Empire of Guns

In Empire of Guns, prize-winning historian Priya Satia reexamines the Industrial Revolution, the expansion of the British Empire, and the rise of industrial capitalism, arguing that these developments are deeply intertwined with the gun trade. Through the scandal surrounding Samuel Galton, a leading Birmingham gunmaker criticized by his fellow Quakers for profiting from violence, Satia reveals how the industrial economy was fundamentally linked to the state's reliance on war. This ambitious work offers a fresh perspective on Britain's emergence as a global superpower and the historical roots of contemporary discussions about gun control and the military-industrial complex.