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.

Great read

A wonderfully insightful look at the British empire. Understandable and enjoyable for the non-historian.

Absolutely brilliant.

Incredibly good book and narration is as good as it gets. I happened to read Douglas Murray’s War on the West right after and and decided to get this one on audible and listen to it this time and I’m glad I did. The narrator is perfect

Absolutely Wonderful!

I began this book with an interest and some prior knowledge of British Imperial history, but I was thoroughly amazed by this book. The way Ferguson explains the numerous facets of the Empire engaged me from the beginning. This is helped greatly by the voice acting. Using subtly different voices for different quotes isn't something usually found in a history book. Ferguson does a good job defending his view of the empire as a general force for good while not shying away from the tragedies and mistakes made as well. This is a must listen for sure.

Good but not what I expected.

Well done but not what I expected. kinda dry. I was expecting more along his book, civilization.