Author:Christopher Lee,Anna Massey,Juliet Stevenson,Rob Brydon,Martin Freeman,Mark Heap,Robert Powell,Christopher Eccleston,Denis Lawson,Various
Christopher Lee's highly-acclaimed and award-winning BBC Radio 4 history of the British Empire.
Britain had the biggest empire the world has ever known. At one time a quarter of the global land mass was British. Over a third of the world was insured at Lloyds. At his coronation, more than 400 million people saluted George V. Truly, the sun never set on this historical phenomenon. Whatever the day, whatever the hour, somewhere on the globe, the empire worked and played the British game, often absurdly so.
BBC Radio 4's monumental history of Britain tells the story of the British Empire from its earliest beginnings through the years when British influence grew steadily around the globe, years when Britain took full advantage of the technical advances of its industrial revolution.
Here are the origins of the modern nations of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and of the ways in which British influence has affected, for better or for worse, nations such as India, Sri Lanka, and China. Here are the stories, not always happy and glorious, of Captain James Cook, Mungo Park, Warren Hastings, Sir Stamford Raffles, and David Livingstone.
The story of the British Empire is one of enormous personalities, adventure, scientific and maritime development, and the building of one of the most complex international administrations the world has ever seen.
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The historian Marc Morris masterfully picks out key themes and characters, from King Offa to Alfred the Great, to produce a coherent and compelling narrative of this turbulent time.
—— Pippa Bailey, New StatesmanA vivid, sharply drawn story of seven centuries of profound political change, told with wit, authority and shrewd historical judgement. The Anglo-Saxons is a superbly clear and evocative journey through England's beginnings, and Marc Morris is a wonderful guide.
—— Thomas PennThis is a much-needed book - an accessible, eminently readable account of the peoples who first made England. It's a gripping story, beautifully told!
—— Bernard Cornwell, author of The Last KingdomThis 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: PoliticsAn 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 YearRobust . . . an illuminating examination of the "toxic cocktail of nostalgia and amnesia" that still hugely influences our life today
—— Cathy Rentzenbrink , Guardian, Best Books of 2021This 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 SimpsonLucid 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 CoeEmpireland 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 YearA gracefully written book, but its real beauty lies in its complete absence of dogmatism ... Empireland is not an angry diatribe. It's a sensitive, often uncomfortable commentary on the stubborn influence of empire ... The real remedy is education of the kind that Sanghera has embraced - accepting, not ignoring, the past
—— Gerard deGroot , The TimesThis remarkable book shines the brightest of lights into some of the darkest and most misunderstood corners of our shared history. As urgent as it is illuminating . . . Sanghera's meticulous research and passionate advocacy combine to create an irresistible case for reviewing much of what we think we know about the reality and legacy of the British Empire
—— James O'BrienIn this witty and multi-faceted portrait of our nation, the award-winning journalist and novelist looks with great acuity at how the Empire wrought contemporary Britain
—— Bookseller[An] impassioned and deeply personal journey through Britain's imperial past and present ... a moving and stimulating book that deserves to be widely read
—— The GuardianExcellent ... he is a good guide to the complexities of the issues ... And he is largely positive about Britain and its future
—— Andrew Marr , Sunday TimesThe best book on the British empire for a very long time
—— Diane AbbottA scorching polemic on the afterburn of empire
—— FTA wonderful, wonderful book
—— David LammyThis account of how much of our "island story" was written in other countries deserves to be widely read. His decency and talent remind us of how much we owe to all those immigrants from our empire who came to make their lives here and too often (but happily not always) had to face hostility with a racist hue. The racism was frequently sired by our imperial past
—— The TabletA really interesting look at the history of empire - everything we're not taught at school - and how learning that history could change the way we view our country today
—— Krishnan Guru-MurthyThis thoroughly engaging and incredibly important book must be read by everyone. The sometimes heartbreaking read is enlightening and transformative. This remarkable work should be included in school curriculum... The informative book will undoubtedly continue to improve the understanding of future generations and perhaps even shape them
—— Eastern EyeEmpireland argues passionately that our identity has been shaped for the worse by empire, and that we must do more to debunk national myths
—— Prospect, Books of the Year 2021In the wake of personal epiphany we glimpse with Sanghera pathways of transformative potential ... a simple but profound response - this searching introspection and a quest for new horizons, combined with a readiness to sit with the contradictions of it all
—— ObserverMy book of the year so far. A really thoughtful, deeply researched and elegantly written look at the legacy of empire
—— Gideon Rachman , Financial TimesVery well written ... decent, balanced and wise. His decency and talent remind us of how much we owe to all those immigrants from our empire who came to make their lives here
—— Chris Patten , The TabletBlending rigorous research with passages that make you bark with laughter, this is an effortlessly smart study of feminism’s power to make society better for everyone.
—— Gwendolyn Smith , Mail on SundayHelen Lewis has produced a real gem in Difficult Women... With wit and understanding...it is effective and often very moving.
—— Julia Langdon , TabletA collection of fascinating, well-researched and vividly told biographies of women who made tangible contributions to the lives we live now… Lewis’ book is challenging, punchily written and refreshing in equal measure, and a joy to read.
—— Clare Jarmy , Times Educational Supplement ScotlandA lesson modern progressives would be remiss to ignore.
—— Phil Wang , GuardianAny one of these women could fill a book on her own, but Lewis deftly threads their lives together into an irresistibly rumbustious account of this movement; sometimes affecting, sometimes very funny (the footnotes are a sass-filled joy) and sometimes shocking.
—— Sarah Ditum , In the Moment[Difficult Women] is meticulously researched and intelligently argued whilst also being extremely readable. Unusually for a non-fiction book, it is a page-turner. Lewis' style is playful and engaging, and after each chapter you find yourself turning the page asking eagerly "but what happened next?”… Interspersed with personal anecdotes and often funny footnote asides, she deals with the serious alongside the light-hearted in a way which demonstrates her talent as a writer, researcher and journalist
—— Emily Menger-Davies , Glasgow GuardianThis history of feminism eschews feelgood, empowering clichés and goes in search of the 'difficult women' who shaped the fight for gender equality.
—— The Times, *This year's best reads so far*Engaging and witty, this history of feminist fights will keep you gripped to the last page.
—— IndependentThis often hilariously funny book taught me about the women who fought for my freedoms. Unlike in so many accounts, these women are not canonised but written as they are, imperfect.
—— Jess Phillips , WeekHelen Lewis is one of the very few journalists whose every word I will read.
—— Adam Rutherford , Week