Empireland

How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain

By: Sathnam Sanghera, Marlon James - foreword

Narrated by: Homer Todiwala, Marlon James

A best-selling journalist’s illuminating tour through the hidden legacies and modern realities of British empire that exposes how much of the present-day United Kingdom is actually rooted in its colonial past. Empireland boldly and lucidly makes the case that in order to understand America, we must first understand British imperialism.

"Empireland is brilliantly written, deeply researched and massively important. It’ll stay in your head for years.” —John Oliver, Emmy Award-winning host of "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver"

With a new introduction by the author and a foreword by Booker Prize-winner Marlon James

A best-selling journalist’s illuminating tour through the hidden legacies and modern realities of British empire that exposes how much of the present-day United Kingdom is actually rooted in its colonial past. Empireland boldly and lucidly makes the case that in order to understand America, we must first understand British imperialism. Empire—whether British or otherwise—informs nearly everything we do. From common thought to our daily routines; from the foundations of social safety nets to the realities of racism; and from the distrust of public intellectuals to the exceptionalism that permeates immigration debates, the Brexit campaign and the global reckonings with controversial memorials, Empireland shows how the pernicious legacy of Western imperialism undergirds our everyday lives, yet remains shockingly obscured from view.

In accessible, witty prose, award-winning journalist and best-selling author Sathnam Sanghera traces this legacy back to its source, exposing how—in both profound and innocuous ways—imperial domination has shaped the United Kingdom we know today. Sanghera connects the historical dots across continents and seas to show how the shadows of a colonial past still linger over modern-day Britain and how the world, in turn, was shaped by Britain’s looming hand. The implications, of course, extend to Britain’s most notorious former colony turned imperial power: the United States of America, which prides itself for its maverick soul and yet seems to have inherited all the ambition, brutality and exceptional thinking of its parent.

With a foreword by Booker Prize–winner Marlon James, Empireland is a revelatory and lucid work of political history that offers a sobering appraisal of the past so we may move toward a more just future.

©2023 Sathnam Sanghera (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Empireland is brilliantly written, deeply researched and massively important. It’ll stay in your head for years.” —John Oliver, Emmy Award-winning host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

"A generously shared journey of discovery. Sanghera is a journalist in the Orwellian mold, inviting readers to witness his experiment on himself as an example of the conclusions that a decent, acerbically witty, public-school-educated Brit might arrive at after wading through the evidence of what Britain owes to empire." —The Nation

"Robust . . . an illuminating examination of the 'toxic cocktail of nostalgia and amnesia' that still hugely influences our life today." —Guardian, "Best Books of 2021"

Important history

Easy to listen to (pleasant narrator) but the subject matter is stomach churning. It’s more important now than ever to understand this complex subject, and this a digestible overview.

A good book ruined by an awful perfoemance

It is both a shame and an irony that a book about Britain's colonial sins should be performed by someone who can't be bothered to properly pronounce non-English words.

Valuable Work and a Good Listen

This book is half history and half essay and social commentary. It is not a comprehensive history of the British Empire. It is a selection of representative events, mostly focused on the East India Company and the British Raj, interspersed with insights into their lasting impact on Great Britain today. It is a balanced and nuanced account, not a rant.

It mentions only briefly the British role in China, and largely overlooks the imperial policy of using the colonies as sources of raw material for British industry, rather then encouraging indigenous industrial development.

The production and delivery reading is outstanding.

Eye-opening book and a must read

As a person born in the former empire, I thought I knew the story of British colonization. I was aghast at the size and influence of the historic wrongs. And worse, the complete denial of 400 years of those atrocities.

Important history

Well told and objectively presented. A much needed reality check for an Anglophile. Should be required reading.

breath and depth of knowledge of the subject matter

understanding our history is critical. empireland is required reading to contextualize the British modern experience through the honest lens of our imperial history