Priya Satia

Priya Satia is an award-winning historian and professor at Stanford University whose scholarship examines the intersections of empire, technology, war, and culture in the modern world. Her book Empire of Guns offers a groundbreaking reinterpretation of the Industrial Revolution, arguing that the British gun industry and imperial warfare were central, not peripheral, to Britain's economic transformation. This provocative thesis challenges conventional narratives that credit innovation and free markets while downplaying the role of military violence and colonial exploitation in driving industrialisation. Satia's research draws on extensive archival work to trace how gun manufacturing, government contracts, and imperial expansion were deeply intertwined, reshaping our understanding of one of history's most significant economic transformations. She is also the author of Spies in Arabia, which examines British intelligence operations in the Middle East during the First World War, and Time's Monster, which explores how ideas about history shaped British imperial policy. Her work has been recognised with numerous awards and fellowships, and she is regarded as one of the most original and important historians working on the British Empire today. Satia writes with clarity and intellectual force, making complex arguments accessible without sacrificing nuance. Empire of Guns is available as an audiobook, offering listeners a compelling and provocative new perspective on how modern industrial capitalism was forged in the fires of imperial warfare.