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Stolen History

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Lists This Book Appears In

UKLA Book Awards 2025 longlist

These links show the original reading lists. Inclusion is not a guarantee of suitability for your child.

Sathnam Sanghera - Author

This is an informative, discussion-rich account of Britain’s imperial past and its links to present-day life. It introduces difficult questions about power, racism, historical responsibility and whose interpretations of history are heard.

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

British Empire· ExplainedColonial history· ExplainedPresent-day life· Explained

Consider

Violence and harmDiscrimination or prejudiceOther content to consider

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

British Empirecolonial historypresent-day lifeethicshistorical interpretationresponsibility

Non-fiction

Themes in Context

Empire and its continuing influence

The book explains Britain’s imperial history and links it with language, food, sport and other aspects of contemporary life.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: Its stated purpose is to make historical connections understandable while showing that the past still affects the present.

Talk about: Which connections between imperial history and everyday life does the book find most convincing?

Judging contested history

The book raises questions about museums, statues, exceptionalism and whether countries that once ruled others should make amends.

How the book presents it: It clearly invites ethical discussion and challenges exceptionalism, while also telling readers to form their own opinions.

Talk about: How does the book balance its own argument with the different interpretations it asks readers to consider?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

It can help a young reader connect historical events with familiar aspects of life, while recognising that empire remains debated. Its stated approach combines accessible explanation with an intention not to sanitise difficult history.

What Deserves Attention

Expect a serious treatment of colonial history, including references to brutal facts and racism. The book also presents questions about museums, historical figures and whether countries that once ruled others should make amends.

A Conversation Worth Having

How does the book distinguish between learning what happened, judging actions by today’s values and recognising continuing effects? Which questions does it leave open for you to investigate or discuss further?

Reading Approach

Read it in short sections and pause to separate factual explanation from opinion or interpretation. Discuss unfamiliar historical terms, then compare the book’s questions with another perspective before reaching conclusions.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Empire and its continuing influence: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
Judging contested history: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.

Stolen History - Sathnam Sanghera

Limited information

Checked: 19 September 2026.

Relevant to: Empire and its continuing influence; Judging contested history

Stolen History (KS2/3)