Discover the Penguin books that shaped us

Empireland

bySathnam Sanghera, Homer Todiwala (Read by)

How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain

Format:

PaperbackEbookAudio Download

Buy the book from:

Apple BooksOpens in a new tabAudibleOpens in a new tabGoogle PlayOpens in a new tabHiveOpens in a new tabKoboOpens in a new tabLibro.fmOpens in a new tabSpotifyOpens in a new tabxigxagOpens in a new tab
Britain as we know it is a direct product of our imperial past. And yet, empire is barely taught at school and continues to be a subject of both shame and glorification. Covering everything from our national habits to how we live - from the foundation of the NHS, to the nature of our racism, to our economic status and our wealth - Empireland argues that imperialism is everywhere, though we often choose not to see it.

It is central to the way we think and conduct politics, from the distrust of intellectuals in public life, to the exceptionalism that inspired Brexit and our response to the COVID crisis. Sathnam Sanghera's deeply impassioned, enlightening and unsettling book demonstrates that we see that we can only truly understand who we are by knowing who we were.

'This remarkable book shines the brightest of lights into some of the darkest and most misunderstood corners of our shared history' James O'Brien

'Lucid but never simplistic; entertaining but never frivolous; intensely readable while always mindful of nuance and complexity - Empireland takes a perfectly-judged approach to its contentious but necessary subject' Jonathan Coe

I only wish this book had been around when I was at school

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London

About Sathnam Sanghera

Sathnam Sanghera was born to Punjabi immigrant parents in Wolverhampton in 1976. He entered the education system unable to speak English but went on to graduate from Christ's College, Cambridge with a first class degree in English Language and Literature. He has been shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards twice, for his memoir The Boy With The Topknot and his novel Marriage Material. Empireland has been longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, was named a Book of the Year at the National Book Awards of 2022, and inspired both the Channel 4 series Empire State of Mind and Sanghera's children's book about the British empire Stolen History. He lives in London.
Details
  • Imprint: Viking
  • ISBN: 9780241509821
  • Length: 617 minutes
  • Price: £13.00
All editions