In recent years an audacious attempt has been made to deprive us of our heroes. We have been told that instead of admiring and enjoying these brilliant figures from British history, we should be deeply embarrassed by them. No reasonable person supposes that heroes should be spared criticism, or that reputations never change. But episodes in the life of, say, Sir Francis Drake or Sir Winston Churchill which conflict with modern values are treated as sufficient to invalidate that hero's entire record, however wonderful it may be in other respects - circumnavigating the globe in 1577-80, defying Hitler in 1940. We are threatened with guilt by association unless we endorse the harsh verdicts of judges who enforce rules which did not apply at the time. These self-appointed arbiters place their yearning to condemn before the study of history, and are, indeed, intent on making us hate our country's past, and solely dependent on them for moral instruction. This book will show why, on the contrary, pride and pleasure may continue to be taken in flawed heroes. As in the three previous Gimson books, only the most vivid, characteristic and amusing information will be included, along with illustrations by martin Rowson.
