Winston Churchill confronted Communism, Fascism, and Islamist Fundamentalism during his tenure as colonial secretary, shaping modern democracy and his own political journey.

The current battle between superstitious and prejudiced forces from the past, against more enlightened modern ones, began when Winston Churchill was appointed colonial secretary in 1920. With the defeat of the shadowy Turkish Empire in 1918 by the Allies, he was challenged by three grim forces of menace and coercion: Communism, Fascism, and Islamist Fundamentalism. Each aimed to extinguish every spark of democratic freedom across the Middle East and the West. Churchill’s Challenges describes how this led to subversives undermining democracy from within and without. 

This book combines a social and cultural history of 1918-1940 with a biography of Churchill, to reveal how he responded to his society at that time, and his impact on it. His own character transformed just as dramatically from the eager and ambitious youth to the shrewd and successful politician he became. This account of the first half of Winston Churchill’s life focuses on how the world developed as a consequence of his influence in each ministerial position he filled. His decisions still impact world politics today.

This book's release coincides with the 150th anniversary of Churchill's birth.

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• I: THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS
  • Chapter 1 Clementine (1908)
  • Chapter 2 Pressures of Events (1919)
  • Chapter 3 The World Crisis
  • Chapter 4 The Bolshevik Power-Grab
  • Chapter 5 The Russian Civil War (1920)
  • Chapter 6 The Warlords
  • Chapter 7 Justice for All
  • Chapter 8 The Soul of Nations
  • Chapter 9 Churchill’s Obsession (1920)
  • Chapter 10 The Middle East Upheaval (1921)
  • Chapter 11 The Kingmakers (1921–22)
  • Chapter 12 Feisal’s Reward
  • Chapter 13 Gertrude of Arabia (1921–22)
  • Chapter 14 Churchill’s Middle East Ambition (1921–23)
• II: THE RUSSIAN CRISIS
  • Chapter 15 The Enemy on the Left (1920–23)
  • Chapter 16 Realities and Illusions
  • Chapter 17 Political Rivals
  • Chapter 18 The Most Terrible Event (1922–23)
  • Chapter 19 Troublemakers (1923)
  • Chapter 20 Chartwell
  • Chapter 21 Social Reengineering
• III: BAD NEWS FROM GERMANY
  • Chapter 22 Hunting Down the Idle Rich (1924)
  • Chapter 23 Churchill in the Roaring Twenties
  • Chapter 24 A Brilliant Creature
  • Chapter 25 Bad News from Germany
  • Chapter 26 Collective Security (1925)
  • Chapter 27 A Liberal at Heart
  • Chapter 28 Winston, a Star Turn (1925–26)
  • Chapter 29 The Enemy on the Right
  • Chapter 30 Balancing the Budget (1925–26)
  • Chapter 31 Living Space
  • Chapter 32 Consolidating Power (1926–27)
  • Chapter 33 Clash of Cultures
• Notes
• Plates