Empireworld

Reviews

A conversation-changing look at the British Empire’s worldwide legacy . . . he’s done his reading. Sanghera is part of a wave of writers and historians changing the terms of debate. This book, with its varied voices and perspectives, widens them further A nuanced, complicated account of the British empire’s impact on the world as we know it . . . spells out the complexity of historical assessment with painstaking clarity, showing, repeatedly, the deep entwinement of the positive and negative contributions of empire A thoughtful and balanced book that rejects totting up the pluses and minuses of empire. He points out there’s something very odd about saying on the one hand we massacred people in Amritsar and empowered the slave-trade, and on the other hand we built railway lines and opened universities. What he tries to do is give a much richer, fuller picture of its different dimensions. A wonderful book This is a ground-breaking and eye-opening book, that everyone should read. Written with wit, nuance and academic rigour; it is a long overdue look at Empire and its effect on the world Essential and absorbing reading for those not afraid to encounter diligently researched, complex, and often contradictory truths about colonial rule and its legacies His writing on empire and colonialism will change how you understand modern Britain One of my favourite writers and Empireworld is a must read if you want to understand the world This is history a historian can recognise: a field that demands close study and resists easy generalisation or pat judgments . . . Sanghera’s book admirably marches us into the weeds of peer-reviewed scholarly work A powerful sequel Empireworld is an ambitious and valuable conversation starter for a long overdue reckoning with Britain’s colonial past A remarkable and important work - one that is finely judged, beautifully written and not just a welcome corrective but a book for our times. This is essential reading An absolute masterpiece If you thought Empireland was beautifully written – this follow up takes you even further – on an extraordinary, entertaining and eye-opening journey around the globe This is history with a personal touch . . . today’s history students will have much to ponder . . . there are plenty of new ideas, argued with passion. If Britain wants to move forward as a key player on the world stage, Sanghera demonstrates, we must take time to understand our past — all warts, and all wonders, considered Once again, Sathnam Sanghera has advanced the civil conversation we all need to have about empire and its legacies Another smart, compassionate and essential book about the legacy of Empire and our braided histories Refined, subtle, accurate, analytical, witty, engaging, and questioning . . . this book puts Sanghera in the firmament of great imperial historians. Furthermore, his lucid and accessible writing reaches out to those with closed minds. For that he deserves all the accolades he is sure to get This brave, painful, urgent and timely book, is not, in other words, about 'goodies' or 'baddies'. It is about telling the truth about a nation’s imperial past in all its ambiguity — and creating dialogue between everyone who lays claim to Britishness Engages in deep research and historical re-analysis . . . also a profoundly moving work of personal insight, nuance, intelligence and compassion. Empireworld is a crucial addition to our understanding of the contradictions and legacies of colonial rule Expand reviews