A Yearning for the Past

A recurring theme throughout the book is Winston Churchill's yearning for the past. He prefers Victorian England, and he is very open about his preferences. He adopts many of the mannerisms and customs of the Victorian era, using many of the terms and phrases that prevailed then. It is said he preferred the British troops go into battle wearing red jackets rather than khaki.

Even though Churchill is intrigued by rocketry, he does not like flying. He prefers the pre-Wright brother world. Flight makes the world seem smaller, and he does not like this. Churchill also does not always use the modern name of cities and countries. He refers to them by the names they are known by during the Victorian era. One of the customs of the Victorian era he follows as prime minister is to never attend Parliament. He also follows the...