Short but funny

This was a bit like a Horrible Histories for grown ups. It was okay, but became a bit samey as it went in and I think it would have been improved by perhaps grouping some of the episodes into chapters (with tongue in cheek names such as 'animal welfare,' 'international relations' and 'domestic policy,' for example) or chronologically would have helped the flow of the book in my opinion.

Part Horrible Histories, part QI. With more swearing. Perfectly cromulent.

I thought this book was good. It is time we learned about all the crap things we've done and not just the tally-ho version of colonialism where no one gets hurt and we gallantly rescue India and run it with two men and a bicycle, for its own good of course. The only problem for me was it was just too short. I get it, people don't want to read long, turgid history books but this was essentially a stocking filler in hardback book form. I felt a little cheated for the money to be honest. That's not to say I didn't think it was funny because I did and I don't care that there was a lot of swearing because that's life. I wanted to learn and I got a book equivalent of some tweets and that's just not why I signed up.

Didn't realise this was going to be such a short book when I ordered it, the subject matter was interesting, but I'd have liked a lot more information. I also worry about the validity of what he was saying, as the tale about the Pakistan border wasn't really correct.

Lighthearted but sobering

James Felton writes amusingly but chillingly about some of the things his (and my) country has done. The essential message is that we can't claim credit for the good bits of history (and beating Hitler was indeed good) without owning up to the rest.

I ended up feeling uncomfortable at being entertained by this.