Was the British Empire a force for good or evil? Journalist and novelist Sanghera (Marriage Material, 2016) argues that this is the wrong question. Offering no simple answers, Empireland advocates for an honest reckoning with the facts of imperial history and its many legacies in the contemporary United Kingdom and across the world. Empire has left traces on British life at every level, from museum holdings to immigration patterns to travel habits to the presence in public and private buildings of monuments and statues that commemorate imperial figures like Clive of India. Sanghera writes as a perpetual student, not a historian; his approach invites the reader to share in his curiosity and discoveries, but he does not soft-pedal the horrors inflicted by the British on colonial subjects who dared to question imperial authority. Empireland does not seek to topple existing narratives about English history, but rather, to complicate them by including the stories and histories of the colonized as well as the colonizers. A lucid, measured call to grapple with the fraught history of empire.

Definitely a good primer for those without detailed knowledge of the subject. More biographical in some moments than others, but I don't think that's a bad thing; history is so personal. I do think the author is a little more pro-Britain than many readers would expect, and the disarming impact this could have for the conservative or skeptical reader would likely be positive, but it didn't do/change much more me personally. Then again, I'm not the target audience. I can see using this as an intro text for an activity or teaching with pieces of this in an intro class. I thought some of the details on finance were particularly well put and interesting.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of the US edition*

A very well written and informative history of Britain written from a unique and well researched viewpoint. An important read for all.

I have been looking forward to this book for a while and for the most part it did not disappoint. A thoughtful and powerful read about empire, it’s sins and the long legacy of history. The book was notable because it focused not only on the obvious atrocities committed by the British empire, and it’s most obvious modern day legacy but also draws readers attention to the insidious and hidden nature of empire. How empire lurks in every day conversations and interactions. How the virus of empire and violence and racism has infiltrated even where it is not expected. My one criticism is that the book reads a little too much like a memoir. The personal experience is important and I’m glad it was there because it adds a rich layer to the narrative but I’m my opinion there was a little too much of that.

There have been several books published recently that aim to re-evaluate Britain and the role that its empire played in the development of the modern nation state. This book steers a reverse course, showing how 'modern Britain' is actually more linked to the past age of empire than anyone might at first guess. I found this book gripping and illuminating because of this.