Reparations

Reviews / Votes

'A major contribution to the long-running debate on reparations for the British role in slavery and the slave trade; essential reading for all participants' - David Eltis, Professor Emeritus of History, Emory University 'In this compelling and timely book, Nigel Biggar argues that calls for reparations over colonialism or slavery are hollow, rooted in a shallow reading of history, bad faith, and - arguably - political opportunism. Reparations is a strong plea to see Britain's past more clearly and honestly' - Tirthankar Roy, Professor, Economic History, London School of Economics 'I hope Professor Biggar's compelling case against reparations helps move us beyond the illusion that payouts can resolve the challenges facing Black communities - and towards the real work that drives lasting progress' - Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, author of 'My great-grandfather, the Nigerian slave-trader', The New Yorker, 2018 'Reparations is no apology for the reality and brutality of transatlantic slavery, but it exposes the paternalism of a modern guilty conscience that drives the current reparations movement. Biggar is the Bob Marley of Oxford, fighting off the narcissists, who deny the oppressed the agency to see their plight as a creation of modern leaders' - Lord Tony Sewell 'It's the word on the lips, and in the ears, of every institution with colonial money in its past - but, argues Biggar, a theologian and historian, the demands for "reparations" are born of lazy group-think, not serious inquiry. Activists everywhere ought to read this polemic, and start again' - Telegraph Books of the Year Praise for Colonialism:


'A fascinating read, informative, surprising and written with panache and clarity' - The Times


'Carries the intellectual force of a Javeline antitank missile. Colonialism is no apologia for empire... but calls for balance...Biggar acknowledges wickedness in our nation but his version of history calls us to accept the messiness and moral compromises inherent in liberalism' - Sunday Times


'The book on the morality of the British Empire, a kind of Encyclopaedia Pacis Britannicae.... a thoughtful, compelling text' - Sunday Telegraph


'An important, timely and brave book...the first serious counter blast against the hysterical and ahistorical orthodoxy that has placed such a stranglehold on our public discourse on the British Empire, and as such will prove to be an indispensable handbook in the battles to come. It is also exceedingly well written and compellingly argued' - The Critic