Audiobooks by Sathnam Sanghera

Tonight the Music Seems So Loud: The Meaning of George Michael

"'No ordinary pop biography, this is a very personal exploration of a very unusual artist' - DORIAN LYNSKEY 'A beautiful, frequently extraordinary book. Part biography, part social commentary and part love letter, it somehow does full justice to the magnificent man it examines' - JAMES O'BRIEN 'Far more than a biography of a pop icon - it's a sharp, insightful look at George Michael's life and how he challenged society, from politics to identity, in ways that still resonate today' - SADIQ KHAN He wrote one of the biggest hits of our age in 'about an hour' in his childhood bedroom. He would go on to collaborate with some of the greatest musicians of all time, from Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder. He was a pop star who bleached his hair blonde, wore tiny shorts and, at the same time, critiqued his own image mercilessly. He lived through the AIDS crisis and one of the most homophobic periods of British history and yet when he finally came out, he did so boldly and unapologetically. Wham! were the first Western pop group to play in Communist China and he repeatedly broke boundaries in music too. Ten years after his death, George Michael is still everywhere: the annual success of 'Last Christmas', new covers of his songs, and endless memes on social media. Tonight the Music Seems So Loud is at once a kaleidoscopic portrait of one of Britain's most beloved musicians and an account of a strange and turbulent period of British history. In his unconventional and enthralling audiobook, bestselling author Sathnam Sanghera explores the connection between music and politics, exposes what secrecy does to the soul, and reveals how fame rots the sense of self. Throughout, Sanghera captures, joyfully and poignantly, one of Britain's greatest artists in all his musical glory."

Sathnam Sanghera (Author), Homer Todiwala (Narrator)

Audiobook

Journeys of Empire: British voyages that changed the world forever – and the rebels who resisted

"Brought to you by Puffin. This is the story of the British empire for readers aged 9+, told through the monumental journeys that shaped it - by award-winning, bestselling author of Empireland, Empireworld and Stolen History Sathnam Sanghera. The British empire is the biggest thing we ever did as a country. Bigger than winning both World Wars, bigger than winning any number of World Cups in any number of sports, bigger than inventing James Bond, Peppa Pig and Lord of the Rings combined. Yet, we don’t talk about it much. And it's barely taught in schools. But how do we even begin to tell this massive story? In his second children's book on the British empire, Satham Sanghera tells us all about the empire through the epic and monumental journeys that shaped it. From the rebellious pirate queen who sailed the seas on perilous adventures, to the tragic true story of Pocahontas, and Gandhi's extraordinary Salt March, this collection of 10 journeys takes readers on a voyage through Britain's imperial history, and shows how it continues to impact the entire world today. © Sathnam Sanghera 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Sathnam Sanghera (Author), Sid Sagar (Narrator)

Audiobook

Empireworld: How British Imperialism Has Shaped the Globe

"Brought to you by Penguin. THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Empireland examined imperialism's lasting impact on Britain Empireworld traces the legacies of British empire across the globe. 2.6 billion people are inhabitants of former British colonies. The empire's influence upon the quarter of the planet it occupied, and its gravitational influence upon the world outside it, has been profound: from the spread of Christianity by missionaries to nearly 1 in 3 driving on the left side of the road, and even shaping the origins of international law. Yet Britain's idea of its imperial history and the world's experience of it are two very different things. In Empireworld, award-winning author and journalist, Sathnam Sanghera extends his examination of British imperial legacies beyond Britain. Travelling the globe to trace its international legacies - from Barbados and Mauritius to India and Nigeria and beyond - Sanghera demonstrates just how deeply British imperialism is baked into our world. And why it's time Britain was finally honest with itself about empire. ‘A wonderful book’ Rory Stewart ‘Nuanced and deeply researched’ Financial Times ‘Not just a welcome corrective but a book for our times’ Peter Frankopan ©2024 Sathnam Sanghera (P)2024 Penguin Audio"

Sathnam Sanghera (Author), Homer Todiwala (Narrator)

Audiobook

Stolen History: The truth about the British Empire and how it shaped us

"Brought to you by Penguin. An accessible, engaging and essential introduction to the British empire for readers aged 9+, by bestselling author of Empireland, Sathnam Sanghera. You've probably heard the word 'empire' before. Perhaps because of the Roman empire. Or maybe even the Star Wars films. But what about the British Empire? Why don't we learn much about this? And what even is an empire, anyway? This book will answer all the important questions about Britain's imperial history. It will explore how Britain's empire once made it the most powerful nation on earth, and how it still affects our lives in many ways today - from the words we use, to the food we eat, the sports we play and even to every grown-up's fixation with a good cup of tea. Because how can we ever make the world a kinder, better place for the future, if we don't know the truth about the past? 'I've resisted suggestions that I write a kids' book on empire on the grounds that I didn't want to sanitise the history. But I think I've found a tone that allows me to be both honest and entertaining. I'm really excited that kids might soon have access to knowledge about the British Empire that I only stumbled across at the age of 45. Becoming at ease with this history is essential to Britain becoming a saner country.' - Sathnam Sanghera ©2023 Sathnam Sanghera (P)2023 Penguin Audio"

Sathnam Sanghera (Author), Homer Todiwala (Narrator)

Audiobook

Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain

"Brought to you by Penguin. An Apple Best Audiobook of 2021 LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2021 A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'This remarkable book shines the brightest of lights into some of the darkest and most misunderstood corners of our shared history' James O'Brien In his brilliantly illuminating new book Sathnam Sanghera demonstrates how so much of what we consider to be modern Britain is actually rooted in our imperial past. In prose that is, at once, both clear-eyed and full of acerbic wit, Sanghera shows how our past is everywhere: from how we live to how we think, from the foundation of the NHS to the nature of our racism, from our distrust of intellectuals in public life to the exceptionalism that imbued the campaign for Brexit and the government's early response to the Covid crisis. And yet empire is a subject, weirdly hidden from view. The British Empire ran for centuries and covered vast swathes of the world. It is, as Sanghera reveals, fundamental to understanding Britain. However, even among those who celebrate the empire there seems to be a desire not to look at it too closely - not to include the subject in our school history books, not to emphasize it too much in our favourite museums. At a time of great division, when we are arguing about what it means to be British, Sanghera's book urges us to address this bewildering contradiction. For, it is only by stepping back and seeing where we really come from, that we can begin to understand who we are, and what unites us. 'Lucid but never simplistic; entertaining but never frivolous; intensely readable while always mindful of nuance and complexity - Empireland takes a perfectly-judged approach to its contentious but necessary subject' Jonathan Coe © Sathnam Sanghera 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021"

Sathnam Sanghera (Author), Homer Todiwala (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Boy with the TopKnot

"For Sathnam Sanghera, growing up in Wolverhampton in the eighties was a confusing business. On the one hand, these were the heady days of George Michael mix-tapes, Dallas on TV and, if he was lucky, the occasional Bounty Bar. There was his family, whose strange and often difficult behaviour he took for granted until, at the age of twenty-four, Sathnam made a discovery that changed everything he ever thought he knew about them."

Sathnam Sanghera (Author), Assad Zaman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Marriage Material

"To Arjan Banga, returning to the Black Country after the unexpected death of his father, his family's corner shop represents everything he has tried to leave behind. But when his mother insists on keeping the shop open, he finds himself being dragged back, forced into big decisions about his imminent marriage back in London and uncovering the history of his broken family. ‘A stunning novel ... touching and funny and feels so fresh ... it just leaps off the page. I adored it.’ DEBORAH MOGGACH"

Sathnam Sanghera (Author), Asif Khan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks by Sathnam Sanghera

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