author of several titles about the British Empire, here examines its exuberant exponent, Winston Churchill…Eschewing the interminable argument about the vice or virtue of empire, James provides an interesting perspective on Churchill’s biography.” Booklist

“An intriguing new look into both imperialism and a fascinating historical figure.” Kirkus Reviews

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