Uncommon Wealth
Britain and the Aftermath of Empire
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Uncommon Wealth
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Narrated by:
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Kojo Koram
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By:
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Kojo Koram
About this listen
Britain didn't just put the empire back the way it had found it.
In Uncommon Wealth, Kojo Koram traces the tale of how, after the end of the British empire, an interconnected group of well-heeled British intellectuals, politicians, accountants and lawyers offshored their capital, seized assets and saddled debt in former 'dependencies'. This enabled horrific inequality across the globe, as ruthless capitalists profited and ordinary people across Britain's former territories in colonial Africa, Asia and the Caribbean were trapped in poverty. However, the reinforcement of capitalist power across the world also ricocheted back home. Now it has left many Britons wondering where their own sovereignty and prosperity has gone....
Decolonisation was not just a trendy buzzword. It was one of the great global changes of the past hundred years, yet Britain - the protagonist in the whole messy drama - has forgotten it was ever even there. A blistering uncovering of the scandal of Britain's disastrous treatment of independent countries after empire, Uncommon Wealth shows the decisions of decades past are contributing to the forces that are breaking Britain today.
©2022 Kojo Koram (P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Brilliantly arranged and rich with fresh insights, Uncommon Wealth reminds us how the forgotten stories of empire and decolonisation continue to impact our daily lives in Britain - and throughout the world - up to today." (Akala)
What listeners say about Uncommon Wealth
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Allan
- 15-03-23
A great read.
I recommend this book. A concise history of many of the direct impacts on my life, seen through interesting streams of causes and effects played out due to decolonisation.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Ms J M Thorp
- 26-07-23
Excellent
A very engaging book which very helpfully unfolded a comprehensive account of the legacies of the British empire that we all need to hear. I liked the insight into the authors own perspectives from his cultural heritage in Ghana. A brilliant account
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Monika Hartmann
- 30-11-22
Brilliant!
Loved this crash course in imperialism and economics. I can see why they don't teach this in school.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Catherine S. Vasey
- 23-09-22
Read this book, it's good.
I really enjoyed this, it is beautifully written and read by the author; it was for me a lot of disparate threads that I was more or less aware of, woven together in a (to me) novel and highly instructive way. I found I understood a lot of things differently by the end of the book, and I felt strongly how lacking my British education has been in so many areas.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Avi D Reader
- 03-11-22
A well presented history, and a well argued thesis
You may or may not agree with all the author's theories of cause and effect, but this is not (I believe) a polemical book. The author's reading is mildly ironic in tone- not angry or haranguing.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Miss
- 27-12-22
Important, insightful, connection the dots
One of the most helpful books, written in an accessible way, for understanding Britain's changing relationship with, and understanding of, the history of the afterpath of Empire - connecting it to today's struggles in the UK, and ultimately calling for furthur recognition of this relationship and change, for the betterment of all workers, not just those in post-colonial countries. For me, one of the best books I've listened to this year.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Prince
- 13-10-24
Must Listen
Great overview of how we got to where we are today and where we might end up if continuing down the same path...
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Arkhidamos
- 31-07-22
Decolonising everything benefits you!
The theses of this book are old.
That poverty is not innate to Africa or Asia but is a consequence of an extractive economic system in which Euro-American, Asian and African elites collaborate to the detriment of billions of working class people.
That the tactics of empire - old or new - all too often come home to roost, whether it’s the deployment of anti-Mau Mau tactics in Northern Ireland or the disciplining of labour and the dismantling of state provision of basic services to yield higher profits.
That the culture wars being waged by the ruling class and their media talking heads is a distraction - that irrelevances such as removing portraits of the queen or even arguing about street names covers up the on-going robbery both of British working class people and the former subjects of empire by the capitalists.
It’s accessible,it threw in a few details about Jamaican and Singaporean political history I didn’t know, the authors voice is pretty mellifluous, all in all this gets a good rating from me.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Bird
- 10-07-22
Packed with insights about the roots of British capitalism
This book is completely fantastic.
Kojo lays out the history and connections of Britain’s former colonies and it’s current murky financial structures.
Kojo shows how the current racial injustices came about.
He is also a fantastic narrator.
I can’t recommend this book enough
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-06-23
Great reading of a great book
bought the book after listening to Kojo’s thoughtful interview on the excellent podcast ‘The Dig’ with Daniel Denvir, am glad I did.
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