Stolen History: The truth about the British Empire and how it shaped us

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Stolen History talks about the British Empire but in easy-to-understand language. Difficult terms are explained and there are plenty of child-friendly analogies and illustrations. It discusses all the ways that you can still see aspects of this institution in the ways we speak, act and think.

Stolen History: The Truth About the British Empire and How It Stolen History: The Truth About the British Empire and How It

Before becoming a writer, Sanghera worked at a burger chain, a hospital laundry, a market research firm, a sewing factory and a literacy project in New York. [3] As a student he worked at the Express and Star in Wolverhampton and dressed up as a " news bunny" for L!VE TV. [6] Between 1998 and 2006 he was a reporter and feature writer for the Financial Times. [3] The Lorax by Dr Seuss. “I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.” Written in 1971, it’s still relevant and revolutionary, and is one of the best books about the environment ever written. I remember feeling spellbound by it as a child: the lyricism and rhythm flow magnificently, carrying you inexorably through the story. It’s almost like an incantation. It achieves meaning and message with humour, heart and genius simplicity: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, / Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” It’s made me cry, but it’s also joyful. The Lorax is a call to action I heard as a child that’s echoed into adulthood. He was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters for services to journalism by The University of Wolverhampton in September 2009 and a President’s Medal by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2010, while GQ Magazine named him as one of “The Men of Next 25 years” in 2013, with writer Jonathan Coe saying that “whether he’s writing autobiography or fiction, Sathnam is busy carving out his own literary niche – in the multicultural British Midlands – which he explores with incredible grace, generosity and humour”. One of the most underwritten parts of history is the colonisation of Asia, and its legacy. Lust, Caution, the 1979 novella by Eileen Chang, about a group of Chinese students who plot to assassinate a wartime collaborator of the invading Japanese during the second world war, shows us this moment in history, and the terrible grey areas that emerge in these times. Understanding this history is important – it’s the only way we learn how not to repeat it. But the book is also a masterclass in writing the duality of human beings. To me, changing the world starts with knowing the world. Lust, Caution taught me a little bit more about the world, and about people. He has won numerous prizes for his journalism, including Article of the Year in the 2005 Management Today Writing Awards, Newspaper Feature of the Year in the 2005 Workworld Media Awards, HR Journalist of the Year in the 2006 and 2009 Watson Wyatt Awards for Excellence and the accolade of Young Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards in 2002.If, in the past, much of the thinking about empire was blinkered and jingoistic, these days it is often lacerating. British imperialism is identified as the source not only of militarism and hooliganism, but of the irresponsibility of high finance and much besides. In contrast to such polemics, Sathnam Sanghera’s new book is nuanced, intelligent and even entertaining. It is also refreshingly honest… As well as chronicling the familiar sins of empire, particularly in India, the author gives a fair hearing to those who emphasise the more positive aspects of imperial rule… [an] excellent book.” This is a great summary for children of what the British Empire was and the impact it has had on Britain today. It was really thorough and interesting, with lots of interesting information that would really engage young people and it was presented in a particularly engaging way. It came across as a very balanced and fair account, explaining that we cannot change the past but it is our job to learn more about it and take that into account with what we do. O'Hara, Mary (19 August 2009). "Interview: Sathnam Sanghera, author of a candid memoir about mental illness". The Guardian . Retrieved 5 November 2017.

Stolen History by Sathnam Sanghera | Waterstones

The British Empire has a long history. How you describe that history might depend on who you are, how it perhaps had an impact on your family history, your place and role in the world. What cannot be denied is that it is a part of our history. A part of world history. I am not one who judges the people and actions of the past by our own standards and expectations. I am not afraid to say that whilst I may not condone all the actions of those in the past, I try to understand why they did what they did, with the knowledge and experiences that they had. It’s a different kind of book: straight history, no memoir, a scholarly rather than a journalistic argument. Yet it’s propelled by a similar, urgent frustration with the amnesiac myths of Britain’s supposedly glorious imperial heritage.

Millions of others fought for Britain – in the second world war alone, 200,000 Indian soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured while serving in allied campaigns. More than 10% of the UK’s current population (including a staggering 44% of the NHS’s medical staff) is non-white. All this is because for centuries white Britons colonised nations all over the world – proclaiming their intimate, familial allegiance while invading, occupying, plundering, humiliating and killing their peoples on a massive scale – to benefit British wealth and self-esteem. We are here because you were there.

Stolen History by Sathnam Sanghera (9780241623435/Paperback Stolen History by Sathnam Sanghera (9780241623435/Paperback

What are the other differences between writing a book for adults and one for children? Stolen History was more heavily edited, a process he enjoyed. And this was the first time he had worked with an illustrator—Jen Khatun, who is of Bangladeshi/Indian heritage.Writing the book was a “long process” and 80% covers topics that didn’t feature in Empireland, says Sanghera. An entire chapter on economics, which took up four months of the author’s life, didn’t even make it into the final version. I've resisted suggestions that I write a kids' book on empire on the grounds that I didn't want to sanitise the history. But I think I've found a tone that allows me to be both honest and entertaining. I'm really excited that kids might soon have access to knowledge about the British Empire that I only stumbled across at the age of 45. Becoming at ease with this history is essential to Britain becoming a saner country. - Sathnam Sanghera About This Edition ISBN: Empireland is clever, extremely thoughtful and surprisingly understanding even towards the kind of people whose attitudes Sanghera condemns. His explanation of British racism is full of insight and pretty much unanswerable. This book should be on the compulsory reading list of every secondary school in the country, because it explains modern Britain in ways that no other writer can. I think it is an essential element in the essential effort to come to terms, finally, with Britain’s colonial past — and move on. It was also very enjoyable to read. I can’t praise it highly enough.” It does that. I learned about the meaning of the Scouts 'dyb dyb dyb', about persons in history I'd never heard of (Charles Sancho), a life size statues of a Prince of Wales on a horse - made out of butter! In an educational sense I love the case studies throughout. They aren’t too overwhelming and constantly link to the issue at hand (Wembley Stadium and it’s Empire exhibition in 1925).

Stolen History - Penguin Books UK Stolen History - Penguin Books UK

He switched to writing a history of empire and during that process the murder of George Floyd happened. People were suddenly very interested in systemic racism and colonialism and Sanghera found he was writing a very timely book.It will explore how Britain's empire once made it the most powerful nation on earth, and how it still affects our lives in many ways today - from the words we use, to the food we eat, the sports we play and even to every grown-up's fixation with a good cup of tea. Because how can we ever make the world a kinder, better place for the future, if we don't know the truth about the past?"I've resisted suggestions that I write a kids' book on empire on the grounds that I didn't want to sanitise the history. In November 2021, his Channel 4 documentary series about race, Empire State of Mind, got a four star review in The Guardian from Chitra Ramaswamy. [10] Personal life [ edit ]