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A review by lady_wira
Britain's Gulag: The Brutal End of Empire in Kenya by Caroline Elkins
5.0
Every now and then you have to read a complex book. You have to push through the pages to see what was. Such books leave you dazed and appreciative of the present. A book that demands to be read.
There are many books that cover colonization in Kenya and the Mau Mau uprising. But there is no book like Britain’s Gulag by Caroline Elkins. Caroline Elkins dives deep into what she knows is true, as hideous as it may be.
Britain’s Gulag covers the brutal history of colonization in Kenya. The Mau Mau uprising, and the draconian response of the British government. It tells of the evils meted on the Kikuyu population, the use of detention camps that held nearly five hundred people and how they were tortured and treated as less than human.
Covering the period starting 1952 to 1960. A period that saw over a hundred thousand Kenyans killed by diseases, exhaustion, torture, starvation and physical brutality.
The lessons taught in history class merely glide through the grotesque mistreatment of the Mau Mau, however, Caroline Elkins ensured that the truth did not go untold. This book is widely and deeply researched, the author took the time to do an extensive investigation, spoke to hundreds of survivors and unearthed mountains of documents that had been “lost”.
The brutality in the detention camps and the efforts to hide the truth make Britain’s Gulag a must-read for all, we need to understand what it was if we are to appreciate our freedoms. The colonisers’ ruthlessness and the Mau Mau pushback left me dumbfounded and proud to be Kenyan.
I do not disregard the effort that went into the making of this book. However, having to go through hundreds of one–on–one interview of similar experiences and searching through a myriad of material on the same topic birthed countless pages of repetitive reporting. As informative as it is, this 475-page book almost feels dragged out.
A vivid and accurate report on the cruel behaviour of the British, and the relentless spirit of Mau Mau. A daunting read. It is a book that requires attention, patience and a bit of a strong stomach.
There are many books that cover colonization in Kenya and the Mau Mau uprising. But there is no book like Britain’s Gulag by Caroline Elkins. Caroline Elkins dives deep into what she knows is true, as hideous as it may be.
Britain’s Gulag covers the brutal history of colonization in Kenya. The Mau Mau uprising, and the draconian response of the British government. It tells of the evils meted on the Kikuyu population, the use of detention camps that held nearly five hundred people and how they were tortured and treated as less than human.
Covering the period starting 1952 to 1960. A period that saw over a hundred thousand Kenyans killed by diseases, exhaustion, torture, starvation and physical brutality.
The lessons taught in history class merely glide through the grotesque mistreatment of the Mau Mau, however, Caroline Elkins ensured that the truth did not go untold. This book is widely and deeply researched, the author took the time to do an extensive investigation, spoke to hundreds of survivors and unearthed mountains of documents that had been “lost”.
The brutality in the detention camps and the efforts to hide the truth make Britain’s Gulag a must-read for all, we need to understand what it was if we are to appreciate our freedoms. The colonisers’ ruthlessness and the Mau Mau pushback left me dumbfounded and proud to be Kenyan.
I do not disregard the effort that went into the making of this book. However, having to go through hundreds of one–on–one interview of similar experiences and searching through a myriad of material on the same topic birthed countless pages of repetitive reporting. As informative as it is, this 475-page book almost feels dragged out.
A vivid and accurate report on the cruel behaviour of the British, and the relentless spirit of Mau Mau. A daunting read. It is a book that requires attention, patience and a bit of a strong stomach.