Kwasi Kwarteng: Ghosts of the British Empire at Staines Library

The spirit of the British Empire remains part of our national consciousness but historian, Kwasi Kwarteng, attributes much of the negative legacy of empire to “anarchic individualism” – chaos and disorder created by officials who were ill-suited to the omnipotence and dire lack of accountability imposed on them. Kwasi’s book, Ghosts of empire focuses in particular on Iraq, Kashmir, Sudan, Nigeria, Burma and Hong Kong and the individualistic nature of imperial rule. It is a well-researched and highly praised account of the continuing impact of the British Empire’s failings and shortcomings on the modern world.