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English

A Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather

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About this listen

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.

 Anthropology Ecology Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science

Critic reviews

‘A pleasant and lyrical read’ Guardian

‘Written with wit and affection, this light-hearted, yet
stirring 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
All stars
Most relevant
really enjoyed this book its well worth the listen Ben has explored ENGLISHNESS brilliantly and everything is relatable

enjoyed fully

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Being a dedicated fan of Ben Fogle and his TV programmes my expectations were very high when I downloaded this audio book onto my device. After the fourth chapter the narrator and the content of the book had already bored me senseless. A whole chapter goeing on about the english fascination for the weather was as interesting as watching paint dry. A waste of time and money. Stick to television Ben.

Extraordinarily boring book

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This book should be entitled “Upper Class English” and devoted far too much time to how things used to be when class was everything in England. The author quotes at such length from elsewhere that you wonder why you didn’t just buy those books instead. And for me, he gets the difference between nationalism and the flag completely the wrong way around: it is the Union flag that has become associated with the far right and not the Cross of St George!

Disappointed

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