**** How the British built an empire in India, conquering one of the most ancient and powerful civilizations in the world, is an epic of heroism, sacrifice, ruthlessness, and greed. But it is also the story of a growing sense of mission, even destiny: the growing conviction that the British were meant to rule India not only for their own interests but for the sake of the Indians as well. That belief would decisively shape the character not only of the British Empire in India but also of Randolph's son Winston Churchill- the man into whose hands the destiny of the Raj would ultimately fall. **** The above is a quote excerpted from Chapter One of a new book ''Gandhi & Churchill: The Churchills and the Raj'', written by Arthur Herman. Pub - Bantam/ Random House, Inc. Full text of the excerpt is online in the issue dated May 2, 2008, of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. ----- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar Nagpur, India