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We Need to Talk About the British Empire

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We Need to Talk About the British Empire

By: Afua Hirsch
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About this listen

Making sense of the British Empire's legacy... through the stories of people who lived through it.

Through six intimate conversations with a new generation of writers and historians - journalist Afua Hirsch tries to break through old cliches, and unpick the true legacy of this complicated and difficult inheritance.

She speaks to leading figures in British culture today - from poet Benjamin Zephaniah to actress Diana Rigg, broadcaster Anita Rani to novelist Nadifa Mohamed - discovering vivid family stories of the people who made the Empire what it was. And she hears how its ripples continue to shape our lives, and sense of collective identity today: our attitudes and cultural values, the multicultural, multiracial population of the British Isles today, and the relationships that Britain has with other parts of the world.

A Somethin’ Else Production.

This is an Audible Original Podcast. Free for members. You can download all 6 episodes to your Library now.

©2019 Audible, Ltd. (P)2019 Audible, Ltd. Colonialism & Post-Colonialism Europe Great Britain Politics & Government World
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I was very reluctant to listen to this book. Thinking it’s just a new fad, new trend of trashing history, judging it on today’s standards. I’m a British Indian and great admirer of the British legacy in India - rail system, educational institutes, hospitals, religious freedom etc. But this book a great eye opener. Excellently done. Not overlooking the good of it, but giving the other side of it too. The chapters on India, West African slave trade, Somalia, Caribbean story (Benjamin Zephaniah) particularly breathtaking. Bravo Afua Hirsch. Bravo Audible.

New lessons for a hardcore empire admirer

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Like many I am quite naive when it comes to the full storey behind the British Empire. Hearing this side is helping to fill a huge gap. A gap that it is being filled by the different ethnic groups that made up the empire.

Really enjoying the way this is being narrated and then also the actual accounts from ancestors of people from those times.

Great job on this!!

Very Very Interesting!! Not been able to stop listening.

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I find this subject fascinating and believe that it is essential to know about the Empire and the consequences of Empire that surround us in our everyday lives.

I am enlightened to listen to the stories of the speakers. This is something that when my daughter becomes old enough to understand, it is essential for her to listen to.

Excellent listening

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As someone looking to form a more informed and considered opinion of the British Empire I found this very valuable. The overall frame of the series is 'empire was bad' but I felt the summary at the end captured it well in that it's far too vast an complex a thing to simplify into 'good' or 'bad'. The interviewees offered a really interesting range of viewpoints on it's impact which I'll need to think about. From memory the episodes were: 1. India under empire 2. Somalia under empire 3. Slavery 4. Opportunities afforded by the empire to the British. 5. Jamaica, the Windrush, UK racial tensions 6. Hong Kong For anyone interested in a pro-empire book to compare and contrast with this I recommend Niall Ferguson's 'Empire'. Overall good production value and informed interviews, worth a listen, but don't expect pro-empire arguments to get much attention.

Informative, one sided

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Such a great look at the empire and the challenges it left in its wake, some good some bad. It’s a honest look back with some great presenters.

Insightful

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