Imperial Island: A History of Empire in Modern Britain

by Charlotte Lydia Riley

Imperial Island shows how the end of empire and its ever-present aftermath have divided and defined Britain over the last seventy years.

'Masterful ... you won't look at Britain in the same way ever again' OWEN JONES
'Incisive, important, and incredibly timely' CAROLINE ELKINS
'An eye-opening study of the empire within' SHASHI THAROOR
'Clear, bold, refreshing' LUCY WORSLEY
'A thought-provoking delight that absolutely everyone should read' STEPHEN BUSH
'Immaculately detailed and impeccably researched' HELEN CARR

After the Second World War, Britain's overseas empire disintegrated. As white settlers from Rhodesia returned home to a country they barely recognised, Commonwealth citizens from Asia and the Caribbean migrated to a motherland that often refused to recognise them. Race riots erupted in Liverpool and Notting Hill even as communities lived and loved across the colour line. In the 1950s and 60s, imperial violence came home too, pervading the policing of immigrant communities, including their sex lives. In the decade that followed, a surge of support for the far-right inspired an invigorated anti-racist movement.
These tensions, and the imperial mindset that birthed them, have dominated Britain's relationship with itself and the world ever from the jingoism of the Falklands War to the simplistic moral equation of Band Aid, from the rise of the gap year abroad to the invasion of Iraq. Most recently, in the tragedy of Stephen Lawrence and the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, we see how Britain's contradictory relationship with its past has undermined its self-image as a multicultural nation, helping explain the Windrush deportations and Brexit.
Drawing on a mass of new research, from personal letters to pop culture, Imperial Island tells a story of immigration and fractured identity, of social strife and communal solidarity, of people on the move and of a people wrestling with their past. It is the story that best explains Britain today.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, London, British Literature

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2023

Reviews

[Amy Carver · Rating 4 out of 5]

First half was five stars. Retracing some established narratives in a much needed localised and domestic context. Refreshing to see evidence used in more conventional historiography used in this way. Currently reading Edgerton’s ‘Rise and Fall of the British Nation’ and it’s been beneficial to see how similar evidence is utilised to emphasise a different (albeit still connected) point. Also literally was finishing it as Newsnight was covering the Chagos islands, which features in the last chapter. Well researched and written! Highly recommend!

[Garret Giblin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Where we’re going we don’t need Rhodes” - excellent title for the concluding chapter

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

There seems to be a common consensus now around the idea that Empire was 'not a good thing' for those colonised. But what this book does is really show the effect of the Empire and its legacy on Britain and British identity. The material in the earlier chapters was familiar, but the final chapters show the effect Empire continued to have through the 1990s to the present day, even after the Empire was effectively over. It's shocking and thought provoking, but what I loved was that it was so READABLE, unlike many History books, even by authors I love. It was just the right length, full of interesting source materials and anecdotes that kept it pacey.

[History Today]

Imperial Island is a more sure-footed history of Britain and its empire. The familiar national story from the people’s war of 1939-45 through to Brexit in 2016 and beyond is retold with the legacies of colonialism and racism front and centre. Other scholars have pioneered this approach, notably Paul Gilroy (whose mother Beryl features in Imperial Island) in his seminal There Ain’t No Black in the Union Jack (1987). However, few have pursued the theme with as much gusto as Riley. Starting with the Second World War, she argues that neither Britain’s ‘finest hour’ nor the new welfare state that followed could have been achieved without the contributions of the Commonwealth. She restores the politics of race to the social history of the so-called era of ‘consensus’ from the 1950s to the 1980s. A key argument here is how the ‘winds of change’ of decolonisation unleashed not only a right-wing backlash against immigration, fuelled by Enoch Powell and culminating in the death of Blair Peach at an Anti-Nazi League rally in 1979, but also led to a revival of liberal humanitarianism, from the launch of VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) in 1958 through to Live Aid in 1985. Once Riley reaches the era of Margaret Thatcher and New Labour the pace quickens but some of the verve is lost. Geopolitical developments such as the wars in the Falklands and Iraq, and the end of apartheid in South Africa, merge with events closer to home, examples of which include the publication of Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses, the murder of Stephen Lawrence, the introduction of ‘Life in the UK’ citizenship tests in 2002, the 2012 Olympics and much else. As the author scrolls through so many disparate news stories, it becomes harder to see how empire is the connecting thread. And the reader also loses sight of the ‘ordinary people’ whose experience of empire enlivens the earlier chapters. A multi-cultural history of ‘the British people’ ends up focused almost exclusively on London, and has nothing to say about the links between Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and empire. In trying to cover so much, Imperial Island inevitably lacks the depth demanded to make its case a compelling one.

Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com

Miles Taylor is Professor of British History and Society at Humboldt University of Berlin.

[Phoebe S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, given the introduction, thought this was going to take a different approach to history than it did. It's more a survey of history given its length, so I feel the bottom-up "people's history" approach is sacrificed a bit for the sake of brevity. That being said, it's meticulously sourced and does the best it can with its scope. Juxtaposing the very large (colonialism) with the very small (the Notting Hill neighborhood of London) is no easy feat, and though I think sometimes Riley contextualizes and hand-holds too much, she mostly manages to paint a picture of British people wrestling with their imperial legacy

I sort of got into this via some discourse on Bluesky and I'm quite happy to report that the very things Riley was criticized for there are things she notes in the book- namely that migration from the Commonwealth to the UK was a symptom of empire itself and not all migrants would have moved given the choice. Aside from the Introduction and Conclusion sections, Riley's voice can sound a bit like an on-its-face neutral New York Times article, though she jumps in with wry asides occasionally. Quite honestly, I'm not sure how much I like that approach, as I feel it elides the fact that she's defending her thesis.

Nevertheless, she strongly defends her thesis, taking the reader on a long and in-depth journey that incorporates references to multiple modes of media (I learned what dub poetry is through reading this!), neighborhood organizations fighting for justice, and citizens of the Empire and Commonwealth who found that their supposed mother country was ambivalent at best towards them. A narrative both of some progress and frustrating lack of examination of an imperial past, it is well worth a read, even by those not from Britain or former British colonies.

[Tim Briedis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperial Island is a beautifully written and engaging book. Riley combines telling historical detail with penetrating analysis.

Highlights include the struggle against racism in football, including an an anti-racist fanzine dubbed United Colours of Football. The murders of Stephen Lawrence and New Zealand born teacher Blair Peach are treated well, drawing out the problem of police racism. A lengthy section on the anti apartheid movement highlights the strength and vitality of this campaign. The struggles of the West Indian community to live dignified lives is articulated compellingly.

Above all the book demonstrates that empire wasn’t just long ago and far away. Imperial legacies have persisted in Britain to this day. An excellent read.

[Simon J Alvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a serious and interesting attempt to put the role of Britain as an imperial power at the heart of its modern domestic history. Particularly strong on the country's anti-racist movements (and its racist ones tbh) and the cultural impact of empire on this country it really offers a new perspective on our domestic history.

[Andrew Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent synthesis of the recent wave of writing on the experiences of people of colour in modern British history, combined with astute analysis of imperal ideology and its discontents. Some illuminating biographical sketches included among the broader discussions of events, policies and trends. In the tradition of 'Insurgent Empire' but more accessibly written for the general reader.

[Stuart Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite timely reading this whilst the Farage riots were going on in Britain. A detailed look at how Empire affected Britain, not just how Britain affected the Empire. Well researched and argued, this is an exemplary modern history book.

[Katie Player · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Learnt some things I didn’t know and gave me context for growing up in Britain, and my family. Recommend this highly.

[Chelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Maura Cardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for understanding the impact of empire on Britain in the 20th and 21st centuries. It should be made into a TV series to reach a wider audience. Very well researched and written.

[Martin C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our imperial treatment in the empire has too often followed us home. A very interesting book.

[Lambfield892 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened on audio. Wished the author covered the Troubles even just a little bit but this was very good.

[alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO SO AMAZING ! everything was so clearly explained ahhh

[Manic Booksy Dreamgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read, really enjoyed this.

[Trev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found it a bit superficial tbh; journalism rather than history. Preferred ‘Empireland’ on the same subject.

[Hannah Harazawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unmemorable