Amritsar 1919: An Empire of Fear and the Making of a Massacre

The Amritsar Massacre of 1919 was a seminal moment in the history of the British Empire, yet it remains poorly understood. In this dramatic account, Kim A. Wagner details the perspectives of ordinary people and argues that General Dyer's order to open fire at Jallianwalla Bagh was an act of fear. Situating the massacre within the "deep" context of British colonial mentality and the local dynamics of Indian nationalism, Wagner provides a genuinely nuanced approach to the bloody history of the British Empire. Kim A. Wagner teaches global and British imperial history at Queen Mary, University of London. His books include The Skull of Alum Bheg , The Great Fear of 1857 , and Thuggee .