What do you think?
Rate this book
Stuff the British Stole
In the days of the British Empire, things were taken that probably shouldn’t have been. So how come they’re still in museums, galleries and some much stranger places?
There are eight million objects in the British Museum alone. A number of them were stolen in wildly dodgy ways – a very big number. A chance encounter with one of them (a mechanical tiger/music box that mauls a soldier when you turn a handle) prompted journalist Marc Fennell to ‘What is that? And how the hell did it get here?’
The answer was so gloriously weird that it sent Fennell on a globetrotting adventure, investigating the most audacious criminal enterprise in history – the British Empire.
With wit, empathy and unflinching honesty, Stuff the British Stole reveals the true stories behind remarkable objects in the world’s most celebrated museums. These artifacts tell the stories of power, resistance and survival that have shaped our modern world.
Travelling from the pyramids of Egypt to the beaches where Captain Cook first landed, from Tuscan marble quarries to Kenyan torture chambers, Fennell uncovers the uncomfortable truths hidden behind the plaques. The human stories museums would rather we didn’t talk about.
Part travelogue, part true crime, part reckoning with history, this is a book about how the hell we got here.
There are eight million objects in the British Museum alone. A number of them were stolen in wildly dodgy ways – a very big number. A chance encounter with one of them (a mechanical tiger/music box that mauls a soldier when you turn a handle) prompted journalist Marc Fennell to ‘What is that? And how the hell did it get here?’
The answer was so gloriously weird that it sent Fennell on a globetrotting adventure, investigating the most audacious criminal enterprise in history – the British Empire.
With wit, empathy and unflinching honesty, Stuff the British Stole reveals the true stories behind remarkable objects in the world’s most celebrated museums. These artifacts tell the stories of power, resistance and survival that have shaped our modern world.
Travelling from the pyramids of Egypt to the beaches where Captain Cook first landed, from Tuscan marble quarries to Kenyan torture chambers, Fennell uncovers the uncomfortable truths hidden behind the plaques. The human stories museums would rather we didn’t talk about.
Part travelogue, part true crime, part reckoning with history, this is a book about how the hell we got here.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 23, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 1, 2026
I just can’t believe how much stuff the British stole!
June 28, 2026
Fennell is, as ever, an engaging storyteller, tracing 10 stories of how British colonisation has impacted the people, places and objects of the world.
If you've listened to the podcast or watched the TV show of the same name, there's nothing new here. However, if you're new to Fennell's work or prefer books, then this is a great place to start.
If you've listened to the podcast or watched the TV show of the same name, there's nothing new here. However, if you're new to Fennell's work or prefer books, then this is a great place to start.
Read
July 5, 2026Fantastic book, informative yet entertaining:)
Enjoyed the sensitivity that Marc Fennell approaches topics, especially Indigenous objects that were stolen.
Not a fan of the British government and authorities before reading the book my loathing for them has increased.
Enjoyed the sensitivity that Marc Fennell approaches topics, especially Indigenous objects that were stolen.
Not a fan of the British government and authorities before reading the book my loathing for them has increased.
July 2, 2026
This was so much fun, while being both nuanced and highly informative. It is the perfect holiday read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews