Empireland

How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain

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In Britain, imperialism is everywhere - though we often choose not to see it. From the way we travel and the foundation of the NHS to the nature of our racism and wealth, it is central to the way we think and conduct politics. In his bestselling book, Sathnam Sanghera demonstrates how so much of modern Britain - including the exceptionalism that inspired Brexit and our response to the COVID-19 crisis - is rooted in our imperial past.

Empire is foundational to modern Britain yet is barely taught in schools or mentioned in museums. At a time of great division, when we are arguing about what it means to be British, Empireland is a groundbreaking revelation - a much-needed and illuminating portrait of modern British society with the power and potential to change minds.

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
Published: 07/10/2021
ISBN: 9780241445310
Length: 352 pages
Dimensions: 198mm x 23mm x 129mm
Weight: 249g
Price: £10.99

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Empireland

How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain

Format:

Buy the book from:

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

A fascinating reckoning with a history of empire

A balanced and insightful study of the British empire and contemporary attitudes towards it

An important book and that's not a phrase to use lightly. It's an exposé and a reminder of how conveniently the British have rewritten the past and buried the bones of their shame . . . a necessary, uncomfortable and illuminating read

Robust . . . an illuminating examination of the "toxic cocktail of nostalgia and amnesia" that still hugely influences our life today

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

[Empireland] should be on the compulsory reading list of every secondary school in the country

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

Empireland by Sathnam Sanghera is a salutary reminder of the dark side of our past. I spend my time trying to help resolve armed conflicts from Myanmar to Nigeria that are largely caused by the crass errors of our ancestors. It helps to understand how those came about

About Sathnam Sanghera

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