Legacy of Violence

Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize, a revelatory, fearless history of the British Empire that lays bare its pervasive use of violence throughout the twentieth century.

In this groundbreaking work, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Caroline Elkins uncovers the systematic brutality at the heart of the British Empire. Drawing on more than a decade of research across four continents and newly declassified archives, she exposes the global network of detention camps, torture, and cover-ups that underpinned the imperial project – from Kenya to Malaya and beyond.

Far from isolated incidents, Elkins reveals a pattern of violence, used to secure and maintain Britain’s interests across the globe. Legacy of Violence is meticulously researched, passionately argued, and deeply relevant to today’s debates about empire, accountability and historical memory.

A NEW YORK TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, HISTORY TODAY AND BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘Masterly? This book is dynamite’ Robert Gildea

‘Not so much a history book as a book of historical significance’ BBC History Magazine

‘Crucial? as unflinching as it is gripping’ Jill Lepore