Churchill and Ireland
Published on 24. March 2016
Book
Hardback
230 pages
978-0-19-875521-0 (ISBN)
Description
Winston Churchill spent his early childhood in Ireland, had close Irish relatives, and was himself much involved in Irish political issues for a large part of his career. He took Ireland very seriously - and not only because of its significance in the Anglo-American relationship. Churchill, in fact, probably took Ireland more seriously than Ireland took Churchill. Yet, in the fifty years since Churchill's death, there has not been a single major book on his relationship to Ireland. It is the most neglected part of his legacy on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Distinguished historian of Ireland Paul Bew now at long last puts this right. Churchill and Ireland tells the full story of Churchill's lifelong engagement with Ireland and the Irish, from his early years as a child in Dublin, through his central role in the Home Rule crisis of 1912-14 and in the war leading up to the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1922, to his bitter disappointment at Irish neutrality in the Second World War and gradual rapprochement with his old enemy Eamon de Valera towards the end of his life.
As this long overdue book reminds us, Churchill learnt his earliest rudimentary political lessons in Ireland. It was the first piece in the Churchill jigsaw and, in some respects, the last.
Distinguished historian of Ireland Paul Bew now at long last puts this right. Churchill and Ireland tells the full story of Churchill's lifelong engagement with Ireland and the Irish, from his early years as a child in Dublin, through his central role in the Home Rule crisis of 1912-14 and in the war leading up to the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1922, to his bitter disappointment at Irish neutrality in the Second World War and gradual rapprochement with his old enemy Eamon de Valera towards the end of his life.
As this long overdue book reminds us, Churchill learnt his earliest rudimentary political lessons in Ireland. It was the first piece in the Churchill jigsaw and, in some respects, the last.
Reviews / Votes
Intriguing and succinct. * Eamon Delaney, Irish Independent * Paul Bew's elegant, concise and meticulous study is a timely reminder both of the profound entwinement of Irish and British history and of the interventions made by Britain's most famous 20th-century politician upon the destiny of its neighbouring island. This is also a book of surprises, particularly for readers inculcated with stories of Churchill's hostility to Ireland. * Neil Hegarty, The Daily Telegraph * [An] informed, balanced study ... As a distinguished Irish historian, Bew brings much knowledge of the Irish background. * Roland Quinault, History Today * brings the methodology of a scrupulous historian to his task * Peter Clarke, Times Literary Supplement * The book provides excellent coverage of the 1916-22, and establishes a solid basis for understanding the later period. * Ryle Dwyer, Irish Examiner * [A] succinct and challenging overview of Winston Churchill's complex relationship with Ireland. * Diarmaid Ferriter, Irish Times * it is welcome that a historian should decide to tackle this subject, and even more so that it should be Paul Bew [...] This short and engaging book [...] makes an important contribution to Churchill (and Irish) studies. * Dr Iain Sharpe, Journal of Liberal History * Lord Bew's outstanding, sharply written account sets out, for the first time, how Winston Churchill's intellect, wit and, at times, deviousness, shaped the relationship between Britain and Ireland. [...] Paul Bew alters our perception of the great man by showing for the first time that he determined the shape of the relationship between and within the two islands more than any other British politician. In doing this, he confirms his reputation as one of the foremost Irish historians of his generation. * Lord Lexden, The House Magazine * a short but absorbing book ... Surprisingly, this is the first major study on a relationship which was literally central to Churchill's family, life and political career. * Keith Simpson, Iain Dale's blog * Lord Bew is a measured historian of notable experience ... [he] makes a real effort here to paint a well-rounded view of Churchill's relationship with Ireland, warts and all. * JP O'Malley, Irish Independent * Paul Bew has achieved the near impossible: he has somehow written a book on an important aspect of Winston Churchill's statecraft that is totally comprehensive, genuinely ground-breaking and yet capable of being read in an afternoon. In a life that has been trawled over literally thousands of times by historians, Churchill's relations with Ireland have not received anything like the attention they deserve, despite the significant role he played in Irish history and Ireland's equally significant role in his own career. That historiographical gap has now been definitively filled by Bew's scholarly, highly readable and fascinating book. * Andrew Roberts, Literary Review * Utterly compelling ... This is a provocative and fascinating book, all the more enjoyable for the energy and charm of its singular focus. * Eamon Delaney, Irish Independent * A well researched and elegantly written book ... Paul Bew is one of Irelands most interesting and important political historians. * Eion O Broin, Sunday Business Post * [A] fascinating book. * Evening Echo * scholarly, readable and enjoyable ... As a study of a political chameleon and Ireland, this book can be highly recommended. * Robert McNamara, The Irish News * Paul Bew has given us a masterly exposition of Churchill's lifelong engagement with Irish affairs. * Paul Addison, author of Churchill: The Unexpected Hero * An engaging, appreciative, and politically astute study ... a book that proves, if needed, that Churchills legacy still offers both an inspiration and a reproach for contemporary politicians, as they sink ever deeper into the mire of cynicism, triviality, sound-bites, and tweets. * David Fitzpatrick, Professor of Modern History, Trinity College Dublin * A necessary and desirable addition to collections on Irish history, Winston Churchill, and the British Empire ... Highly recommended. * CHOICE *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
10 black & white halftones; 2 maps
Dimensions
Height: 224 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
368 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-875521-0 (9780198755210)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Paul Bew is Professor of Irish Politics, Queens University Belfast, and a crossbench peer in the House of Lords. He is co-chair of the Speaker's Advisory Committee for Parliament's commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of Churchill's death. He is also the author of numerous books and articles on Irish political history, including Ireland: The Politics of Enmity, 1789-2006 (2007), also published by Oxford University Press.
Content
Introduction ; 1. Irish Politics: A Father's Legacy ; 2. Winston Churchill: The Making of a Home Ruler ; 3. Churchill in Belfast ; 4. The 'Plot Against Ulster' ; 5. Ireland at the Front ; 6. War in Ireland ; 7. The Making and Breaking of the Treaty Settlement ; 8. The Disintegration of Churchill's Irish Legacy ; 9. Churchill and Irish Neutrality ; 10. 'Saving them from themselves' ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Index