English

Name: English
Brand: Harper UK
Availability: InStock
Author: Ben Fogle
ISBN: 9780008222277

Author: Ben Fogle

Narrator: Rupert Farley

Unabridged: 9 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: William Collins

Published: 10/05/2017

Categories: Nonfiction, Social Science, Anthropology, Humor, Biography & Autobiography, Memoirs, Nature, Ecology

Synopsis

What makes the English English? Is it their eccentricity, their passionate love (or, indeed, hatred) of Marmite – or is it something less easily defined? Beginning at the top of a muddy Gloucestershire slope at the Coopers Hill cheese-rolling contest and traversing a landscape of lawns and queues, coastlines and sporting arenas, Ben Fogle takes us on a journey through the peculiarly English: a country of wax jackets, cricket, boat races and jellied eels, by way of national treasures such as the shipping forecast, fish and chips and the Wellington boot. Not to mention the Dunkirk spirit of relentless optimism in the face of adversity, be it the heroic failure of Captain Scott’s doomed Antarctic expedition, or simply the perennial hope for better weather. The archetypal Englishman – lover of labradors and Land Rovers yet holder of two passports – Ben applauds all things quintessentially English while also paying tribute to the history, culture and ideas adopted with such gusto that they have become part of the fabric of the country. Written with Ben’s trademark warmth and wit, this is a light-hearted yet touching tribute to all things English.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Caroline

This was almost the perfect bedtime read. Something light, amusing and endearing, easily picked up and put down, to lull you into a state of contented wooziness before you go to sleep. It sounds like I am damning with faint praise, but this is not meant to be the case. It really IS the ideal bedtime......more

Goodreads review by Snoakes

In English, Ben Fogle takes us on a jaunt around the country in search of the things that make us specifically English, rather than British. Unsurprisingly to anyone who knows him from the TV, many of the pursuits he chooses are unremittingly posh. But never mind - he is an amiable companion and it'......more

Goodreads review by Stuart

The perfect anti-dote for this exported Englishman. Perhaps not as in-depth as, say, a Bryson effort - it still manages to convey what it is to be English. Not intended to be definitive, but it makes you proud enough to puff out the chest a little.......more

Goodreads review by Louise

quite an enjoyable book about what (in Ben Fogle's opinion) is uniquely English. some things I agree with - the national obsession with weather for instance, that is evident wherever you go. And the loveliness of Marmite. others I am more dubious about - his description of the Cheese rolling in Glou......more

Quotes

‘A pleasant and lyrical read’ Guardian

‘Written with wit and affection, this light-hearted, yetstirring narrative entertains and inspires with equal measure’ Countryside Magazine

Praise for Ben Fogle:

‘Funny, entertaining and really rather inspiring, too’ Daily Mail

'A great escapade told with refreshing frankness' Independent on Sunday

‘Passionate and well-researched’ Tatler

‘Fogle's typical adventure-style storytelling keeps the narrative light and entertaining’ Independent