Enjoyable

An interesting overview of the history of the British empire. I thoroughly enjoyed this and thought it was well read.

Two small criticisms:
1. I did feel the overall structure could have been improved slightly and timelines jumped about a bit though appreciate it's difficult to stick to chronological or geographical structure given the vastness of the topic.
2. There was an undercurrent of the need to justify British Colonialism as being 'not too bad' or 'not as bad as other colonial powers rule'. I don't think this was entirely necessary and slightly undermined the impartiality of the analysis.

Overall I would recommend the book and on the whole it was well balanced and insightful.

9 people found this helpful

Imperialistic propaganda

While the overall historical narrative is well told the book is also is an attempt to justify British imperialism. Because of this the overall tone is muddled due to, for example, in one chapter the author describes the use of concentration camps in the Boer War then in the next chapter claims the British empire to be the most liberal and free empire in history. This tone of British exceptionalism is made obvious from the introduction where the author all but states this book is going to be an imperial apologia that brushes any imperial wrong under the carpet and any decent from the rule of the British (after the American War of Independence) was only carried out by disloyal, unsophisticated and ungrateful natives. Overall I wouldn't recommend as a history because of obvious political leanings.

Also at one point he seems to essentially call the majority of men pedophiles.

8 people found this helpful

Makes you think

Mr Ferguson always makes me think and has done much to alter my view of history. This is, in general, another excellent book.
I would say that he takes a very macro view of the benefits of empire. Not unrealistic but viewed from a safe distance.
I would also add that I feel he falls into the trap of condemning Ireland for not fighting on the allied side in Ww2. Ireland was a tiny, impoverished nation that had, less than 20 years previously, finally won its freedom from its ancient enemy ie Britain. No government could have asked its citizens to fight for Britain without risking a descent into another bloody civil war.
He further fails to mention how Irelands neutrality was very strongly inclined towards Britain.
On the whole though this is a superb book and leaves you thinking about the world from a different perspective. I enjoyed it immensely.

21 people found this helpful

Only half the story

This book is interesting to listen to, if you want to know the romanticised version of imperialism, but falls short as a balanced account of what actually happened. Given that British imperialism, not to discount its positive aspects or how it shaped the modern world, also includes some of the darkest chapters of human history and many nations history (e.g. African slavery, the opium trade and humiliation of China, the destruction of the Indian economy and subsequent impoverishment), I think more ink should have been devoted to this side and how those who were conquered view this period of our shared history. These aspects have been "glossed over" in the book.

I think this is a failure of British society in general and is probably the norm for we romantise the Romans or worse the Japanese who promote the view that their imperialism was about liberating Asia from Europeans.

The UK has a problem with this part of its history and from this book you won't understand the often deep resentment and grievance towards British imperialism that lingers into the modern world from those who we conquered and often treated as animals, or why, post Brexit, they weren't waiting for us with open arms as the establishment told us they would.

While it is important to engage with this history, which this book does, I think it does so in quite the wrong way by leaving so much of the troubling part of the narrative out. There are better accounts of the Empire to read if you want to know what actually happened, to everyone involved in it.

2 people found this helpful

Empire -

loved the history but disliked the conclusions too poltical. Its great that one book covers our heritage so well

2 people found this helpful

Enthralling book and has great relevance today

What did you like most about Empire?

Providing a very balanced and dispassionate view of the British Empire throughout under pined with key economic data to back it up. This data is used to dispel many of the popular and politically correct myths about the the Empire that prevail and raises questions of the modern world order.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Empire?

There are many but one that you keep being reminded of is how the empire that ruled over a quarter of the world was created and maintained for so long on such limited manpower and resources. Something hard to imagine in today's world

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Keeble’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Film would not do this book justice given the breath and depth of the subject matter

Any additional comments?

If you have an interest in history this is a compelling listen. Hard to put down. Despite all the bad press about the British Empire it does make you feel proud of the many achievements of our ancestors while at the same time being ashamed of some of their behavior too.

8 people found this helpful

A useful overview, but with challenging biases

I enjoyed this book, though take issue with some of the content. The book is most interesting in its first half where it details the early stages of the British Empire, in particular the link between private and public institutions and the early growth of the Empire. The second half is more challanging, and is very much aimed at vindication of the Empire. The slightly contemptuous attitude to the United States and the convenience of ending the book before needed to fully engage with 1960s Africa/decolonisation are two negative elements towards the end. Ferguson does not shy away from the negative aspects of the Empire and highlights the deep injustices of the late 19th century scramble for Africa. However, in conclusion there is a strong sense that the end justifies the means and this was somehow a painful but necessary part of the creation of the modern world. I would certainly recommend the book both for its historical overview, as well as a clear example for those outside (or inside) Britain who want to understand the modern British attachment to the Empire and how traditionalist elements of society would like the Empire to be remembered.

19 people found this helpful

Brilliant!

As a newbie to The Empire I found this book both enjoyable and engaging. Having tried other history narratives I found them difficult to hold the information but the way this is written and narrated kept me listen and learning the whole way through.Highly recommend.

4 people found this helpful

British Empire - Good, Bad, Mad & 🇬🇧

Whilst this book is now a few years old it's still one of the best single volume books for those wanting a take on The Empire that is not purely based on the modern notion that it was always BAD!

1 person found this helpful

Another excellent Jonathan Keeble narration

Jonathan Keeble is one of the finest narrators on Audible and this is another excellent reading by him of an equally engaging and interesting book.

1 person found this helpful