Empireland

This is a brilliantly written book about how Britain was built from its empire. It explodes the myths and takes the shine off the glorious empire and brings some of its darker aspects into a brighter light.

Sanghera’s account is well-researched, and both wide-ranging and personal. It fills in some of the gaps skipped over in my school’s history classes and gives context to some of the events, places and people I had heard of only fleetingly in the past. It is a surprisingly short book for a subject so vast. It made me want to find out more.

The British Empire covered 20% of the World’s land – described as the Empire where the sun never set. But what do we really know about the British Empire and its legacy? British colonialism: its massacres, enslavement, and racism are not taught in schools.

For me, this book examines the British Empire and how we avoid dealing with its problematic and painful history. One of the best chapters is Chapter 11, “Selective Amnesia,” which discusses how many in the British establishment have great nostalgia for The Empire and use it to illustrate the greatness of the British. When polled, a… show more.