Migrants

The Story of Us All

By: Sam Miller

Narrated by: Chris Nayak

Migrants cuts through the toxic debates to tell the rich and collective stories of humankind's urge to move.

'Fascinating... Miller's perspective may be just what we need' Daily Telegraph
'Enjoyable, provocative and timely' Spectator
'Timely and empathetic: a rare combination on this most controversial issue' Remi Adekoya, author of Biracial Britain
'Tremendous: blends the personal and the panoramic to great effect' Robert Winder, author of Bloody Foreigners

Humans are, in fundamental ways, a migratory species, more so than any other land mammal. For most of our existence , we were all nomads, and some of us still are. Houses and permanent settlements are a relatively late development - dating back little more than twelve thousand years. Borders and passports are much more recent. From the Neanderthals, Alexander the Great, Christopher Columbus and Pocahontas to the African slave trade, Fu Manchu, and Barack Obama, Migrants shows us that it is only by understanding how migration and migrants have been viewed in the past, that we can re-set the terms of the modern-day debate about migration.

Migrants presents us with an alternative history of the world, in which migration is restored to the heart of the human story. And in which humans migrate for a wide range of reasons: not just because of civil war, or poverty or climate change but also out of curiosity and a sense of adventure. On arrival, migrants are expected both to assimilate and encouraged to remain distinctive; to defend their heritage and adopt a new one. They are sub-human and super-human; romanticised and castigated, admired and abhorred. Migrants tells us that this is not a new narrative; this is the history of us all, part of everybody's backstory - for those who consider themselves migrants and those who do not.©2023 Sam Miller

Critic reviews

Timely and empathetic: a rare combination on this most controversial issue

Tremendous: blends the personal and the panoramic to great effect, reminding us - in narrating epic migration stories from Aeneas to the Windrush - that the human urge to move about in search of a better life is as old and natural as time itself

Fascinating... Miller's perspective may be just what we need

Enjoyable, provocative and timely

Migrants is an important contribution to the topic of human migration... thoughtful... Miller's book offers a whole new way of seeing the world

Well structured and full of substance

I ordered the book in advance and was not disappointed. The story is well structured and informative, and gives great context to people's intentions, opinions and experiences, rather than just reciting dates and places and names of rulers, which is common in historical overviews. The author shows deep understanding and respect for humans, wherever they come from and/or are going. A true pleasure read. Gives hope for humanity. The narrator does a fine job as well.

Disappointing

Sam Miller’s Migrants: The Story of Us All aims to tell the grand narrative of human migration but falls into the trap of oversimplification and misleading historical framing. The book repeatedly conflates distinct historical entities, such as Kyivan Rus’ and the Russian Empire, erasing the complexities of regional identities. His references to “Russia” in contexts that clearly pertain to Ukraine and other non-Russian territories reflect outdated imperialist narratives rather than nuanced historical research. The lack of precision in geography, cultural history, and migration dynamics made this book more frustrating than insightful. Instead of a well-researched exploration, it reads like a shallow, Westernized retelling of migration history. A major disappointment.