Of course, Obama's views wouldn't be influenced by the fact that the current Govt of Great Britain (and its previous Blairite incarnation) has acted as a spineless slave to every whim of the Bush Administration... no matter how insane, vicious, or illegal? That couldn't be it, I mean, could it?

Neil McGowan, Moscow, Russia

Another sad tale of the strong abusing the weak ina war and in colonialism.

I don't think Mr. Obama will apply any bias against the UK because of this.
But what I'd like to know about this is:
Are there many more victims of torture?
Why wasn't this revealed by historians?

Lilya, San Francisco, USA

President Obama is just another shining example of how anything is possible in the US. A minority politician in the UK would not be able to achieve the same type of success as Obama has in the US. I think a lot of anger and resentment that a lot of Brits have shown is because they know it's true.

Scott, Chicago, USA

Obama has spoken so much about his African root and how it influenced him; but I think he is a lot more intelligent and clever to allow the bitterness of the past to shape how he relates to Britain. These speculations should not arise as Obama is not a vindictive leader; but an inspirational leader

Ishmael Oguama, London, Uk

Davie, do you mean one of the most powerful countries on the planet, a member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, and with one of the best equipped armed forces outside of the US? We are not arrogant (and I find that Americans insulting us for being arrogant is just funny).

James, London,

British treatment of rebellious factions in the colonies was no worse and often a lot less brutal than any number of other European nations . Will the Dutch, Belgian, French, and Germans be on the receiving end of Obamas ire. How many French troops have died In the War on Terror?

sedgwick, London, UK

What I find disturbing is not the Mau Mau connection but the lack of acknowledgment that Obama Snr was a WWII veteran, fighting for King and country and yet was imprisoned by the same gov and to this day that does not appear to matter in any reference. I thought Japan is still paying the Brit Vets!

Feb Moria, Atlanta, USA

A good point, but if Britain is so tainted by its mercantile colonial past, a past that we ourselves so readily condemn, explain why people of every conceivable nationality have chosen to live in the despised fountainhead of empire or are currently overseas engaged in desperate attempts to do so.

Manny, London, UK

Things have changed completely in Britain since our government has gone Marxist. The time of the Mau Mau was like another planet. The British people don't think or care about anything except money, holidays, cars, sex, drugs,drink and fags. The arrogance is within the political class. We hate 'em !

Phil de Buquet, Newport,

Do you really think that a man who is so internally diverse and outwardly judged would himself judge an entire nation of people based on a few encounters? He is highly educated and worldy, and it is not likely that he will view anyone with such a closed mind.

Ana, Atlanta, USA

As an American there is a sense of peace already all around us. Finally the racial tension, and political bickering will stop. Ben Macintyre is correct, though, Obama's political ties and his writings are very telling. Time will tell.

Neesi, Orlando, USA

Instead of the false platitudes american presidents used to fob off british politicians we are now going to hear what they've always thought upfront.
Give it 5 years and I suspect british foreign policy will be more eurocentric than ever before.
Au revoir 'special relationship' if it ever existed

peter, york, uk

Good......perhaps as he so obviously dislikes the British he can do without British troops in Afghanistan.
Get them out now !

Noddy, Birmingham, England

This is hilarious stuff! His mother's a white American, when he looks at her does he see a descendant of slave-owners? And if it means a cooling of the special relationship I speak for the majority of Britons when I say good. It's given us nothing but disaster and humiliation the last few years.

jane , kirksea,

This article does raise a general interesting point about how our perceptions of countries and people are influenced by our own experiences and heritage. It would be a shame if Obama had such a perception of Britain based on a colonial administration from fifty years ago but I suspect he may do

Dan , Winchester, England

I think what Obama needs to think about is America's present empire, not Britain's past one. America behaves far worse than Britain ever did; supporting fascist dictators, funding contras and other violent revolutionaries seeking to overturn democracies, bombing third world countries etc.

Peter Simmons, Leominster, UK

UK's superiority in the world during the British Empire had long gone. It had been clinging on to the US, in order to project themselves as strong, by going along with what US wants without question. Recent example, Bush's Iraq.

Ram Ganesh, Purley, UK

Obama's historical perspective of Britian will help British people understand how they and their history are perceived by different cultures. Obama also has Irish relatives, the state flag of Hawaii includes the Union Jack and his wife's surname is "Robinson". Its a family affair.

steve o'donnell , Dunblane , UK

There are more black voters in America than there British, so let's judge the man by his deeds, not the book its cover. Besides, I suspect the UK will be far less disappointed than some others - I live in Africa where there is what I can only describe as a frenzy of black-identity expectation.

Alex, Kinshasa, Congo

The British Empire has been dead for over 30 years, but we still maintain an outward looking Geopolicy which is more in tune with the US than the EU, as are our economics. What is worrying is the old mantle of colonial arrogance has been successfully adopted by the US abroad, with similar results.

Pete, Portsmouth, UK

It is true that some Britains appear to have a superiority complex. Not all however. Most people in Britain think little more of the commonwealth and the colonial world we had than they do about what to have on their toast in the morning - probably less so. It's only a (sadly vocal) few that do

James, Nottingham, UK

Do you seriously think thinking of Churchill would fill him with joy? Ask me, i'm Indian.

Supriya , Basel, Switzerland

If it wasn't Obama's grandfather, the man would have been described in today's media as an Islamic terrorist (he was Muslim, after all), as are the Iraqi and Afghan insurgents.

Bilal Patel, London, UK

“The British have so much more, but seem to enjoy it less.”
- absolutely spot on. I wonder how much Obama inflicts UK media on himself. He might understand a major source of the national negativity.

Ian, London, UK

Good article and I think Obama's opinion on the British and more specifically Britain's past is one that is widely held abroad but too few Brits actually realise this. Much of their arrogance and superiority is unfounded and is ridiculous when one considers Britain's standing in todays world.

Davie, New York,

The media avoided any investigation of the candidate Obama so we know almost nothing about him. The people that he is selecting indicate he is going to be a very different president than his electioneering promises idicated.

Mike, LA, USA

Contact his ghost writer. Bill Ayers can fill in the blanks in the narrative

r. burns, Tampa, US

The world is changing fast and the people of the UK should realise this. The Commonweath is dead and as countries like Australia, New Zeland and Canada will have less to do with the UK. The future of the UK lies in the EU, where it should be
The colonial world of the UK is now just history.

Malcolm Freeman, Berwick, Australia