Carefully laid out account of this journalist’s work exposing the “Windrush” scandal. Despite the easy narrative style, and a gentle tone (eschewing the relish of being critical, more bafflement than rage), this is a distressing read. Deficits in competence and compassion at the Home Office (and elsewhere) explain some of the events, but, as Gentleman makes clear, officials’ mistreatment and confusion was sustained by a mindset that government ministers explicitly avowed. This was the Farage-ian comfort blanket of, well of what? Protection, exclusion, small-mindedness, old-fashionedness, self-satisfaction. There’ll always be a place for those sentiments, but generally the movers and shakers, governments included, can step beyond them. The Conservative-led governments of the Cameron-May years buckled.
This book focuses on the individual level, covering well the stories of those who were victims. Beyond their specific cases, the background of widespread misunderstandings illustrates once more just how much of a mystery and indeed taboo Britain’s colonial and imperial history is for so many of us; an elephant not even in the room, not yet. ( )

Amelia Gentleman's account of the 'hostile environment' and its impact on the Windrush generation is an outstanding piece of investigative journalism. It will change forever my perception of the society I have lived in for over sixty years. I was saddened, shocked and sickened by what I read. The behaviours of Ministers and home office officials which led to and perpetuated this scandal were simply not consistent with the values of the society I thought I was living in.

This book is a must read, especially for those who, like me, believed that we live in a fair, open and caring society that has made steady progress in addressing the racial discrimination which was clearly present when I was born here all those years ago. The silent majority needs to understand and make its voice heard. ( )