The Brutish Empire

It's no secret that Britain achieved its empire through forceful, and often brutal, methods. Many nations are still grappling with the dark legacy of colonisation. Des Ekin lays out some of the worst atrocities perpetrated by the British and explores the justifications used for such violent actions. 

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From the horrendous massacre at Amritsar to the slaughter of the native population in the Zulu Wars, master chronicler Des Ekin takes us on an eye-opening journey through the modus operandi of the British Empire. He tells of the killing of the entire population of Tasmania, often for sport; the Famine in Ireland, now widely recognised as genocide; the deliberate infection of Native Americans with smallpox; the Opium Wars, in which the Chinese were forced to accept the trade in Indian opium, which destroyed millions of lives; concentration camps in Kenya; and on and on … The Empire on which the sun never set was truly a force of darkness all across the world.



And why did they commit all of these horrors? Ekin explores the pseudo-science of eugenics and theories of ‘martial races’ and religious destiny, all ways of dehumanising other people and rationalising their abuse, exploitation and slaughter.



Ekin wears his thorough research very lightly, and these tales of depravity and blood lust are told with a remarkable lightness of touch and welcome dashes of humour.