Churchill's Shadow: The Life and Afterlife of Winston Churchill
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
A major reassessment of Winston Churchill that examines his lasting influence in politics and culture.
Churchill is generally considered one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century, if not the greatest of all, revered for his opposition to appeasement, his defiance in the face of German bombing of England, his political prowess, his deft aphorisms, and his memorable speeches. He became the savior of his country, as prime minister during the most perilous period in British history, World War II, and is now perhaps even more beloved in America than in England.
And yet Churchill was also very often in the wrong: he brazenly contradicted his own previous political stances, was a disastrous military strategist, and inspired dislike and distrust through much of his life. Before 1939 he doubted the efficacy of tank and submarine warfare, opposed the bombing of cities only to reverse his position, shamelessly exploited the researchers and ghostwriters who wrote much of the journalism and the books published so lucratively under his name, and had an inordinate fondness for alcohol that once found him drinking whisky before breakfast. When he was appointed to the cabinet for the first time in 1908, a perceptive journalist called him “the most interesting problem of personal speculation in English politics.” More than a hundred years later, he remains a source of adulation, as well as misunderstanding.
This revelatory new book takes on Churchill in his entirety, separating the man from the myth that he so carefully cultivated, and scrutinizing his legacy on both sides of the Atlantic. In effervescent prose, shot through with sly wit, Geoffrey Wheatcroft illuminates key moments and controversies in Churchill’s career—from the tragedy of Gallipoli, to his shocking imperialist and racist attitudes, dealings with Ireland, support for Zionism, and complicated engagement with European integration.
Charting the evolution and appropriation of Churchill’s reputation through to the present day, Churchill’s Shadow colorfully renders the nuance and complexity of this giant of modern politics.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Wheatcroft (The Strange Death of Tory England) delivers a fresh take on Winston Churchill's life and legacy in this invigorating biography. Claiming that Churchill was both "the saviour of his country" and "far too often in the wrong," Wheatcroft succeeds in separating the myth (much of it created by Churchill himself in his histories and memoirs of WWII) from the reality. The most damaging and durable myths, according to Wheatcroft, include a misreading of prime minister Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement with Nazi Germany that has been used to justify disastrous wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq, and a misleading British national pride that "sustain the country with beguiling illusions of greatness, of standing unique and alone, while preventing the British from coming to terms with their true place in the world." Wheatcroft doesn't shy away from Churchill's racism and imperialism, which "were already retrograde by the standards of his age," or his support for the merciless bombing offensive against German cities and civilians that culminated in the destruction of Dresden, while expressing sincere admiration for his eloquence and ability to inspire strength and action. The result is an exhilarating reassessment that will appeal to Churchill buffs and newcomers alike.
Customer Reviews
Interesting but flawed
This is an interesting and skeptical look at Churchill and his legacy. However, there are at least two large flaws which leave me suspicious of the entire book. First, the treatment of US politics from at least the 1930’s forward is extremely superficial. The Democratic party is treated with little mention of the Northern, liberal wing but heavy emphasis on the Southern, reactionary wing. Thus, the civil rights era of the 160’s seems to come out of no where. This might (just barely) be excused on the part of a British writer. However, the treatment of the Irish situation throughout is difficult to explain as anything other than dishonesty. Lord Randolph Churchill’s part in the home rule politics of the late 1800’s glosses over his extreme cynicism in the pursuit of personal power. The brief discussion of the 1921 Treaty which created the Irish Free State assumes that the British were entirely straightforward and the Irish had no legitimate grievances with the settlement. Thus, the Irish reaction during World War II is presented as if they were merely being perverse. The “troubles” starting in the 1970’s are treated with no mention of Bloody Sunday, Ian Paisley, or indeed the history of the previous hundred of years. The author surely knows better than this so I’m left wondering what he glossed over (or slanted) in the parts of the book I’m less familiar with. Three stars is I think a generous rating.