Sir Winston Churchill, although held in high esteem today, was no stranger to criticism during his living years. His World War accounts, including “World in Crisis” and “The Gathering Storm”, were often ridiculed by his peers, including Emanuel Shinwell who playfully suggested Churchill was the novel’s protagonist. Similarly, Michael Foot acknowledged the readability of Churchill’s books but compared their author’s conceit and arrogance to that of Hitler. Nowadays, such bold remarks would largely be seen as irreverent.
In his book, “Fighting Retreat” Walter Reid puts the spotlight on Churchill’s controversial stance towards India. Having publicly labelled Indians as primitive and campaigned doggedly against their freedom, Churchill’s feelings were particularly negative towards Hindus, denouncing their religion as “beastly”. Reid provides ample evidence of Churchill’s deep-seated racism, revealing a preference for Muslims over Hindus, whom he believed to be the more warlike of the two.
Nevertheless, Reid doesn’t overlook the fact that Britain never intended to grant India self-governance. Terms such as “responsible government” were used to skirt around the issue, especially considering the self-governance already granted to predominantly white nations like Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand. Despite these criticisms, Reid is also careful to present a balanced view, acknowledging Churchill’s kindness and forward-thinking mindset outside his attitudes towards India.
Overall, while Reid’s critique offers an engaging read from a historian with deep knowledge of his topic, it may not be enough to sway ardent Churchill fans. Mihir Bose’s next release “Thank You Mr Crombie: Lessons in Guilt and Gratitude to Britain” is due out in May.