3.5 stars rounded down. This was a somewhat interesting survey of attitudes towards major figures in the history of the British Empire. I expected a series of vignettes about these figures, but instead it discusses how various novels and even penny broadsheets(popular in the 19th century) glorified the founders of the British Empire. The author is actually a product of the Empire. He father was a subject of British Guiana, the only British colony in South America. His father emigrated to Britain and married a British woman.
The author shows how attitudes towards figures glorified in the heyday of Empire then changed and the same people were criticized for looting and enriching themselves at the expense of colonized countries.
I do have a minor quibble. The author describes an author critical of Imperial figures: "Morris even took aim at the missionaries David Livingstone and H.M. Stanley, whom he said infested Africa."
While Livingstone was indeed a missionary, Stanley was a journalist for the New York Herald. The Herald commissioned Stanley to find Livingstone, which he did do. Stanley went on to explore the Congo on behalf of King Leopold of Belgium, setting the stage for a forgotten genocide of 10 million Congolese.
This was an easy read. I read it in 3 days. #HeroesandVillainsoftheBritishEmpire #NetGalley
Thank You Pen and Sword and David Basdeo for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.

A nuanced and in-depth analysis of the literary representation of real-life heroes and villains in the age of British imperialism, and how the morals of the time were reflected in both high-brow and more “commercial” literary works. Definitely a very fascinating book which has left me curious and eager to read more about both several of the figures and events that were mentioned throughout. The illustrations and many quotes & references to contemporary sources made this an engaging as well as an interesting read. It is very informative, yet never too dry, nor too sensationalist. The facts are objectively represented, and the author clearly illustrates that even then there were opposing views on matters such as slavery, nationalist pride, colonialism… that are still controversial to this day, unfortunately. Recommend.

Who gets to define what makes a hero or a villain? Stephen Basdeo provides the reader with a quick introduction into the history of the Empire and then goes on to showing how the perception of what constitutes as a hero or villain shifted over the decades. Literary representations from politicians to highwaymen formed popular opinions that are still found in media today, from Quatermain movies to romanticised pirates.
The book is heavily illustrated and an engaging read, a nice companion to current news about statues being taken down in order to finally come to terms with the Empire's legacy.