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Strangeland
- How Britain Stopped Making Sense
- Narrated by: Jon Sopel
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
Returning to the UK in some ways has been disconcerting – or maybe discombobulating would be a better word. It is, after all, my home; it is where I grew up, a country I love and am proud of. But either it’s changed, or I have. Maybe both.
It just feels like a strange land.
At the beginning of 2022, after eight years of political reporting in the US, Jon Sopel returned home to the UK – and having spent almost a third of his career abroad, he found a very different place to the one he left. In Strangeland, his first book since launching the global hit podcast The News Agents, he asks: What is the Britain he’s come home to?
In the US, Jon was the outsider looking in, firm in the belief that the common language of English masked our fundamental differences; in terms of values and beliefs, it seemed the British had much more in common with our European neighbours.
Strangeland is Jon’s account of how much that has changed. The US was a country he thought he knew well but didn’t really; returning home has been in some ways even more disconcerting – either Britain, the country he grew up in, has changed dramatically, or he has. Perhaps it’s both.
A trenchant analysis of politics, people, and everything in between, Strangeland is an unforgettable portrait of a country gone through the looking glass.
'I like and trust Jon Sopel and you should too' - Joe Lycett
'A hugely entertaining and quite traumatic rollercoaster' - Armando Iannucci
'A thrilling, nerve-wracking book. You couldn't make the last ten years up; thanks to Jon Sopel, you don't have to' - Peter Frankopan
'Acute and unflinching - Sopel deploys his foreign correspondent skills on home shores as well as far ones, and brings together the story of a tumultuous few years on both sides of the Atlantic' - Mishal Husain
What listeners say about Strangeland
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- Anne Green
- 06-10-24
Excellent review of where we are and why
Devoured this. Recommended for anyone who cares about democracy . Well informed and superbly presented by Jon Sopel
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- Ms C E Day
- 29-09-24
Excellent
It was informative, engaging and interesting. Bought on Thursday and finished by Sunday. 100% recommended
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- Dean PJ Houston
- 27-09-24
Didn’t want it to end!
Jon has such a truthful and real voice on the events both here and in the US over the past few years. His frankness and openness about his love and fear for our country is refreshing and nuanced
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- mark
- 27-09-24
Nothing I haven't heard before
I can't say this is bad by any means but a lot of it is a recap of parts we have heard numerous times on the newsagents podcast with a few interesting anecdotes, my main complaint is that there's too much America and Trump rather than Britain given the "How Britain stopped making sense" title.
I can highly recommend if your a much less regular listener to the podcast but for a political junkie like me it was a bit unexciting overall.
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- Louise Howard
- 02-10-24
Ruddy marvelous
This was brilliant. Jon Sopel, you have a new fan. Brilliantly written - succinct, comprehensive, engaging, witty and insightful. Definitely a can’t put down (can’t stop listening to) book. On to my next Sopel read…
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- Adrienne
- 04-10-24
No New Insights
Much as I love The Newsagents podcast, there is nothing new here. It’s all been said before and Jon doesn’t really add anything to the analysis. Far too much about Trump in the first half too. A bit disappointing.
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