The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World

The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World is a book written by Steven Grasse, the chief executive officer of Philadelphia marketing agency Quaker City Mercantile.[1] It was first published in April 2007 by Quirk Books. In the work the author argues that many of the world's problems were caused by the British Empire and also criticises British culture.

The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World
AuthorSteven Grasse
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectThe United Kingdom
PublisherQuirk Books
Publication date
April 2007
Media typeHardcover
Pages192
ISBN1-59474-173-5
OCLC86168689

Synopsis

The book focuses on the British Empire's silenced history, showing how the British Empire ruled the world through money and violence. The British world domination sowed the seeds for some of the worst disasters that have afflicted humanity. Although the British were not responsible for all of the events directly, their interference in others’ problems was often just as destructive. Grasse points out how the British Empire was responsible for the Irish famine, the atrocities committed by the Black and Tans during the Irish War of Independence, racism, the Scramble for Africa, the Iraq War, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the Durand Line and the Revengs of the Afghan Royal Family and their rare-earth elements, global warming, world poverty, the Great Plague, Islamofascism, the 19th-century First and Second Opium Wars with China, the First World War and the Vietnam War. Other events the book places blame on the British Empire for include the Second World War, the fathering of the United States and the drug trade.[2] All of these incidents had a long-lasting, negative impact on the world. Grasse argues that the British rule emerges as no better and even worse than the imperialism practised by other nations and the strong myth of the civilising mission remains untroubled by the evidence today.

Other arguments made in the book involve the popularity of homosexuality among the British nobility,[3] that the King James Bible was a deliberate act of heresy,[4] and that the Piltdown Man hoax was a deliberate attempt by British academia to prove that they were a superior race.[5]

Reception

Jonah Bloom of Advertising Age said that he believed "very few would take this book too seriously".[1] Michael Henderson, writing for the British Daily Telegraph, agreed that the British had on occasion made matters worse in Ireland and Africa, but considered that the United Kingdom had given much to the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and the age of Romanticism.[2] Overall, he opined that the book was silly, and that it should be treated with laughter.[2]

The New Statesman and Publishers Weekly both reviewed the work, with the latter stating that it was a "neat premise" but that "The more outrageous, hypocritical, and simply incorrect his allegations become, the better the reader should understand how it feels to be bombarded with ill-informed criticism on behalf of one's nation. But to pull it off requires a light touch to soften the abuse. Instead, Grasse tramples humourlessly through the material, lacing it with his own moral and political dogma."[6][7]

References
  1. Bloom, Jonah (2007-04-13), "Jonah Bloom on 'The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World'", Advertising Age
  2. Henderson, Michael (2008-12-15), "Britain's many gifts to the world", The Daily Telegraph
  3. Grasse & Rimbaud 2007, p. 97.
  4. Grasse & Rimbaud 2007, p. 29.
  5. Grasse & Rimbaud 2007, p. 78.
  6. O'Connor, Sarah (2007-04-09). "It's all our fault". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 2018-11-18.
  7. "Nonfiction Book Review: Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World by Steven A. Grasse, Author, Penny Rimbaud,". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2017-02-20.

Bibliography

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