Empire

How Britain Made the Modern World

By: Niall Ferguson

Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble

Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Penguin presents the unabridged audiobook edition of Empire by Niall Ferguson, read by Jonathan Keeble.

Once vast swathes of the globe were coloured imperial red, and Britannia ruled not just the waves but the prairies of America, the plains of Asia, the jungles of Africa and the deserts of Arabia. Just how did a small, rainy island in the North Atlantic achieve all this? And why did the empire on which the sun literally never set finally decline and fall?

Niall Ferguson's acclaimed Empire brilliantly unfolds the imperial story in all its splendours and its miseries, showing how a gang of buccaneers and gold diggers planted the seed of the biggest empire in all history - and set the world on the road to modernity.

©2017 Niall Ferguson (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"The most brilliant British historian of his generation...Ferguson examines the roles of 'pirates, planters, missionaries, mandarins, bankers and bankrupts' in the creation of history's largest empire...he writes with splendid panache...and a seemingly effortless, debonair wit." (Andrew Roberts)

"Dazzling...wonderfully readable." ( New York Review of Books)

"A remarkably readable précis of the whole British imperial story - triumphs, deceits, decencies, kindnesses, cruelties and all." (Jan Morris)

Apologies for Empire

Overall Ferguson meanders where he could state his point and give evidence directly, which feels like padding to an otherwise straightforward premise. Aside from putting every abuse of British power in a positive light, there are lessons to be learned here.

The performance was read well enough but the editing leaves dead air between some sentences, leaving you to wonder if you’ve lost connexion with your headphones.

It’s biased, but it’ll open one’s mind a bit.

Clearly Skewed

This is a very interesting work, although it is presented as though it is an unbiased academic work it is far from that. Mr. Ferguson is clearly an intelligent man, but is a bit of a revisionist on America and tends to be an English elitist. In summary the world was so much better when England was in charge.

Fantastic

This is such a great booked that I have now listened to it 3 times. Ferguson's attention to detail and artful storytelling make this a true gem.

worth it for the narrator alone

The range of British accents employed by the narrator was a guilty pleasure. Subject matter was good too.

Excellent history of the British Empire through the ages

Excellent history. Broad in scope in time and place (especially India). Interesting study in how the Conquerors viewed themselves.

Entertaining, Engaging, and Detailed Historical Narrative

As a fellow Canadian descendant of the Empire, I enjoyed Ferguson’s historical overview of Britain and her colonies, lucidly depicted in the author’s nimble prose. Ferguson groups the narrative roughly by colonies, and I was especially engaged during the chapters on India, where neither the Empire’s colonial blunders nor the shortcomings of the indigenous were sidestepped; and Africa, where the Victorian missionary movement and its aftermath received a balanced treatment. Ferguson’s closing remarks on America as a Silent Empire are, if nothing else, worth noting. A fantastic listen overall.

Enlightening

I am glad I finished this enlightening work. The middle drug out in details, but the body of work is worth the time.

No country was better at Imperialism than Britain.

The narrator does an excellent job of voicing some of the people throughout history, especially Sir Winston Churchill.

You may pick a day, a year or a century and rightly find the British were cruel bastards. If given a choice, in the end, your country was better off with British rule than any other country.

They redeemed themselves early in the 19th century when they campaigned to end slavery. They did not ask the world twice to stop human trafficking. The Royal Navy enforced this proclamation. This was gun boat diplomacy at it's finest.

The Empire came about, in response to the European need for markets and growth. Holland, Spain, France and England were vying for new colonies in Africa and Asia. Britain was the most successful because the Industrial Revolution started in Britain. The IR succeeded because the British had an abundance of human capital, a stable government, the rule of law and a sound financial system. The Empire grew and succeeded when entrepreneurs were free to risk capital abroad and keep their gains. When a country was shown to be stable and investments profitable, the crown was ushered in to provide a framework to strengthen the society and develop a stable government.

In the end, the Empire began to falter, like a successful player of Monopoly. They had more than they could maintain and had to cut their losses.

Never a dull moment

A riveting, concise story brutally examining the rise and fall of the British Empire. Brilliant work!

Intellectuals dishonest

Ask your maid what she thought of the empire Neil .
Is the empire bad ? Maybe Is the answer given by a man who enjoyed the spoils of it .