Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain
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- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Sathnam Sanghera
- ISBN：0241445299
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Summary
In his brilliantly illuminating new book Sathnam Sanghera demonstrates how so much of what we consider to be modern Britain is actually rooted in our imperial past。 In prose that is， at once， both clear-eyed and full of acerbic wit， Sanghera shows how our past is everywhere: from how we live to how we think， from the foundation of the NHS to the nature of our racism， from our distrust of intellectuals in public life to the exceptionalism that imbued the campaign for Brexit and the government's early response to the Covid crisis。 And yet empire is a subject， weirdly hidden from view。
The British Empire ran for centuries and covered vast swathes of the world。 It is， as Sanghera reveals， fundamental to understanding Britain。 However， even among those who celebrate the empire there seems to be a desire not to look at it too closely - not to include the subject in our school history books， not to emphasize it too much in our favourite museums。
At a time of great division， when we are arguing about what it means to be British， Sanghera's book urges us to address this bewildering contradiction。 For， it is only by stepping back and seeing where we really come from， that we can begin to understand who we are， and what unites us。
The British Empire ran for centuries and covered vast swathes of the world。 It is， as Sanghera reveals， fundamental to understanding Britain。 However， even among those who celebrate the empire there seems to be a desire not to look at it too closely - not to include the subject in our school history books， not to emphasize it too much in our favourite museums。
At a time of great division， when we are arguing about what it means to be British， Sanghera's book urges us to address this bewildering contradiction。 For， it is only by stepping back and seeing where we really come from， that we can begin to understand who we are， and what unites us。
Reviews
Paul Modley
，
What a brilliantly researched book， full of rich facts and information about the British Empire。 I confess to not knowing too much of this history， （despite studying A-Level History）。 Some very dark moments in our Empire history and important that we all take time to understand more about these events and how they have shaped Britain today。
Simon Hodge
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A well written and engaging book。 We are not taught about any of this in the British education system。 Maybe it's time that should change。 A well written and engaging book。 We are not taught about any of this in the British education system。 Maybe it's time that should change。 。。。more
Megan Capon
，
A fascinating but harrowing account of the British Empire that I not enough of us understand yet benefit from。 As the author says， the British seek comfort rather than ownership of the past and it’s time that changed。
Simon Piman
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Excellent book and a thought provoking read。 An Incisive and objective look at imperialism。 Highly recommended to anyone who has an interest in history。 Removes the jingoism so often associated with the British past and offers comparable eras from’ empires’ beyond the UK。 Read this book！！
Maria Lyle
，
Lots of info I didn’t know before （my Scottish school history teaching mainly focussed on crop rotation and that battle of Bannockburn。。。） I have educated myself since but still some gaps！ Really enjoyed this。 Something I intend to read more on。
David
，
It's a good book and Sanghera writes well and is thought provoking， but I am not walking away from this raving about it， and I can't really put my finger on why that is the case。 A solid 3。5 rating for me。 Definitely worth reading。 It's a good book and Sanghera writes well and is thought provoking， but I am not walking away from this raving about it， and I can't really put my finger on why that is the case。 A solid 3。5 rating for me。 Definitely worth reading。 。。。more
Philip Chaffee
，
I wanted to like this more， as I loved Sanghera’s memoir。 This is certainly a worthy book and Sanghera is very persuasive and thoughtful。 But much of it is just a press review of recent culture war headlines， op-eds and YouGov polls。 And even the history is largely just a compilation of secondary sources， and feels like a student paper。 This is perhaps fine for what Sanghera was aiming to accomplish， but it just didn’t add up to the work of fresh scholarship I was hoping this would be。
Alistair Watson
，
This is a remarkable book。 I began reading this while planning a new scheme of History lessons on the British Empire for my secondary comprehensive school in Britain。 Sathnam Sanghera does a brilliant job bringing together an enormous body of scholarship on the British Empire in order to tease out some of the main threads linking Britain's present to its imperial past。 It makes for challenging but rewarding reading and should be a must-read for anyone seriously interested in teaching and compreh This is a remarkable book。 I began reading this while planning a new scheme of History lessons on the British Empire for my secondary comprehensive school in Britain。 Sathnam Sanghera does a brilliant job bringing together an enormous body of scholarship on the British Empire in order to tease out some of the main threads linking Britain's present to its imperial past。 It makes for challenging but rewarding reading and should be a must-read for anyone seriously interested in teaching and comprehending the history and legacy of the British Empire。 。。。more
Lindy
，
Must readReally worth a read。 Well written， thought provoking and funny， with a lovely combination of history and personal reflection on how the way we tell our history shapes society today。 He’s not a professional historian but has read really widely and synthesises a lot of material， putting it right into the context of current debates。 But most of all， really constructive and uplifting - gave me a real sense of how a more honest， balanced and inclusive narrative about Empire would reshape the Must readReally worth a read。 Well written， thought provoking and funny， with a lovely combination of history and personal reflection on how the way we tell our history shapes society today。 He’s not a professional historian but has read really widely and synthesises a lot of material， putting it right into the context of current debates。 But most of all， really constructive and uplifting - gave me a real sense of how a more honest， balanced and inclusive narrative about Empire would reshape the debate on race in the UK today。 。。。more
Ieva Mičiulytė
，
Despite being a person who has a meticulous to read list， I accidentally stumbled upon this book and spontaneously decided that it would be a fun and informative read。 And it was for the most part。Empireland by Sathnam Sanghera is a collection of informative and well researched aspects of how the British colonization shaped the modern Brit。 From cuisine to one sided history books， from diverse cities to bluntly stolen museum items， the book itself covers a great amount of topics about empire men Despite being a person who has a meticulous to read list， I accidentally stumbled upon this book and spontaneously decided that it would be a fun and informative read。 And it was for the most part。Empireland by Sathnam Sanghera is a collection of informative and well researched aspects of how the British colonization shaped the modern Brit。 From cuisine to one sided history books， from diverse cities to bluntly stolen museum items， the book itself covers a great amount of topics about empire mentality。 The various stories about different tribes， nations and people who were colonialized by the Brits serves as a great reminder to the reader that the road to the empire isn't great or glorious， but simply covered with sweat， blood and tears of those who helped to build it。Nevertheless， I couldn't help but feel that there was too much of the author himself in the book。 Whilst for him as a Brit with his family roots coming from India this book is not simply a research put together but much more， I didn't always enjoy the stories about Sathnam and could have done without them。 Moreover， whilst， it is unreasonable to expect that one book could the whole history of the empire， "Empireland's" historical fragments were scattered all over the place and the aattention given to each country didn't feel balanced。 。。。more
Koumal
，
Another brilliant book written by Sathnam Sanghera， reflecting the racial division which pervades modern Britain。 During the time I’ve been reading this book， institutional racism has been dismissed by the UK government， even though it distinctly exists。 Empireland aims to enlighten the truth of racism in this country。 It provides an explanation for Britain’s ingrained and covert racism， deeply rooted in the history of its empire。
Marc
，
Perfectly fine， and probably a good introduction to the history of the British Empire for those who didn't learn it at school。 However， it's a short book about a long period of history， so suffers from lapsing into lists of examples with relatively little structure and no sense of chronology。 This makes it more difficult to read and less punchy than it could be。 Perfectly fine， and probably a good introduction to the history of the British Empire for those who didn't learn it at school。 However， it's a short book about a long period of history， so suffers from lapsing into lists of examples with relatively little structure and no sense of chronology。 This makes it more difficult to read and less punchy than it could be。 。。。more
Grant
，
Sanghera gives an engaging analysis of Britain's imperialism and the way it's looked upon by people today。 Sanghera gives an engaging analysis of Britain's imperialism and the way it's looked upon by people today。 。。。more
Martine
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Excellent book。 A must read if you want to understand Britain today。
Sun
，
Thought-provoking， evidence-driven and makes you question why the Empire is not taught in schools！ Despite being recent history， there is now a safe enough distance for Empire to be studied for academic interest and learning from the past to build a wiser future。In the spirit of Easter， I want to write a book review that gives this contentious subject a rebirth。 Instead of criticising Imperialism for *taking*， I want to change the angle to one of celebrating how much the Colonies *gave* Britain Thought-provoking， evidence-driven and makes you question why the Empire is not taught in schools！ Despite being recent history， there is now a safe enough distance for Empire to be studied for academic interest and learning from the past to build a wiser future。In the spirit of Easter， I want to write a book review that gives this contentious subject a rebirth。 Instead of criticising Imperialism for *taking*， I want to change the angle to one of celebrating how much the Colonies *gave* Britain to make it "Great"。 Example: going with the Easter theme， the child Maharaja Duleep Singh may have been one of the last lawful Kings standing in India， but he gave a legendary Indian diamond that was the size of a hen's egg to Queen Victoria。 At the behest of the people， the British Royal Family then voluntarily cracked open the egg-like-diamond through a re-cut， thereby bringing about a new lease of life and light into the world; the Indian gem， called Koh-i-Noor （meaning Mountain of Light in its original language）， was reborn in Britain。 How incredible that valuable British Crown Jewels， including the main diamond on the consort crown， come from Indian Royal Families; this acts as an amazing connection for Modern day British Indians to all share with the otherwise exclusive and aloof Crown！ :-）The author highlights his personal position acknowledging that， relative to other communities， the Sikhs have actually done well out of Empire because they were recognised as a Martial race of people （typically brave and well-built for fighting） and served well in the military （including the two World Wars）。 Having read the wider history， it seems that the Punjab was actually the one that did not *need* to have British rule imposed upon it for so-called "civilisation" because Maharaja Ranjit Singh （leader of the secular Sikh Empire） had already brought unity， peace and prosperity to the region through a series of wise and strategic modernisations; in 2020 Ranjit Singh won the "BBC World Histories Greatest Leader of All Times" for a reason。 On a balance of probability it seems more likely than not that Britain's East India Company *wanted* （as opposed to *needed*） the Punjab because of its strategic geographical position， natural resources， magnificent wealth and powerful armies。 All said and done， for me， it feels deeply humbling to know my forefathers and foremothers have sacrificed and contributed so much for Britain to enjoy world-class privileges。Remember that it was the Empire that helped Britain and its allies win Two World Wars。 Resources and fighters from the Empire's colonies were pivotal to success during wartime。 Lest we forget。 But I do fear that far too many have forgotten due to a lack of balanced education about Empire in British schools， as well as a general uneasiness to learn about and think critically about Empire。 Learning holistically might be the key。Of course， the Empire upon which the sun never set is no more now; the sun has now settled。 About two-years after World War 2 ended， the jewel in the imperial crown （namely India） gained independence and the Empire began to fall。 However， as the author discusses， it was manpower and brainpower from the colonies that helped to rebuild post-war Britain; for instance， professionals from the colonies were important in building the NHS and welfare state。 Many philosophies of equality and justice resonate with what was the Sikh kingdom where， for example， education was for all and food was （and still is） offered for free in gurdwaras so that no human should go hungry or thirsty。 Regardless of any differences， it's ultimately our shared humanity， mortality and vulnerability that unites us all。 United we stand， divided we fall。 And on that note: Happy Easter this weekend and Happy Vaisakhi on 13th April！ P。S。 Will remember to do a 5-minute silence in memory of those who died and were injured in the tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre on 13th April 1919。 Lest we forget。 。。。more
Amelia
，
Sathnam Sanghera's Empireland is a great introduction to how Britain's imperial legacy is present in everything from our cultural institutions to our educational policy， and from politics to our national psyche。Sanghera is a journalist rather than a historian so this an easy to read overview rather than a detailed academic work， and brings in the author's own journey to understand the legacy of empire in their own life as a second generation Briton。Polling shows that as a whole Britons are prett Sathnam Sanghera's Empireland is a great introduction to how Britain's imperial legacy is present in everything from our cultural institutions to our educational policy， and from politics to our national psyche。Sanghera is a journalist rather than a historian so this an easy to read overview rather than a detailed academic work， and brings in the author's own journey to understand the legacy of empire in their own life as a second generation Briton。Polling shows that as a whole Britons are pretty ignorant of the scale and impact of empire。 We learn little if anything about it at school and only recently have we started having more public debate about its ongoing effects。 So Empireland is a excellent read to start thinking about these topics， though I imagine some readers might find it a little too basic。I found the sections about Britons' post-imperial collective psychology particularly interesting - our national hang ups about exceptionalism， selective amnesia， distrust of expertise， our racism， and stubborn refusal to confront some of our history - and would love to read some more about this。 Anyone have recommendations？ 。。。more
Isabel Somerset
，
For all it taught me， particularly in the first few chapters and last， I want to say this is a book I loved and would recommend， however it was a tedious read as on too many occasions it felt like Sanghera was just cramming in as much information as possible; as if I was reading quote after quote of unnecessary extra information。 Once you reach the middle chapters the sentences feel overwhelmingly long and there are an awful number of brackets。 I wanted to be taken-in by what I was learning， and For all it taught me， particularly in the first few chapters and last， I want to say this is a book I loved and would recommend， however it was a tedious read as on too many occasions it felt like Sanghera was just cramming in as much information as possible; as if I was reading quote after quote of unnecessary extra information。 Once you reach the middle chapters the sentences feel overwhelmingly long and there are an awful number of brackets。 I wanted to be taken-in by what I was learning， and many times I was， but as the book went on I found myself simply skimming the page。 I do believe it has the potential to educate and help people understand both the views of others and their own， however any reader would have to be strong-willed。 It’s a shame， really。 。。。more
Paul Kerr
，
Well trailed look at the impacts of colonialism and the British Empire beyond the recent statue toppling and associated discourse of the roots of modern day Britain。 The hook here is the author’s first hand experiences of what it means to be a British born ethnic minority growing up in Britain。 How the Empire has pervaded every day life is of interest， but more alarming is the blunt way in which it has manifested racism and inequality over the years。 Tough read but worth it。
David Pain
，
Very informative thoughts on how empire has shaped us。
George Fryer
，
Everyone should fill the gaping void left by the school curriculum and our inadequate politicians by reading Sathnam Sanghera’s Empireland。 It’s a thought-provoking， head-on collision with Britain’s dark history of colonialism， genocide， the slave trade and more。 An important read。
Jill Nitsche
，
Fascinating and infuriating how little we acknowledge the reprehensible actions taken in the name of ‘empire’。
MarmottanReads
，
Brilliant look at Empire in an accessible， well-narrated non-academic way。 Clearly lots of research went into this book， but as well as the broad sweep of the British Empire Sanghera pulls out the smaller anecdotes that really bring it to life。 Recommended。
A Need to Read
，
It’s probably about time Britain faced up to its dark past and made education on the empire a key part of schooling。 I’ve never been exposed to this kind of information which highlights the bias in the British school system。
Charles Shires
，
Avoids the tribalism of the modern day culture wars and approaches the topic of empire with nuance and balance。 The final chapter bows out with optimism for the future and shows how the country， albeit slowly， is starting to have the conversations needed to acknowledge the history of empire and slavery that has been buried for the last few decades in the UK。
Jacob Davies
，
An eye opening and moving read on the British Empire and how the UK has failed come to terms with its imperial past， as well as the baleful legacies of the Empire。 Sanghera examines a number of areas from museums to politics， taking a nuanced approach rather than a ‘good or bad’ perspective。 The book is important in that it challenges the many myths about the Empire & the way in which its many crimes have been （accidentally or intentionally） forgotten。 It’s also very well researched， citing nume An eye opening and moving read on the British Empire and how the UK has failed come to terms with its imperial past， as well as the baleful legacies of the Empire。 Sanghera examines a number of areas from museums to politics， taking a nuanced approach rather than a ‘good or bad’ perspective。 The book is important in that it challenges the many myths about the Empire & the way in which its many crimes have been （accidentally or intentionally） forgotten。 It’s also very well researched， citing numerous other authors， historians and academics。 Despite some harrowing examples of the racism of the Empire， especially the treatment of slaves and the Tasmanian people， the book ends on a positive note- the way we remember the past can change for the better， and in many other nations has done。 Recommended even if you don’t read many history books。 。。。more
Sam
，
It quickly engages， but tries to cover far too many things in too few words， so in the end it feels more like a prologue to another， unfortunately non existing， work。
Mythili
，
This is a good book。 But I was the wrong reader for this book—I don’t particularly need convincing that the British empire was a less than uniformly great thing。 And while there are many interesting factoids scattered throughout and the whole book was very conversational and engaging and well-researched， I would have liked something more structured and methodical。 His freewheeling style—though entertaining！ and well-executed！—just wasn’t doing much for me。 And while I was gratified to see the bo This is a good book。 But I was the wrong reader for this book—I don’t particularly need convincing that the British empire was a less than uniformly great thing。 And while there are many interesting factoids scattered throughout and the whole book was very conversational and engaging and well-researched， I would have liked something more structured and methodical。 His freewheeling style—though entertaining！ and well-executed！—just wasn’t doing much for me。 And while I was gratified to see the book cite things like Fintan O’Toole’s Heroic Failure or William Dalrymple’s book on the East India Company or James Wood’s essay on Eton （because I really liked those things！） I didn’t particularly gain anything new from their synopsis。 I suppose there’s also the problem of a book being so timely that by the time it’s published it’s out of date？ It seems to me the conversation around empire has shifted a fair bit in the UK in the last 6-8 months 。。。 。。。more
Seyed
，
This is a necessary book and has lots of interesting details but I struggled to appreciate it as much as perhaps others would。 It is excellent at highlighting the way Britain's have ignored the deep roots of Empire。 It was rich in examples of how different cultural aspects have formed together to form modern British identity。 It was not shy about noting the evils done by the British Empire nor the contributions that the subjects of Empire have made to Britain。 A lot of the debates around multicu This is a necessary book and has lots of interesting details but I struggled to appreciate it as much as perhaps others would。 It is excellent at highlighting the way Britain's have ignored the deep roots of Empire。 It was rich in examples of how different cultural aspects have formed together to form modern British identity。 It was not shy about noting the evils done by the British Empire nor the contributions that the subjects of Empire have made to Britain。 A lot of the debates around multiculturalism， decolonisation and Britain's relationship with the rest of the world were made transparent。However， in the end the journalistic / polemical style was a little overbearing。 I felt I had got the most I could out of it by about chapter 7。 By which point， I could not bear much more and had to stop reading。 I think this is a book that is rich in information but unpersuasive to the unpersuaded。 Which is a shame。 I don't think the people who don't already have the author's sense of Britain's Imperial past are going to pick it up or get very far through it。 Alas， worse for them and worse for me too for not being able to finish it to the end。 But a more persuasive book in this genre would be welcome。 。。。more
Mrs Mary
，
This is an extremely well researched and well written book and really does reveal how little of this aspect of British history is not taught in British schools。 This needs to be addressed and Sathnam makes a good case for this。 Some parts are really difficult to read because of the events and attitudes。
Mark
，