Author:Caroline Elkins
A NEW YORK TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, HISTORY TODAY AND BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEAR
'Masterly... This book is dynamite' - ROBERT GILDEA, author of Empires of the Mind
**Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize**
A searing, landmarkstudy of the British Empire that lays bare itspervasive use of violence throughout the twentieth century.
Drawing on more than a decade of research on four continents, Caroline Elkins reveals the dark heart of Britain's Empire: a racialised, systemised doctrine of unrelenting violence, which it used to secure and maintain its interests across the globe.
When Britain could no longer maintain control over that violence, it simply retreated - and sought to destroy the evidence. Legacy of Violence is a monumental achievement that explodes long-held myths and deserves the attention of anyone who seeks to understand empire's role in shaping the world today.
'Not so much a history book as a book of historical significance' BBC History Magazine
'Riveting' New Statesman
'Crucial...as unflinching as it is gripping, as carefully researched as it is urgently necessary' Jill Lepore, author of These Truths
Masterful, crucial ... as unflinching as it is gripping, as carefully researched as it is urgently necessary
—— Jill Lepore, author of These TruthsMasterly... demonstrates that the British Empire, far from being part good, part bad, baked together from the outset state-sponsored violence and institutional racism with a periodic rewriting of its history as one of progress and civilisation, covering up atrocities and hiding or destroying incriminating documents. This book is dynamite
—— Robert Gildea, author of Empires of the MindThe history of the British Empire that we desperately need today... Sweeping, forceful, and passionately argued... A monumental achievement
—— Maya Jasanoff, author of The Dawn WatchA gripping, richly peopled, epic narrative... In stunning prose and drawing on staggering research, Elkins uncovers the reality of routine and ruthlessly violent suspension of law and militarized policing as imperial personnel and practices moved from crisis to crisis around the globe
—— Priya Satia, author of Time's Monster: How History Makes HistoryIn nothing was the British Empire more successful than its skilful concealment of the violence that it unleashed across the globe, over centuries. Caroline Elkins' Legacy of Violence is a laudably ambitious attempt at unearthing this hidden legacy, the bitter fruits of which are becoming more and more visible every day
—— Amitav Ghosh, author of The Nutmeg’s CurseIlluminating and authoritative... The repression and violence Elkins narrates on an epic scale matters because they continue to reverberate tragically in our global present
—— Priyamvada Gopal, author of Insurgent EmpireA work of deep archival achievement that creates a historical argument that is courageous and ambitious... This is a text for our times
—— Homi Bhabha, Anne F. Rothenberg Professor of the Humanities, Harvard UniversityA thumping great study by a heavyweight academic historian
—— Robbie Millen , The Times, *Books to Look Out For 2022*A clear, incisive account of the way in which the British maintained public order in the colonies through 'lawful lawlessness'... An exceedingly valuable book on the dark side of the British Empire
—— Wm. Roger Louis, Editor-in-Chief of Oxford History of the British EmpireLegacy of Violence is a formidable piece of research that sets itself the ambition of identifying the character of British power over the course of two centuries and four continents... this history could not be more timely
—— Tim Adams , ObserverLegacy of Violence...is deeply researched... a powerful, compelling read
—— Rana Mitter , Financial TimesFascinating... [Legacy of Violence] is a harrowing read, and one that brings the violence of empire sharply into focus
—— Alex von Tunzelmann , BBC History MagazineVividly written... [Elkins] brings together...episodes in order to draw out what she sees as their commonalities in British imperial doctrine
—— John Darwin , Times Literary Supplement[Elkins'] magnum opus... Elkins' achievement is to chronicle how makeshift responses to rebellion evolved into a chillingly standardised playbook for the use of force
—— Erik Linstrum , History TodayLegacy of Violence is beautifully written and follows through on its arguments doggedly... This is an important book that deserves to be read by everyone who wants to understand and argue against the current attempt to reinvigorate the romance of the British Empire
—— Socialist WorkerA dark, riveting book... her [Elkins'] method is what gives the book its intensity
—— New Statesman, *Books of the Year*Fascinating... a real page-turner... the writing is backed up with considerable academic research... the evidence of systematic oppression, presented as powerfully and relentlessly as it is here, will be difficult to resist
—— Literary ReviewNot so much a history book as a book of historical significance
—— BBC History Magazine, *Best Books of 2022*Timely, entertaining and full of useful insights
—— Gideon Rachman , Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, Financial TimesRenowned economist Dr Linda Yueh looks at past financial crashes - from the Wall Street Crash to the dot com boom and bust and the Covid pandemic - to explore what we can learn from them in this entertainingly written book.
—— i, Best New Books in MayEntertaining, well-written . . . [Yueh] has come up with a three-step framework to help spot when financial problems are brewing and identifies where the next may occur.
—— Ben Wright , TelegraphA gifted writer (een begenadigd schrijver)
—— De TelegraafThe book which impressed me most, and which I most enjoyed, this year is Andrew Roberts's George III. It is based on such astonishingly wide-ranging and original research that I felt I was reading about the period for the first time. Unknown facts and wonderful anecdotes had me turning the pages with a curiosity I seldom feel when reading about supposedly familiar events. Andrew Roberts is remarkably even-handed, and there is no special pleading on behalf of this genuinely misunderstood and wilfully misrepresented monarch who did his best to be a good constitutional ruler during a very choppy period in British history.
—— Adam Zamoyski , Aspects of History Books of the Yearmeticulously researched ... an eye-opening portrait of the man and his times
A deep, expansive study not only of George III but also of the political and social complexities of England and the United States during his reign.
—— Kathleen McCallister , Library Journala deeply textured portrait of George III [and] a capacious, prodigiously researched biography from a top-shelf historian.
—— Kirkusan outstanding and surprisingly moving portrait of a misunderstood king, distinguished by refreshing revisionism but also illuminated by deep humanity.
—— Simon Sebag Montefiore , Spectator World Books of the YearRoberts is in a rich vein of form at present; after bestselling books on Napoleon and Churchill, yet another masterpiece has tumbled from his pen.
—— Dan Jones , The Good Web GuideRoberts has been justly acclaimed as one of his generation's leading historians ... His new biography seeks to challenge popular myths about the monarch. ... Roberts, employing the same flair for original research and ability to convey historical context and vivid prose that he used in previous books ... thoroughly debunks all the assumptions most people have about the king.
—— Jonathan Tobin , Washington Examinerexhaustively researched and written in accessible, non-jargony prose. Meticulous and forensic, it sometimes reads like a defense counsel's case for his client ... Roberts's defense of George III, though, is the fullest, the clearest, and likely to be the most definitive.
—— Robert G. Ingram , National ReviewRoberts has painted a masterful portrait of a patriotic, diligent and cultivated monarch. ... This new biography is a treasure-house of detail. ... George III is an engaging, humane and at times beautiful testament to the importance of giving our ancestors a fair hearing.
—— Harrison Pitt , European Conservative