Legacy of Violence

Legacy of Violence is a compelling and riveting book written by the acclaimed author, Caroline Elkins. Published in 2022, this book is a must-read for those who are interested in exploring the depths of human nature and the lasting impacts of violence. The narrative is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events and complex characters, making it a captivating read from start to finish. The author's unique storytelling and insightful analysis make this book stand out in its genre. Legacy of Violence is published by Vintage Publishing, known for their selection of thought-provoking and influential books. This book is written in English, making it accessible to a wide range of readers. Don't miss out on this riveting tale of power, conflict, and the human spirit.

**Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2022****A NEW YORK TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, HISTORY TODAY and HISTORY EXTRA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022**'This book is dynamite' - ROBERT GILDEA, author of Empires of the MindA searing, landmark study of the British Empire that lays bare its pervasive use of violence throughout the twentieth century.Sprawling across a quarter of the world's land mass and claiming nearly seven hundred million people, Britain's empire was the largest in human history. For many, it epitomized the nation's cultural superiority, but what legacy have we delivered to the world?Spanning more than two hundred years of history, Caroline Elkins reveals an evolutionary and racialized doctrine that espoused an unrelenting deployment of violence to secure and preserve British imperial interests. She outlines how ideological foundations of violence were rooted in Victorian calls for punishing indigenous peoples who resisted subjugation, and how over time this treatment became increasingly systematised. And she makes clear that when Britain could no longer maintain control over the violence it provoked and enacted, Britain retreated from its empire, destroying and hiding incriminating evidence of its policies and practices.Drawing on more than a decade of research on four continents, Legacy of Violence implicates all sides of the political divide regarding the creation, execution, and cover-up of imperial violence. By demonstrating how and why violence was the most salient factor underwriting both the empire and British imperial identity, Elkins explodes long-held myths and sheds a disturbing new light on empire's role in shaping the world today.