Small Earthquakes

’[An] appealing fusion of travelogue and history, excavating the roots and remnants of British influence in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.’

‘This is travel writing as much as history. Meghji has the true travel writer’s eye for the comic, pathetic and tragic, and for the places where they collide […] This is writing full of rust, wind and sadness. It captures splendidly the air of South America and the long, withdrawing roar of an empire whose influence once reached far beyond its political borders.’

‘Since the 1920s, “Small Earthquake in Chile – Not Many Dead” has been a derogatory journalists’ in-joke about non-news. But Shafik Meghji is surely right that past British activities in the Southern Cone deserve more serious recognition, given their profound economic and social consequences. His tone is patriotically celebratory at times, and there’s certainly much to admire about our forebears abroad – the vision, the stoicism, the sheer gall. Nevertheless, the inescapable message of this survey of Britain’s quasi-colonization of the region is that its countries are better off without us.’

‘The passion and poignancy of his prose is captured in his description … Combining the immediacy of a travel memoir with the depth of a scholarly history lesson, Small Earthquakes illuminates how Britain helped shape these nations.’

‘A useful and informative read for anyone interested in Britain’s nefarious involvement in Latin America.’

’[An] entertaining and meticulously researched narrative.’

‘A thrilling, illuminating perspective on a continent that is closer than we think.’

‘I’d recommend Small Earthquakes to anyone interested in South American history, the legacies of empire, or simply a beautifully written travel-history hybrid.’

’[Meghji’s] impeccable research and character-laden descriptions of various events […] should make any reader realise that the British once had many significant ties to this continent […] a joy to read.’

‘An interesting and readable book.’

‘[A] fascinating journey through a history that British schoolchildren are simply never taught.’

‘A book that should help foster and mediate new conversations in the present about Britain and South America’s shared histories.’

’[Told] through a journalistic lens that focuses on unexpected, startling and sometimes shocking narratives… fascinating… a very enjoyable read.’

‘A fascinating—and often shocking—book full of hidden histories and unlikely characters: guano barons, gaucho lairds, imperial ghosts and human zoos. Shafik Meghji must be one of the most exciting travel writers working today.’

‘Combining vivid firsthand reporting with granular historical detail, Meghji takes the reader on an engrossing and illuminating journey through the little-remembered history of British South America.’

‘From football stadiums to Welsh-style Patagonian tea-rooms, from pirates’ haunts to Victorian-era foundries, this is a kaleidoscopic tour of Latin America. A fascinating book packed with detail and intriguing insights, and bearing the marks of its author’s extensive knowledge of the region.’

‘Filled with larger-than-life characters and rich observation, this is a colourful, captivating and clear-eyed odyssey through the entangled histories of South America and Britain. A must-read for anyone interested in how this corner of the globe, though never formally painted red, became deeply enmeshed in the British Empire.’

‘A deeply researched and refreshingly nuanced look at how Britain changed South America, but also the role of the continent’s original inhabitants in that story. A powerful blend of reportage and historical investigation.’

Shafik Meghji is an award-winning journalist and travel writer. The co-author of more than forty-five guidebooks, his bylines include National Geographic Traveller, BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, Geographical magazine and The Guardian. His first book, Crossed Off the Map, was shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year 2023.