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Empireland : how imperialism has shaped modern Britain / Sathnam Sanghera ; foreword by Marlon James.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Pantheon Books, [2023]Copyright date: ©2023Edition: First American editionDescription: xxviii, 345 pages ; 25 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780593316672
  • 0593316673
Subject(s):
Contents:
A note to the American reader -- Empire Day 2.0 -- Imperialism and me -- Difficult history -- Emotional loot -- We are here because you were there -- Home and away -- World-beating politics -- Dirty money -- The origins of our racism -- Empire state of mind -- Selective amnesia -- Working off the past -- Q&A with Sathnam Sanghera.
Summary: "In this brilliantly illuminating work exploring the realities and legacies of empire, Sathnam Sanghera demonstrates how so much of what we consider to be modern Britain is actually rooted in its imperial past. In prose that is at once both clear-eyed and full of acerbic wit, Sanghera shows how the past is everywhere in the United Kingdom, also drawing critical links to similarities in the United States and around the world. Empire--British or otherwise--informs nearly everything, from common thought processes to the routines that shape everyday life, from the foundation of the National Health Service (NHS), to the nature of racism in the UK, from the British 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--all while empire is a subject shockingly obscured from view. Revelatory and lucid, Sanghera suggests that cultivating a new, more honest relationship to the past is essential in moving forward"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 941 S225 Available 33111010969158
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

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.

"Originally published in hardcover in Great Britain by Viking, ... London, in 2021"--Title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-320) and index.

A note to the American reader -- Empire Day 2.0 -- Imperialism and me -- Difficult history -- Emotional loot -- We are here because you were there -- Home and away -- World-beating politics -- Dirty money -- The origins of our racism -- Empire state of mind -- Selective amnesia -- Working off the past -- Q&A with Sathnam Sanghera.

"In this brilliantly illuminating work exploring the realities and legacies of empire, Sathnam Sanghera demonstrates how so much of what we consider to be modern Britain is actually rooted in its imperial past. In prose that is at once both clear-eyed and full of acerbic wit, Sanghera shows how the past is everywhere in the United Kingdom, also drawing critical links to similarities in the United States and around the world. Empire--British or otherwise--informs nearly everything, from common thought processes to the routines that shape everyday life, from the foundation of the National Health Service (NHS), to the nature of racism in the UK, from the British 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--all while empire is a subject shockingly obscured from view. Revelatory and lucid, Sanghera suggests that cultivating a new, more honest relationship to the past is essential in moving forward"-- Provided by publisher.

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