The groundbreaking bestseller which examines the effect of empire on modern Britain 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.

Details

ISBN13: 9780241445310
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 352
Edition:
Publication Date: 05 Jan 2022
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 19.8(H)x12.9(L)x2.3(W)249
Weight (gm): 249

Author Biography

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.

Reviews

I only wish this book had been around when I was at school -- Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
A fascinating reckoning with a history of empire * Guardian, Best Politics Books of 2021 *
A balanced and insightful study of the British empire and contemporary attitudes towards it * The Times, Best Paperbacks of 2021 *
This immensely readable book is very timely. The account by Sanghera, a former FT writer, is simultaneously personal and scholarly. It addresses many of the questions that are now urgent subjects of public debate - such as Britain's role in the slave trade and the connections between empire and multiculturalism -- Gideon Rachmen * Financial Times, Best Books of 2021: Politics *
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 -- Kit de Waal * New Statesman, Books of the Year *
Robust . . . an illuminating examination of the "toxic cocktail of nostalgia and amnesia" that still hugely influences our life today -- Cathy Rentzenbrink * Guardian, Best Books of 2021 *
This remarkable book shines the brightest of lights into some of the darkest and most misunderstood corners of our shared history * James O'Brien *
[Empireland] should be on the compulsory reading list of every secondary school in the country -- John Simpson
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
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 -- Jonathan Powell * New Statesman, Books of the Year *