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.

About the Author
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.

Reviews
Paul Bew's book attempts to explain the almost unexplainable - Churchill's twists and turns in reguard to Ireland. It is a thoughtful and engaging exegesis... This book, first published in hardback in 2016, is now happily re-issued in paperback for a wider readership. * Ian d'Alton, The Irish Catholic *
Bew's elegant, meticulous study of his [Churchill's] role in Irish history is filled with surprises, and gives nuance to Churchill's fiery rhetoric, particularly on Ireland's neutral stance in the Second World War. * 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 *
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 *
The most balanced, and best informed, account I have read of the allegedly poisonous relationship between the arch-imperialist, Winston Churchill, and the benighted, traduced, occupied, exploited, mocked and murdered people of Ireland... * Ian Mitchell's Ireland-related book reviews *
scholarly, readable and enjoyable ... As a study of a political chameleon and Ireland, this book can be highly recommended. * Robert McNamara, The Irish News *
The most balanced and best informed account I have read... Smooth, and with enough "human interest" to bring the subject alive - history as it should be written, but so seldom is these days... * Ian Mitchell's Book Recommendations *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198755227
Author Paul Bew
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 137mm * 18mm