Churchill part 1: Rebel Without A Cause

Origin Story

New Series! Explaining the most misunderstood ideas and people in politics.

This time: Winston Churchill is caricatured as either a bigoted villain or a stainless hero. Is he neither… or both? Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt take on a Churchillian task: to avoid reducing the legacy of Britain’s war leader into a simple binary.

In part one they look at Churchill’s complicated childhood, his military adventures, his surprisingly progressive time as Home Secretary, his role in the Gallipoli disaster and his journey from the Tories to the Liberals and back again, leaving him on the brink of the 1930s. And they weigh up the allegations against him, from racism to sending troops to fire on striking miners at Tonypandy. Between the myths and the countermyths there’s a fascinating mess of a man.

Get Part Two of our Churchill exploration right now – and all of our episodes a week early – when you support Origin Story on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/originstorypod

• “Yes, he is a racist imperialist warmonger. He’s also the most important antifascist of human history.” – Ian Dunt
• “He had no followers. No ‘Churchillites’. Nobody in politics would sacrifice a thing for him.” – Dorian Lynskey
• “At this point he’s Woke Winston. He's a liberal, supports votes for women, nationalising the railways and restrictions on monopolies.” – Dorian Lynskey

Reading List:

Churchill by Roy Jenkins

Walking With Destiny by Andrew Roberts

The Churchill Factor by Boris Johnson

Churchill: Military Genius or Menace? By Stephen Napier

Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom by Thomas E. Ricks

Oblivion or Glory: 1921 and the Making of Winston Churchill by David Stafford

Churchill’s Shadow by Geoffrey Wheatcroft

Free Thinking: Churchill's Reputation – BBC Radio 3

Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt. Audio production and music by Jade Bailey. Logo art by Mischa Welsh. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production.

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