Empire of Hell

'This brilliantly original and insightful book offers an entirely new interpretation of penal transportation in Britain's imperial world that will fundamentally alter the perspective of historians of punishment and the British Empire. Empire of Hell is an outstanding contribution to the field of religious, criminal justice and colonial history, and will be a key point of reference for many years to come.' Clare Anderson, University of Leicester 'Empire of Hell is a laboriously researched, comprehensive, authoritative study. It ranges geographically from Van Diemen's Land to Gibraltar and denominationally from Evangelical Anglicans to Secular Utilitarians, from Catholics to Quakers, and much more. Hilary M. Carey is unquestionably one of the greatest scholars of religion under British rule working today.' Timothy Larsen, Wheaton College, Illinois 'By insisting on the centrality of religion to convict colonialism, Hilary M. Carey has broken down a long-standing and restrictive divide in imperial historiography. The result is an outstanding and highly-readable book that provides a radical new interpretation of both the anti-transportation moment and of imperial reform itself.' Kirsten McKenzie, University of Sydney 'This book restores a pulse to British nineteenth-century penal policy. As Hilary M. Carey demonstrates, religious arguments empowered the development of overseas convict colonies while simultaneously fuelling the forces that tore them down. Empire of Hell transforms our understanding of the decline of transportation and the rise of the prison.' Hamish Maxwell-Stewart, University of Tasmania '... Empire of Hell mounts the most comprehensive examination to date of religious responses to convict transportation. It is a rich, detailed, and nuanced work covering transportation from Britain and Ireland to the Australian penal colonies, Bermuda and Gibraltar between 1788 and 1875.' Zoe Laidlaw, Journal of British Studies