Whoever proclaims that he will be judged kindly in history because he intends to write it must surely be a man that cannot be trusted. Churchill had wilfully ensured, by his conduct, and unavoidably, by his appearance, that he will be likened to a bulldog. His admirers also likened him to a lion (probably the only kind native to England). Although his leadership in the Second World War was clearly vital to England, some may not agree. The Americans occasionally have their reservations in this regard (see Mukerjee). A war-time prime minister probably required qualities that might not be appropriate in a prime minister in peace-time. M Mukerjee has written what seems to be a well-researched book on Churchill's darker side. "Winston Churchill's true love was war, and it took precedence over such dreary matters as colonial economics" she wrote. Has she made a case? That should be left to the reader. This was a fine, evocative book without appearing to be so. Churchill's prejudice against Asians and contempt for the colonies was made abundantly clear without hyperbolic descriptions. Some blame might be attributed to the "goad", Lord Cherwell who was so right-wing he could have made Churchill appear left. "Those who succeed in getting what everyone wants must be the ablest" she quoted Cherwell as saying. Lord Cherwell also thought the masses to be "very stupid" and advocated a tough attitude to homosexuals and criminals who, he was convinced, ought to be treated harshly (Mukerjee wrote "cruelly") because "the amount of pleasure derived by other people from the knowledge that a malefactor is being punished far exceeds in sum total the amount of pain inflicted on the malefactor by his punishment."
Churchill was perhaps a vain egomaniac and a patriot in that order. That left no place in his mind or heart for the colonies and their natives. Even his determination to recapture Singapore from the Japanese was actuated by the thought that it was "the only prize that will restore British prestige in this region." The thrust of Mukerjee's book was the detailed account of the famine in Bengal in 1943. She set out a riveting narrative of the conditions that led to it; the stance taken by the British government, and more critically, the conduct of the British cabinet (led by that leonine prime minister) and administration, that resulted in a horrific tragedy in which millions died of a famine that could have been averted. Mukerjee added personal accounts of the people who suffered or had witnessed the suffering, into her narrative.
It's fair to say that Winston Churchill was not only a sturdy war-time prime minister but also a fine prose writer. For his effort in writing "history" Churchill was eventually awarded the Nobel Prize - for literature. Perhaps he didn't fool all the people after all.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Flip to back Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
| Price | New from | Used from |
|
Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry" |
$0.00
| Free with your Audible trial | |
- Read with Our Free App
-
Audiobook
$0.00 - 19 Used from $6.99 6 New from $28.95 1 Collectible from $17.50
- 12 Used from $10.72 14 New from $14.52
Frequently bought together
- +
- +
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
TARAK CHANDRA DAS AND THE BENGAL FAMINE
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2016
Although I have not yet read the book by Madhusree Mukherjee but through a reading of the dedates with Sen and Tauger in New York review of books, I find it interesting and is eager to buy it for my reading.I am not sure whether the author has read a lesser known but solid enthnographic monograph(the only existing first hand report on the famine) by a pioneer anthropologist Tarak Chandra Das(1898-1964) who wrote the book "Bengal Famine (1943): as revealed in a survey of the destitutes of Calcutta." Published by Calcutta University in the year 1949.This book is one of the major sources of data for both Sen and Tauger who has opposing views on the famine.The book is long extinct ! I myself have written a book recently on T.C.Das' contributions in Indian Anthropology in a book available in Amazon http://www.amazon.in/Tarak-Chandra-Das-Unsung-Anthropology/dp/9385883011/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456602572&sr=1-10 Had I read Madhusree Mukherjee's book before writing the book on T.C.Das, I would definitely have been benefitted.
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2016
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Sean Mc Gee
Heartbreaking and tragic. Well written and researched. Throws ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 18, 2018N Rameshwar Ravi
I first heard of the great famine in Bengal from him
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on July 8, 2017
Rashmit M.
A fantastic detail on the evils of a man dubbed hero
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on November 27, 2018
