Title: What Everyone Knows About Britain* (*Except the British)

Author: Michael Peel

Genre: Nonfiction

Publisher: Monoray / Octopus

Publication Date: 25th April 2024

Rating: 4/5

Cover:

Summary:

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:

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book but what I got was an insightful and articulate piece of writing about the place Britain finds itself in today. It’s not always a fun read, there are unpleasant and sometimes downright shameful aspects of Britain’s history both here and abroad that make for quite a sobering reading experience. However, I think that this is immensely necessary when considering the way Britain is perceived by the rest of the world and by the British people. The world generally feels like a rather contentious and divided place at the moment and has done increasingly for several years, so I believe that, as British people, it makes sense to question whether we really see our country for what it is right now, without the veneer of British nostalgia and mythology of the past. Whether you agree with the author’s point of view or not, I think the amount of research and factual information that he backs his argument up with is undeniably cohesive and intelligent. Yes, he is critical on many political manipulations and attitudes on controversial topics, but throughout the book there is the sense that he hopes Britain can begin to improve itself and that can only be achieved by truly understanding the place we are currently in. Overall, a smart, thought provoking and well written book that makes for pretty essential reading in today’s climate.

★★★★☆

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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