The supposedly glorious history of British civilization is a long and bloody lie. With the help of his trusty internet browser and public library card, Steven Grasse has discovered how the British Empire has had a hand in every major war of the millennium and every calamity facing us in the 21st century: starvations, poverty, Nazis, Communists, terrorists. If the Americans are taking the rap for it, the British are probably behind it. The blend of juicy factoids and hyperbole, studded with one or two outright whoppers, is sure to spark arguments from the corner pub to the campus green. Among Grasse's claims: the Brits couldn't stand up to Napoleon, they think they don't need dentists, they hooked the Chinese on opium, they're behind global warming. Evil Empire includes a thumbnail timeline as an accessible point of entry into British history.

Steven A. Grasse is a cultural studies analyst and media communications expert, who has extensively studied the British Empire. He is also the spokesperson for the International Coalition for British Reparations (ICBR), a massive global initiative for reparations from England worth 58 trillion dollars. This is his first book.

Penny Rimbaud is a musician, writer, poet, and cofounder of the anarchist punk band Crass.