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What Everyone Knows About Britain* (*Except The British)

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'A rare writer with the courage to tell Britain some home truths about itself and where it's headed. A much needed book'. - Ian Dunt

'What Britain needs at the moment is not to be talked up or talked down, but simply a sense of itself that's underpinned by clarity and honesty... This is exactly what Michael Peel provides in this persuasive, good-humoured book.' - Jonathan Coe

'A wake-up call for those still under the illusion that Great Britain plc punches above its weight'. - Chris Mullin, author of A Very British Coup

'Entertaining and smart.' - Geoff Norcott

'Michael Peel is a top class thinker and writer. This is a necessary book as well as an extremely entertaining one.' - Simon Kuper

'Sharp, witty and eye-opening. As Peel convincingly argues, we can do so much better.' - Matthew Parker, author of One Fine Day: Britain's Empire On the Brink

'Lively and well-researched... If only Britain knew how it was seen!' - The Spectator

How do you see Britain? That might depend on your point of view, and as long time British foreign correspondent, Michael Peel has come to understand, it can look very different from outside.

It's tempting to think of the UK as a fundamentally stable and successful nation. But events of the past few years, from Brexit to exposés of imperial history, have begun to spark fierce public debates about whether that is true. Is Britain, just a marginal northern European island nation, marked by injustices, corruption and with a bloody history of slavery, repression and looting? And yet UK politics, media, and public opinion live constantly in the shadow of old myths, Second World War era nostalgia, and a belief in supposedly core British values of tolerance, decency and fair play. British politicians regularly exploit a damaging complacency that holds that everything will turn out okay, because, in Britain, it always does.

In WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT BRITAIN, Michael Peel digs into the national consciousness with the perspective of distance to pull apart the ways in which we British have become unmoored from crucial truths about ourselves. He shows us that from many perspectives we are no different from other countries whose own national delusions have seen them succumb to abuses of power, increased poverty and divisive conflict.

The battle over Britain's narrative is the struggle for its future and its place in the world. So, how do we escape the trick mirror - and see ourselves as we really are?

Review

A rare writer with the courage to tell Britain some home truths about itself and where it's headed. A much needed book. -- Ian Dunt

What Britain needs at the moment is not to be talked up or talked down, but simply a sense of itself that's underpinned by clarity and honesty... This is exactly what Michael Peel provides in this persuasive, good-humoured book. -- Jonathan Coe

A wake-up call for those still under the illusion that Great Britain plc punches above its weight. -- Chris Mullin, author of A Very British Coup

Entertaining and smart - Michael Peel will have you agreeing or disagreeing with him vigorously about the state of Britain today. -- Geoff Norcott

It's very rare for a journalist to be a top-class reporter, top-class thinker and top-class writer. Michael Peel has the trifecta. This is a necessary book as well as an extremely entertaining one. Too much of the frenzied British debate about the UK's recent turmoil is insular, without any sense of foreign comparisons or insights. A British foreign correspondent is the perfect person to understand the country. -- Simon Kuper

Sharp, witty and eye-opening. As Peel convincingly argues, we can do so much better. Give it to your delusional right-wing uncle and watch his head blow off! -- Matthew Parker

Book Description

An award-winning foreign correspondent takes off the rose-tinted spectacles and reveals what Britain really looks like from abroad.

Review:

3.0 out of 5

60.00% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars As a long-term expat Brit, I found it gathered my thoughts admirably

l. · 12 June 2024

I have lived overseas for decades, since I was 28. I'm now almost 70. I found this book gathered and focussed my thoughts admirably; and am glad it's all been put together in one place. I read it all at one sitting.The lesser reviews here seem to me to smack rather of hurt feelings than anything else. Recommend it.EDIT: I see many people concentrate on Brexit in their reviews: it's certainly a significant historical fact. But to say the book only talks about that is just plain wrong. I wonder if they actually read it?

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking !!

S.B. · 23 July 2024

An easy read that confirms much of what we already knew. It is written from an interesting perspective & delivers several pertinent and new facts. Worth ago !!

1.0 out of 5 stars My mistake

K.G. · 14 May 2024

Bought this rather carelessly thinking it was about what foreigners thought about Britain. That would be an interesting book. This, however, isn’t. So Brexit was a disaster and Britain’s ruling elite (aka the Conservative Party and its friends) are rubbish: who knew?

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read

P.D. · 30 September 2024

This isn't a book about Brexit or why it was voted for: it's about what happened afterwards (or rather didn't). It focuses on the efforts that the Conservative government undertook to replace the EU as a key economic and political partner.Conservative ministers are presented as being ineffective in creating new alliances, but although the book was published before the 2024 election, the final chapter doesn't have any sense of optimism that a Labour Government will do any better.The main strengths of this book are the wide range of interviews that the author has with key people, particularly from outside of the UK. Their perspectives are illuminating in terms of traditional admiration for the UK but also their viewpoints that the UK's standing in the World is not what it was in the days of Empire. The aptly named chapter, "Tinder Britain", is particularly scathing about the efforts of the UK to partner with other countries including oppressive regimes such as Cambodia.This book is very timely in assessing not only the promises that were made by those who led the Brexit campaign in the referendum and but also the threats of those who opposed it. The author's skills as a journalist provide the reader with a well-researched analysis which informs the reader of a complex Britain with its insular thinking but global aspirations. An excellent read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Intersting and Informative

D.B. · 1 May 2024

@fatguyreadingIn What everyone knows about Britain, except the British, Michael Peel explores Britain but from more of an outside perspective. He delves into the deepest reaches of the British psyche in an attempt to discover why, as British people, we tend to shy away from the real truths about ourselves and Britain's past.For me, it's certainly true that us British people tend to avoid these types of discussions. It can be difficult to face up to some of Britain's dark past. It seems there are many people who are just blind to the corruption and greed that has lead to so much injustice poverty here in Britain.So in this book, we read about how we could change, move forward and see our true selves.I found this to be an informative read with facts to back up what the author discusses. It's easy to read by most people I think and I read this in two sittings4 stars from me.

3.0 out of 5 stars Great title. Powerful personal introduction. BUT. Meandering & ultimately hollow

S. · 21 May 2024

I considered giving less than three stars because of the disconnect between the title, introduction and the content. But Peel deserves credit for getting these thoughts down while he still feels his expat experiences and insights are valuable.

1.0 out of 5 stars Should be called what everyone knows about Britain including the British

D.P. · 6 September 2024

I was expecting some great insight into the British psyche but was disappointed. The author states things that everyone, including the British, know but wants them to be revelations when they clearly aren’t. He also spends a huge amount of the book comparing the British monarchy with the Thai monarchy but he doesn’t seem to be sure why.

1.0 out of 5 stars Facile comparison of British and Thai monarchies

C.F. · 11 August 2024

Michael Peel Is a respected and experienced foreign correspondent but has shoehorned some of his overseas experience into lazy ill thought out comparisons with Britain.The most facile of these is his comparison of the Thai and British monarchical systems, and their recent histories.

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What Everyone Knows About Britain* (*Except The British)

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