Great for understanding the underlying forces behind racism and the creation of societal inequality

This is a simply harrowing read but it should be mandatory in all secondary schools. It is well written and it is revelatory about the continued racial stereotyping that is ever present in our society but also many aspects of history that I was certainly unaware of in the Caribbean and elsewhere. The UK has a better record than some nations regarding racial tolerance but we most certainly are not a paragon of virtue. Read this book, try not to get angry and enjoy the discoveries between the pages. Excellent modern living history: a snap shot of our last century up to the present plus some little gems of colonialism excess, that we would probably not prefer to acknowledge.

This is a brilliantly well written introductory piece on racial injustice in Britain today. Akala guides us through history, and explains in great detail the ways that we have historically let Black communities down, and the way that those actions have shaped our current social landscape. He tells us his own experiences, and those of his friends, both now and from childhood, to illustrate these facts. He writes with an ease and clarity that speaks to the extent of his knowledge and his keen sense of justice. I read this over the course of two days. I was absolutely riveted. If he chooses to write more on this, then I can't wait to read it and learn from him again.

Akala does so much research to ensure that his captivating book is as informative as possible, and delivered with humour, compassion, and eloquence. An entertaining and enlightening look at the horrible inequalities that lie just below the eye-line of the privileged, hiding in plain sight.

Akala’s measured, in depth exploration of race and class in England is an urgent piece of writing that forces the reader to engage with a litany of institutionalised behaviours that have perpetuated unjust, misleading and damaging attitudes towards race and class. Told through his own personal experiences, combined with an extensive knowledge of world history and politics this eye opening, brilliant, absolute must read will encourage discourse surrounding the points raised long after finishing.