Ghosts of Empire

Britain's Legacies in the Modern World

By: Kwasi Kwarteng

Narrated by: Kwasi Kwarteng, Elliot Levey

Kwasi Kwarteng is the child of parents whose lives were shaped as subjects of the British Empire, first in their native Ghana, then as British immigrants. He brings a unique perspective and impeccable academic credentials to a narrative history of the British Empire, one that avoids sweeping judgmental condemnation and instead sees the Empire for what it was: a series of local fiefdoms administered in varying degrees of competence or brutality by a cast of characters as outsized and eccentric as anything conjured by Gilbert and Sullivan.

The truth, as Kwarteng reveals, is that there was no such thing as a model for imperial administration; instead, appointees were schooled in quirky, independent-minded individuality. As a result the Empire was the product not of a grand idea but of often chaotic individual improvisation. The idosyncracies of viceroys and soldier-diplomats who ran the colonial enterprise continues to impact the world, from Kashmir to Sudan, Baghdad to Hong Kong.

©2012 Kwasi Kwarteng (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Kwarteng effectively illustrates the effects of empire in a forceful and thorough book that holds important lessons for today’s leaders - in particular that the cost of invading and occupying a country always exceeds expectations." (Kirkus Reviews)

"This is an absorbing, richly researched book, smoothly written with a light touch, and suggests, if its gifted Ghanaian/British author is anything to go by, that the Empire at least got something right." (The New Republic)

“Kwasi Kwarteng, in this fine book, argues that the empire granted far too much authority to the wrong people. ‘Accidents and decisions made on a personal, almost whimsical, level have had a massive impact on international politics,' Kwarteng writes. Ghosts of Empire explores six cases where this impact was felt: Iraq, Nigeria, Sudan, Hong Kong, Kashmir, and Burma. This is a list without many success stories, and Kwarteng, who is a Conservative member of Parliament with Ghanaian parents and who claims to want to transcend ‘sterile’ debates about the empire, ends up making a damning case…. Kwarteng is critical but not patronizing, allowing the reader to grasp the motivations of the British while simultaneously seeing the shortcomings of their decisions.” (New York Times Book Review)

Extremely Informative

Great listen while I was packing up to move. I really liked the insight into how different ways places were treated after colonization had impact on how the nation following has coped with its independence.

Must read for fans for history and politics

This book was written by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer of the UK. Ghosts of Empire shows how victorian and modern British colonialism lead to modern conflicts and political flashpoints. The author is a conservative politician but also a child of African immigrants so he keeps a fairly balanced view of the pros and cons of Empire. The author having been educated at the most elite British schools shows how those schools made the British colonial elite. Ghosts of Empire is incredibly well written and thought provoking. I have listened to every book on the British Empire on audible and this was my personal favorite. I would recommend it to anyone I know who wants to have a better understanding of how history shaped modern conflicts.

Empire

Conquer and conquest!! Divide and conquer! The British Empire did a mix of good and bad! The British Empire Created The Modern World! This Book 📖 possibly could have been longer than it is!

Your voice is too good.

Would you listen to Ghosts of Empire again? Why?

Kwai - Your voice is too good to let anyone else read for you. For War & Gold, please read it yourself. It may take additional time, but your fans will wait.