Stolen History
The truth about the British Empire and how it shaped us
Published on 8. June 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-0-241-62343-5 (ISBN)
Description
An accessible, engaging and essential introduction to the British empire for readers aged 9+, by bestselling author of Empireland, Sathnam Sanghera.
You've probably heard the word 'empire' before. Perhaps because of the Roman empire. Or maybe even the Star Wars films.
But what about the British Empire? Why don't we learn much about this? And what even is an empire, anyway?
This book will answer all the important questions about Britain's imperial history. 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. 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
SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE WEEK
You've probably heard the word 'empire' before. Perhaps because of the Roman empire. Or maybe even the Star Wars films.
But what about the British Empire? Why don't we learn much about this? And what even is an empire, anyway?
This book will answer all the important questions about Britain's imperial history. 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. 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
SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE WEEK
Reviews / Votes
Something that really comes across in the book is Sanghera's faith in young people...to form their own judgements about the British Empire. * The Bookseller * Conversational...with humour that feels ideally pitched to the older children it is aimed at. * The Financial Times * Stolen History is the perfect book for every school. All our young people need to know the truth about the British Empire. This book is accessible, expertly written and hugely important. * Jasbinder Bilan - Award Winning Children's Author * Illuminating * Nigella Lawson * Accessible whilst imparting broad knowledge, appealingly pitched but deeply serious, this historically rigorous book is a must-read for any child who wants to know the basic facts of empire but also to gain an accurate sense of the wide variety of colonial activities which happened during four centuries of British colonial rule. Stolen History will inform a whole generation. Parents should read it too! * Corinne Fowler, Professor of Colonialism and Heritage, University of Leicester * Stolen History is a truly remarkable achievement: an historically accurate, diligently researched and nuanced account of the British Empire that is also gripping for younger readers. I know of no other writer who could have accomplished such a feat. * Professor Alan Lester FRHistS, Professor of Historical Geography and Professor of History, La Trobe University * Sanghera brilliantly demonstrates that history doesn't have to be dumbed down to be made accessible, nor does it need to be sensationalized to seem relevant. Written with integrity and a deep commitment to reveal how the past has shaped our present, the book will make young readers engage with history as more than just entertainment and it will encourage them to ask new questions. * Kim A. Wagner, Professor of Global and Imperial History, School of History Queen Mary, University of London *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Random House Children's UK
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 9 to 12 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
172 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-62343-5 (9780241623435)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2023
Puffin
€8.99
Available for download
Person
Sathnam Sanghera was born to Punjabi immigrant parents in Wolverhampton in 1976. He entered the education system unable to speak English but went on to graduate from Christ's College, Cambridge with a first class degree in English Language and Literature. He has been shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards twice, for his memoir The Boy With The Topknot and his novel Marriage Material. Empireland has been longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, was named a Book of the Year at the National Book Awards of 2022, and inspired both the Channel 4 series Empire State of Mind and Sanghera's children's book about the British empire Stolen History. He lives in London.