EMPIRELAND, how imperialism has shaped modern Britain

339pp., paperback, New Updated Edition, London, (2021) 2021

"An absorbing, sober and witty reflection on the ways in which its imperial past has shaped so much of modern British life ... meticulously researched ... indispensable." Sudhir Hazareesingh, author of Black Spartacus, for the Observer

"Empireland takes a perfectly-judged approach to its contentious but necessary subject" Jonathan Coe, author of Middle England

"This remarkable book shines the brightest of lights into some of the darkest and most misunderstood corners of our shared history. As urgent as it is illuminating, Sanghera drives a coach and horses through the ludicrous but increasingly popular notion that wanting a proper public understanding of all aspects of British and Imperial history is somehow unpatriotic or 'anti-British'. A quite beautiful writer, with a deep personal investment in the subject matter, his meticulous research and passionate advocacy combine to create an irresistible case for reviewing much of what we think we know about the reality and legacy of the British Empire" James O'Brien, radio presenter for talk station LBC

Sathnam Sanghera was born to Punjabi immigrant parents in Wolverhampton in 1976. He entered the education system unable to speak English and graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge, with a first class degree in English Language and Literature in 1998. He has been shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards twice, for his memoir The Boy With The Topknot and his novel Marriage Material. He has won numerous prizes for his journalism at The Financial Times and The Times, including Young Journalist of the Year in 2002 and Media Commentator of the Year in 2015. He lives in London.