In a curious inversion of historians’ habitual priorities, it is less interested in how British imperialism affected people in the colonies than how people from the colonies affected Britain, and British attitudes toward imperialism, immigration and race. These are interesting choices, but Riley struggles to justify them ... Imperial Island touches upon all the key moments of modern British history, from the Blitz and Live Aid to Britpop and Brexit, but in its effort to be so comprehensive in so short a space, it feels somewhat thin. Indeed, the book seems rather unsure of what it wants to be, and its tone shifts uneasily between journalism and scholarship, with telling consequences.
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