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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Neil Charlton
- 17-12-22
Exposing & Uprooting an Historic Tree.
The historic roots of British colonialism with its legally enforced financial system of harmful capital accumulation, foreign debt policy, and tax evasion runs incredibly deep into the earthen soil of many former colonies (and current British territories), while its multifarious branches stretch far and wide into the global present. The copious fruit of this giant colonial tree is still being enjoyed (exploited) to this very day at the expense of the foreign lands from which it grew and the many foreign labourers who unwillingly nurtured this tree with its own blood, sweat and tears (literally).
This book brilliantly traces the development of this rapacious tree and its contemporary entanglements (neocolonialism, neoliberalism) in many of today's foreign 'sovereign' states and sadly confirms the words of the late Kwame Nkrumah (the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana): “A state in the grip of neo-colonialism is not master of its own destiny." To tackle the fruit of this tree without recognising and dealing with its roots (as this book fully explains) is not only naïve but utterly nonsensical.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Tish
- 19-12-22
Explains a lot!
Sadly, this is all very true. The wealth divide continues to get larger. A good insight as to why. We’ve enjoyed this book enormously.
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- Honeygumdrop xx
- 04-06-23
Thought-provoking, beautifully written.
An excellent historical context to the recent events that have shaped our lives. Essential reading!
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