The Two Winstons

The chapter of Simon Schama's History of Britain entitled The Two Winstons essentially speaks to varying perspectives of British history in the early 20th century. Through the lens of two very different, though equally historically focused men, The Great Commoner Winston Churchill and the acclaimed novelist George Orwell, Schama presents a tumultuous history from the both the top and the bottom of the socioeconomic hierarchy. These two men helped to shape the history they were to live-- "reading it, writing it, making it." From Churchill we see the Britain of the political elite-- snobby, sure, and intensely patriotic. From Orwell we see the under side of the British Empire, ruthless imperialism and impoverished destitution and these notions become evident to Orwell while he acts as a police officer in India. Orwell notes, "I realized the hollowness and futility of the white mans dominion in the East...and how I was an absurd puppet." But eventually, the two men would come to agree on one thing at least, the need to defend England against tyranny, oppression, and slavery in the form of Nazi Germany and the need for victory at all costs. Schama concludes the program with a thought on history...its not meant to revere the dead, rather, its meant to inspire the living. And I think that is the essential purpose of his chapter. Much like Orwell's detestation of boarding school peers for not understanding the meaning behind the history they were so apt to memorize, Schama expects his readers/viewers to realize the importance of history...not on the past, but on the present and the future. To steal a line from Schama, "I think that neither Churchill nor Orwell would have minded that very much, and as a matter of fact, neither do I."