Churchill's Empire: The World that Made Him and the World He Made

By Richard Toye

‘I have not become the King’s First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire.’ These notorious words, spoken by Churchill in 1942, encapsulate his image as an imperial die-hard, implacably opposed to colonial freedom – a reputation that has prevailed, and which Churchill willingly embraced to further his policies. Yet, as a youthful minister at the Colonial Office before World War I, his political opponents had seen him as a Little Englander and a danger to the Empire. Placing Churchill in the context of his times and his contemporaries, Richard Toye evaluates his position on key Imperial questions and examines what was conventional about Churchill’s opinions and what was unique. Combining a lightness of touch and entertaining storytelling with expert and insightful analysis, the result is a vivid and dynamic account of a remarkable man and an extraordinary era.

'Wonderfully informative' Daily Telegraph

'Excellent' Spectator

‘Mature, intelligent, thoughtful, judicious’ Washington Times

‘One of Britain's smartest young historians’ Independent

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: Feb 28, 2011
• ISBN: 9780330536042

Richard Toye

Richard Toye is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Exeter. He lives in Exeter with his wife and son.

Reviews for Churchill's Empire

[bennyb_29 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting read. An insight into Churchill's attitude towards the British Empire over his lifetime. By reading this book I learned Churchill often would contradict himself. For instance he believed in fundamental human rights for all men but seemed to exclude some ethnic groups from this principle (not overtly of course!). Many people see Churchill as a great historical figure, but I feel this book as portrayed him as a complex character who frustrated many people with his unreliable behavior throughout his life.

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Toye surveys Churchill’s acts and statements about Britain’s empire, from Ireland to South Africa, Canada, Australia, and India, over the course of his extremely eventful lifetime. The book therefore skims over a lot of things that deserve (and have) books of their own, but I was really interested in how Toye showed Churchill’s concepts of empire operating in so many different contexts. Toye points out that those who excuse Churchill’s racism as typical for a Victorian of his upbringing have to deal with the fact that other Britons with similar backgrounds managed to do better. Ultimately, Churchill was an overt racist: though he espoused the idea that “civilized” men were all entitled to the same rights, he defined civilization in such a way that it was very hard for nonwhites to achieve it. At the same time, his concepts of empire and of the shared destiny of the “English-speaking peoples” complicated his reactions to developments in Britain’s colonies/protectorates/etc., as did his keen desire for political power.

[rts1942 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A useful review of Churchill's role in the Empire and effort to analyse his true feelings and how they may have changed over his long career.