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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
A necessary book to read. It has its critics but you need to read Indian perspectives of this history to keep getting to grips with the historiographical landscape. At some points Tharoor is very heavy handed but then again that's exactly what the British were in India.
medium-paced
⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Informative but not especially engaging
Inglorious Empire is a very informative look at the economic, social, and cultural costs of British colonial rule in India. Shashi Tharoor presents his case with conviction and plenty of historical detail, making it clear just how devastating imperialism was for the subcontinent.
However, while the content is important, the delivery wasn’t always engaging. Certain sections felt repetitive, and at times it read more like a speech than a balanced historical narrative. Still, it’s a valuable read for anyone interested in learning more about this period of history, even if it’s not the most captivating in style.
An excellent analysis of all the evidence on how Britain utterly looted and ravaged a once rich and prosperous region. It was infuriating to read the smug and condescending writings of colonial era officials who genuinely believed that India existed for the British to loot. It is crucial that today's Britons and Indians aren't allowed to forget the atrocities of the past and it's legacies in the present.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Crash course w brytyjskim kolonializmie w Indiach. Ciekawa, sprawnie napisana i emocjonalna we wszystkich właściwych momentach opowieść o wyzysku, rasizmie i przemocy, które jednak jest w stanie uciec od faktu, że została napisana przez polityka.
Najlepszy cytat: „Nad Imperium brytyjskim nigdy nie zachodziło słońce, ponieważ w ciemności nawet Bóg nie mógł ufać Anglikom”.
Najlepszy cytat: „Nad Imperium brytyjskim nigdy nie zachodziło słońce, ponieważ w ciemności nawet Bóg nie mógł ufać Anglikom”.
informative
sad
Very informative although quite a dry read with a lot of information. Incredibly valuable book though
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
An astounding summary of all the ways the British are still wrong about colonialism. All in a short, easy to read, and incredibly well argued book. Literally every British student should read it.
My only reduction of a miniscule point is due to Tharoor's habit of proclaiming what would have happened to India without British imperialism running amok. It's odd this kept happening throughout the book given he himself admits at one point that it's impossible to know what would have happened in any place if circumstances would have been different. The parallels to Japan, China, and other Asian countries that were also hit by western imperialism and colonialism is telling in that all those countries were also affected by the same impulses, albeit in different manners. There is no part of the world not still grappling with European colonialism in one way, shape, or form, and the idea that India could have avoided its impacts entirely and come out as a major economic power is impossible to support. Although I do get the desire to imagine this "what if" scenario, almost any such scenario would have inevitably resulted in some other European power also committing its own brand of imperial spite on the Indian people.
Still, to understand the unique flavour of British colonialism, there is no better place to look than India, and no better primer than this book.
My only reduction of a miniscule point is due to Tharoor's habit of proclaiming what would have happened to India without British imperialism running amok. It's odd this kept happening throughout the book given he himself admits at one point that it's impossible to know what would have happened in any place if circumstances would have been different. The parallels to Japan, China, and other Asian countries that were also hit by western imperialism and colonialism is telling in that all those countries were also affected by the same impulses, albeit in different manners. There is no part of the world not still grappling with European colonialism in one way, shape, or form, and the idea that India could have avoided its impacts entirely and come out as a major economic power is impossible to support. Although I do get the desire to imagine this "what if" scenario, almost any such scenario would have inevitably resulted in some other European power also committing its own brand of imperial spite on the Indian people.
Still, to understand the unique flavour of British colonialism, there is no better place to look than India, and no better primer than this book.
funny
informative
sad
fast-paced
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
“History belongs in the past but understanding it is the duty of the present.” - Shashi Tharoor
This book totally dispels the myths of benevolence of the British Empire. An essential read.
This book totally dispels the myths of benevolence of the British Empire. An essential read.
informative
medium-paced