Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning & Adventurers 2 Books Collection Set - Non Fiction - Hardback

Titles in This Set

Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning by Nigel Biggar
Adventurers: The Improbable Rise of the East India Company (1550-1650) by David Howarth

Condition: Brand New
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9780008511630 (Colonialism) / 9780300250725 (Adventurers)
Publisher: William Collins / Yale University Press
Age Range: Adult

Overview

This two-book hardback collection brings together two of the most talked-about works of modern British history writing. Nigel Biggar's Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning offers a rigorous, controversial reassessment of Empire's ethical legacy, while David Howarth's Adventurers charts the extraordinary Tudor-era origins of the East India Company. Together they present a rich, complementary picture of Britain's imperial and commercial past, ideal for readers of history, politics, and economics who enjoy debate-sparking, deeply researched non-fiction.

About the Books

Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning is a Sunday Times bestseller in which Oxford theologian Nigel Biggar tackles head-on the charged question of whether the British Empire should be remembered chiefly as a story of exploitation and violence. Across eight closely argued chapters, Biggar interrogates claims that colonialism was driven by greed, that it was inherently racist, and that its legacy is one of unambiguous harm, offering a counterweight to the "decolonisation" narratives that have reshaped public debate in recent years. It is a provocative, densely footnoted contribution intended to challenge readers rather than offer easy answers.

Adventurers: The Improbable Rise of the East India Company tells a very different but complementary story: the improbable Tudor beginnings of what would become the largest commercial enterprise in British history. David Howarth, an art historian by training, traces how English merchants — inexperienced and financially outmatched by the Dutch — gambled on risky overseas voyages, enduring leaky ships and disastrous early expeditions before stumbling into extraordinary commercial success. Spanning 1550 to 1650, it is a vivid, character-driven account of ambition, rivalry, and the accidental foundations of empire, grounded in original archival research.

• Two acclaimed, bestselling hardback history titles in one set
• Covers both the moral debate over Empire and its commercial origins
• Written by leading academics: an Oxford theologian and an Edinburgh art historian
• Rich in original research, archival detail, and narrative storytelling
• Perfect for readers of British imperial, political, and economic history
• Makes a thoughtful gift for history enthusiasts and book clubs

About the Authors

Nigel Biggar is a theologian and ethicist, best known as Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford, where his work on Empire and just war theory has attracted wide public debate. David Howarth is Emeritus Professor at the University of Edinburgh, an art historian whose previous books include studies of Stuart court patronage and Spanish art collecting; Adventurers marks his first major foray into commercial and imperial history.

Why You'll Love This Set

Together, these two hardbacks pair a bold moral argument with a gripping true story of commercial risk-taking, giving readers a fuller, more nuanced view of Britain's imperial past from two very different, expert perspectives.

Please Note: Cover shown is the UK edition; ISBNs listed are for the UK hardback editions as supplied.