Empire Without End: A New History of Britain and the Caribbean

by Imaobong Umoren

After five long centuries, the roots of colonialism still run deep. This is a powerful new reckoning with Britain’s imperial legacy, its transformative effects on Britain and the Caribbean and its enduring role in systemic racism today. And it is a call for us all to learn from the challenges and failures of history and to play our part in creating a blueprint for the future. We cannot change the past. But we can repair the present.

From the 1500s to the mid-twentieth century, the events that took place in the Caribbean – from conquest, colonisation and capitalism to racial slavery, revolution and migration – and the people who forged them played a seminal role in creating modern Britain and the Anglophone Caribbean. By the 1960s, Western global empires had begun to crumble. Yet the British Empire in the Caribbean did not end. Instead, colonialism was replaced with a new type of power whose impact can still be felt: neo-colonialism.

Empire Without End offers a new interpretation of the British Empire, its enduring entanglement with the Anglophone Caribbean and the longevity of systemic racism. Taking a longer historical perspective starting in the period of European contact with the Caribbean and ending today, Imaobong Umoren looks at the impact and legacies of racial slavery to explore how later linked histories relating to capitalism, class, labour, war, political economy, poverty, gender and culture are crucial to telling the full story. In doing so, she sets out a compelling strategy to define our roles and responsibilities in challenging the legacy of colonialism and hierarchy – a legacy that continues to blight our society and our politics.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature, Audiobook

512 pages, Hardcover

First published June 5, 2025

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores the history and impact of Great Britain’s Caribbean colonization and slavery. I was more interested in the history than I was in the many, many examples of how racism persists. Frankly, if people don’t recognize that by now, they never will. But if you want details, this book is for you.

“…the legacies of hereditary racial slavery not only lingered long after its official end, but have financially implicated millions of people, in this case, indirectly and for many, unknowingly.” Until 2015, Great Britain was still paying off the debt incurred in 1833 to pay reparations to slave owners. So all British taxpayers were paying part of that debt. Including descendants of the formerly enslaved. At the same time, an apprenticeship system was created. The formerly enslaved not only did not get reparations, but as apprentices they were required to work without pay for 45 hours a week. Beyond those hours, they were to receive pay. The apprenticeship period lasted from 4 to 6 years. Some found their treatment even harsher than it was before. irony?

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Miles Row · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reasonably good introduction but not sure what makes it a new history as a lot of stuff I had come across before.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this fascinating new history book about the shared history between Britain, the Caribbean, and the Americas, Imaobong Umoren introduces readers to this complex historical relationship over five centuries (the 16th century to the present day) to redefine the nature of this imperial power structure. Looking at how the Caribbean shaped British social ideas and the racial caste system that still impacts various socioeconomic and political dynamics, the book goes beyond the economic focuses of books about the colonial Caribbean to look at the roles religion, migration, war, protest, and tourism played in both the historical and contemporary narratives. A brilliantly researched and comprehensive analysis of this evolving geographic relationship, readers will love the depth of detail and fascinating argument that Umoren offers. The archival work and various source materials allow readers to really look into the basis of her argument and track its evolution over centuries, and Umoren does a great job integrating her sources into her argument. Well-written, detailed, and informative, this is a brilliant and comprehensive look at Caribbean history and the colonial, imperial, and neocolonial relationship with Great Britain at a variety of levels, and Umoren has done an incredible job creating an informative and accessible narrative for readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the advance copy.

[Jifu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaobong Umoren has crafted a top notch history here. Meatily informative, in-depth, exposes a topic that genuinely has never crossed my mind on my own before - and on top of that, it's also presented in an incredibly readable format. I know that when it comes to writing histories on any topic, it's quite a tightrope act trying to find the fine line being approachable and informative. It's all too easy to end up being too shallow by leaning towards the former, or becoming too dense by leaning too hard into the latter. Umoren however pulls off that balance fantastically - although there was so much to impart, it was all presented so digestibly. I fell into it immediately, and was happily absorbed for most of a weekend.

Empire without End is an all-around great experience for those with any interest in the Caribbean, the British Empire, and most of all, those who just enjoy a great history book.

[Charlotte Lilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading what I did of this book and it's in depth look into the history of the Caribbean and colonialism. There are some first hand accounts of the cruelty done by European colonialists in the book which give a great insight into attitudes towards colonialism that most definitely feedback into attitudes of people today. This book delivers information in a direct manner that helps you to understand and relate current day issues to historical context.

I would recommend this book for any British person who wishes to confront and understand the detailed history of our colonial past and present and understand how these things have morphed but remained within our society. This book is very long and I had to give it back to the library but what I did read was very good!

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book too a lot of time for me. I really needed to be thoughtful in my reading and really digest the information, but I would highly recommend it to anyone. I thought it was especially timely this year with the hurricane devastation to Jamaica; I thought a lot about the state in which British imperialism has left the Caribbean. And while the book is about the Caribbean and Britain, the same legacy left by imperialism and slavery has to be understood to truly comprehend the history and culture of the United States. Again, I highly recommend it to anyone.

[Jonathan Kissam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent history of the British Caribbean that describes not only the ways that the British Empire created what the author calls a “racial-caste system” in its Caribbean colonies, but also the way that system shaped structures of race and class in Britain itself.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very extensive history of the relationship between Britain and the Caribbean, showing how this legacy has affected communities from former British colonies and how it continues to do so in the 21st Century.

[gaverne Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the history we have all been historically waiting for! Read it and learn about the history of the world we all live in.

[Julian Pritchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

New history of hundreds of years of British colonialism and attempts to politically and economically dominate the region, as well as how Caribbean people have shaped British culture.