The Countryside: Ten Rural Walks Through Britain and Its Hidden History of Empire

The Countryside is a frank look at the colonialism of the British Empire and how it casts a shadow down to the present day, written and presented by Dr. Corinne Fowler. Due out 11th June 2024 from Simon & Schuster on their Scribner imprint, it's 432 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Countryside rambles are so quintessentially English that people come from the world over to visit and experience the stately homes and gardens, the hospitality, and the charm of rural England, and generally never really thinking about the less salubrious history *behind* the wealth and nobility enjoyed by the families who were instrumental in that transfer of wealth from half a world away. 

These are actual walks with itineraries which each explore a different facet of colonialism, from the slave and sugar trade in the Caribbean, the East India Company, to cotton & wool as well as the Raj period of British India. 

The author writes well, and surprisingly objectively, about what were unquestionably monstrous interactions with the local peoples of the places "civilised" (and resources exploited and stolen) by colonial forces.

This is a layman accessible work, and although written in easy to understand everyday language, it's meticulously annotated and the chapter notes will provide readers with a wealth of further reading. So much of it is depressingly sad and not dulled by the passing centuries. 

The routes taken by the author are not specifically laid out (with maps or links, though there are some abbreviated line drawn maps), and it would take a lot of effort to recreate her routes precisely. It's a book for armchair history buffs and students of history. She makes no direct judgements in the text, but the historical events themselves stand as a testament to the appalling capacity of humans to inflict calamity on other human beings for their own gain. 

Five stars. Interesting and important, but depressing reading, especially in a modern context.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.