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How Britain Really Works
- Understanding the Ideas and Institutions of a Nation
- Narrated by: Stig Abell
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
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How Britain Really Works
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Summary
Getting to grips with Great Britain is harder than ever. We are a nation that chose Brexit, rejects immigration but is dependent on it, is getting older but less healthy, is more demanding of public services but less willing to pay for them, is tired of intervention abroad but wants to remain a global authority. We have an over-stretched, free health service (an idea from the 1940s that may not survive the 2020s), overcrowded prisons, a military without an evident purpose, an education system the envy of none of the Western world.
How did we get here and where are we going?
How Britain Really Works is a guide to Britain and its institutions (the economy, the military, schools, hospitals, the media, and more), which explains just how we got to wherever it is we are. It will not tell you what opinions to have, but will give you the information to help you reach your own. By the end, you will know how Britain works - or doesn't.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our Desktop Site.
Critic reviews
"Absorbing...an intelligent and clear-eyed account of much that goes on in our country." (Sunday Times)
"Wry and readable." (Guardian)
"Stig Abell is an urbane, and often jaunty guide to modern Britain, in the mould of Bill Bryson." (Irish Times)
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What listeners say about How Britain Really Works
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- David Robson
- 14-05-19
truly informative and interesting
really great book, very well researched, very interesting and engaging. overall a great read or listen. I really like the fact it was split into chapters that made sense. health, education, economics, etc
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nigel Marshall
- 09-03-22
informative, engaging, humane
Infortmative, engaging, humane. Great account of the muddle that is Britain and why muddle is what you will get in the future and why this is probably for the best.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mr. D. Southcott
- 21-06-19
Poor quality recording
This would be better to read and even dip into. The author seemed like he was recording in his bedroom and rushing to get to the end of each section.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tim Hill
- 16-08-18
Very enjoyable read
Well written. Many interesting facts and figures along the way. Paints a recognisable picture of the country today, and handles some bleak subjects with a touch of humour and a dash of optimism.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- alstallio
- 23-04-21
Well read and very informative.
There's a lot of info to get your head around here. Very well written and educational.
Blackopolypse
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Garethgazz
- 24-04-23
Very interesting but terrible production values
I really enjoyed this book. It's full of interesting and insightful stuff told in a straightforward way. However, the production values are dreadful.
Stig has read the book himself which is fine, but the producer has left in stumbles over words and mistakes, lip smacks, times when Stig ran out of breath mid-sentence etc. Baffling why they wouldn't make the effort on a book that is fairly well known.
Still, I listened to it all regardless, and took a lot from it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lphoto
- 09-05-20
An absolute must read or listen
Fantastic book. I was initially dubious, but quickly you realised this is an unbiased, unpoliticised viewpoint. It shocked me, enlightened me, enraged me and made me proud to be British, all in equal measure.
A must read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- joseph
- 30-07-18
Good.
Good content and delivery. would recommend this title to anyone as a crash course in British institutions.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Digger Brown
- 03-05-19
Good Listening
Enjoyed this book. Each chapter you are given a potted history of the subject being covered and then an insight into how
the area i.e Education runs today. Stig Abell is the narrator. Has given me food for thought.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Muzak
- 13-02-21
Personal view of Britain.
This book is makes some good observations on Britain at the time of writing (2018) . Each section contains a brief history of how the various institutions that shape Britain got to where they are. The view is white cosmopolitan and London centric. It’s personal in its choices of institutions and somewhat rambling in exposition. I was struck at the omission of the Royal Family as it still controls this country and its institutions. I also struggled with the narration which I found was best listened at 0.9 speed.
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2 people found this helpful