The English: A Portrait of a People

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In reading this, I was drawn to compare it with 'Watching the English' by Kate Fox naturally, as Fox's book does make a lot of reference to this book though it is not easy to say which I preferred. Paxman aims to explore and define what makes the English like they are. This is a much more well-researched book, more reliant on historical context than softer modern sociology, a bit heavier and not as enjoyable to read as Fox's book on the same subject.

I did find it very interesting, in places, h In reading this, I was drawn to compare it with 'Watching the English' by Kate Fox naturally, as Fox's book does make a lot of reference to this book though it is not easy to say which I preferred. I did find it very interesting, in places, however - I thought parts were very incisive and 'on the ball', and structurally it felt more believable and traditional too.

It was slightly dated in places, understandably, it is political too.. A bit stodgy in places though. Aug 24, Fiona rated it liked it Shelves: I can't help but like Jeremy Paxman and I enjoyed his attempt to define Englishness, a much more nebulous concept than we might think. He really doesn't come to any conclusions but the journey is enjoyable and, as a Scot, I always enjoy English attempts to find an identity discrete from Britishness. Jul 08, Joanna rated it liked it Shelves: I never thought I'd have to write book reports in grad school, but here we are once again.

This book was fine, not a typical policy book so that was a nice change of pace. A bit long-winded but at times funny and poignant. Made me think a lot about the legacy of the English on Americans actually. Apr 06, Josh rated it really liked it. When asked to consider what it means to be English, one may rather quickly evanesce into sentimentally; the eyes mist over and one begins to babble of green fields and prattle of a pleasant land of parish churches and village greens, of hedges and bright meadows and merry forests.

One would also spout, I presume, a lot of nonsense about upstanding, stolid gentleman and country houses and cricket, then blather about English values of scepticism, fairness and irony. Before one knows it, one finds When asked to consider what it means to be English, one may rather quickly evanesce into sentimentally; the eyes mist over and one begins to babble of green fields and prattle of a pleasant land of parish churches and village greens, of hedges and bright meadows and merry forests.

The English: A Portrait of a People

Before one knows it, one finds oneself reciting Shakespeare: This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands, This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.

Perhaps this ideal England never existed outside the imagination. But images people form of themselves are important. His book is opinionated and challenging, and jammed full with anecdote and allusion. Having only a vague, adopted notion of what is means to be English, I find it a fascinating attempt to define and interpret the character of a people.

They were polite, unexcitable, reserved, prone to melancholy and had hot-water bottles instead of a sex life: The world has become culturally homogenised and the need for self-analysis has increased. He probes sundry aspects of Englishness, from the love affair with the home and garden, bizarre attitudes to sex and food, stoic acceptance of brutal schooling, tolerance of religion, and prickly relations with foreigners.

Perhaps Englands greatest asset and export is its language.

But, as with America and popular music, the English language now belongs to everyone and no-one. It is become a lingua franca hah! With their language, the English have a boundless capacity to reinterpret their past and shape their future. What does all this say about the contemporary English character? If written anything like the book I have been reviewing, it would prove a witty, erudite, eloquent, frustrating, yet fascinating read.

Feb 15, Kitten rated it liked it Shelves: God, I am so glad I finally finished this book! With less than pages it should not have been a problem to read it within a few hours, but I could not really focus on it and really had to force myself to keep reading. And this leads us to the next two points: To me, this book sounded like a good introduction to the English culture and I thought it would be an easy read. Personally, God, I am so glad I finally finished this book! Personally, I did not need it to be an introduction as I have already taken various classes on the British but also English culture.

Yet there were various things, especially names, that I would have had to google if they had been important to me. But fortunately, most of them were just random names next to quotes and I honestly do not care who exactly said the thing that's talked about in the sense of: My point is that this book is certainly not a good choice for someone who doesn't know anything about the English as well as British, Scottish, Welsh and Irish, because those are frequently focused on culture.

It will by no means serve you as an introduction to this complex subject. The problem is that I find that the title there is no summary on the book that could give you further details has you assume that this is what this book is: Well, it is not. A large part of the book focuses on Britain and its members, which would be fine if the things said were relevant to what would later be said about the English. I'd say that about half of the book really focuses on the English, and that even this half rather focuses on history than on any kind of national character.

While I have surely learned a thing or two about - for instance - how English or rather British, as this was again not limited to the English children used to be treated by their parents and teachers, this is not the reason I read "The English". What I was looking for is a characterization of the English as a people. What are they like? What do they do? What makes them special? Where do those traits come from? But why would I want to know the answer to the last question if I don't know the answers to the first few?

To be fair I must say that the very last of eleven chapters does focus on these questions, but for a book with a title like that this is not enough. There are three more things that bothered me, but I promise I'll keep it short. They did not only have numbers but also titles that sounded nice enough. But I felt like the titles never matched what was really discussed. Apart from that, Paxman repeats himself on various occasions. One topic should be for one chapter and it would be great if the title matched the content. Secondly, this book is too long.

In the beginning of this review I said that it does not even have pages, which is really not long at all. But had they cut out everything that was simply repetition and a useless amount of examples etc. Lastly, I am annoyed that about half the book realistically estimating it's probably only a third consists of quotes, direct or indirect. Quotes are fine, really, even very useful at times. To conclude, I must say that I did not enjoy reading this book at all, but this is of course partly my fault.

I am well aware that I would not have picked this up if it were not for uni, which is why I never expected to enjoy it in the first place. While I do have an immense interest in the English and British culture, I do not really like this kind of reading. I love stories that I can get invested in, which is obviously not what this book is or in any way aims to be. It is meant to mainly informative and a little entertaining, and I think for someone who enjoys this kind of books it might be a good choice.

It is even rather nicely written. A bit boring at times, but that is alright. Let me add that two of my professors keep recommending it. I am giving it three out of five stars because it is indeed an alright book. It is well-researched, well-written and focuses on interesting topics. But I am still more than a bit disappointed that it was not at all what I was looking for to help me with my studies. Mar 11, Taylin rated it it was amazing.

As a foreigner who lived in London I always knew the English to be different and at some level very different to other nations even in comparison to the Scotts, Irish and Welsh. But I always wondered if they knew about it themselves. It seems at least the author has managed to discern those English characteristics that may seem off yet fascination to foreigners.

When I first moved to London I struggled with getting English humor but now I believe it to be the most sophisticated and mature form of humor. But for a new encounter it may and does seem strange. It will explain why it may sometimes seem so hard to understand them. Jeremy Paxman writes that English believe themselves to be superior to others though they never admit it which may and is in many cases a hindrance in understanding other cultures or even learning foreign languages of which there are numerous advantages as shown by recent scientific discoveries. A vey interesting book, indeed!

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May 19, Ralf Grabuschnig rated it liked it. This book is a bit of a mixed bag to me. I expected some, at least, half-scientific approach to English culture and history. What Paxman does, however, is looking at certain aspects of "typical" English behaviour and draw rather generalising conclusions. At the same time, it was not a bad read. I don't feel like I learned a lot but the book did make me think. Some of the ideas put forward by Paxman are worth contemplating, even though his evidence is patchy at best.

Basically what I'm saying is This book is a bit of a mixed bag to me. Basically what I'm saying is this: There is no such thing as an objective portrait and neither is there such thing as a homogenous people. So this is what you get. Jul 14, Mac. Hawk rated it liked it Shelves: The book in is 20 years old now and is a capsule of it's time.

Apr 17, Nia rated it did not like it. Almost wholly dull and obtuse. It started out with some promise but the rest was a dawdling look at nothing much, with the occasional mildly funny insight or comparison.

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That it was verbose and boring was my my take-home feeling, which is a shame because it's a potentially interesting topic. Oct 05, Sandi rated it it was amazing. I always enjoy the literate and witty Jeremy Paxman, and I enjoyed this book tho' not as much as he book on the royals. He examines what it is to be English. Not British, but English, and why the English have a far less distinctive sense of self than do the Irish, Scots, and Welsh. I do wish that in his chapter on the Anglican official Church he had mentioned that for centuries non-Anglicans--including other Protestant groups, Catholics, Jews, agnostics and other "Dissenters" were taxed to supp I always enjoy the literate and witty Jeremy Paxman, and I enjoyed this book tho' not as much as he book on the royals.

I do wish that in his chapter on the Anglican official Church he had mentioned that for centuries non-Anglicans--including other Protestant groups, Catholics, Jews, agnostics and other "Dissenters" were taxed to support Anglicanism in a thoroughly unfair manner. I was generally disappointed in him, because this is the sort of socio-economic history at which Paxman excels.

He can be righteously fierce at attacking social injustice! He also ignored ethno-religious bias among the English, which was also disappointing. Keeping these factors in mind, I'd still recommend this book to Anglophiles and non-Anglophiles alike, and to those of us who are serious students of history and enjoy witty, literate writing. Jun 12, Sarah Clement rated it really liked it. If you know Paxman and what he's all about, then this book is exactly what you'd expect: But in a weird sort of way, it ends up being less biased than other books I've read on the topics because Paxman's disdain for practically everything means that he explores many different dimensions of 'Englishness' from many different angles.

This is not the book for English people to read if they want to pat themselves on the back and re-affirm the If you know Paxman and what he's all about, then this book is exactly what you'd expect: This is not the book for English people to read if they want to pat themselves on the back and re-affirm the belief that they are uniquely unique. Rather, it is a book for English people who want to understand themselves better, British people from other UK states who want to understand their neighbour better, and for immigrants like me who want to understand, or at least contemplate, why it is that this pervasive belief has come to be and what it means to be English, if it means anything at all.

As with other books on this topic, there is much said about the tension between UK states and how Englishness is distinct from 'Britishness', 'Scottishness', and 'Welshness', and whether or not there is such thing as 'Englishness' at all. For someone with citizenship in two of England's former colonies, I found the discussion of whether there is an English 'race' and the diversity of ethnicities that have shaped England particularly interesting, especially considering the frequent judgment that the colonies are somehow 'less than' because they aren't as old and "pure" as England.

These are all things you will have learned in history class, but discussed through a very different lens. I disagreed with many of Paxman's interpretations, but that's to be expected. The book isn't posed as an academic tome, so I read it with the view that this was Paxman's view of the world, with information selected to support that view. From that perspective, this is an excellent book and a massive undertaking, as he covered some of the big topics that an anthropologist, cultural historian, or a social scientist would find more daunting if they were to approach it academically.

And I have not seen an academic cover this topic well open to suggested readings, however! It was especially poignant for me to be reading this book after the shocking and depressing result of the EU referendum, but in some small way, I think it contributed to me understanding it better and not simply interpreting it to mean this country is full of racists. It's more nuanced than that, and this book helps paint a historical backdrop as to why that is Interestingly enough, the picture he paints of the EU debate in this country was exactly the same then as now; just less sensationalised because there was no referendum at stake.

One of the things that I will definitely hold onto from this book Paxman's clear argument about the effect of the view that the real England is 'out there' and not in the cities where most English people live. This view arose long ago, and it is true that many English cities are horrible. I don't necessarily agree with him as to WHY English cities are horrible, but I thought he articulated the effect of the belief quite clearly: Sep 28, Palmyrah rated it liked it.

Many reviewers of The English on Goodreads seem to be more concerned with the author, Jeremy Paxman, than with the actual book.

I suppose this is one of the hazards of being a well-known TV face. Since I don't live in the UK and don't watch television, I'd barely even heard of him before I picked up this book, so you won't find any prejudice in this review. As the poet Burns suggested, it is hard to see ourselves as others see us.

This is true of nations as of people, and Paxman's struggles to de Many reviewers of The English on Goodreads seem to be more concerned with the author, Jeremy Paxman, than with the actual book. This is true of nations as of people, and Paxman's struggles to describe and define his compatriots are understandable. He comes to no grand conclusions, apart from noting that, while much that is external has changed since the end of the Victorian era, the English are still recognisably the same people they always were.

As a student of history and a foreigner who knows the English pretty well, I think this is true, even obvious. The charm of a book like this, though, is not in its conclusions but in the tapestry of fact and suggestion woven by the author out of his considerable erudition as well as, doubtless, a great deal of research. I learnt quite a few interesting, amusing and surprising things while reading this book, even though there weren't any shattering revelations or insights to be gained from it.

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I enjoyed the writing; its friendly, conversational tone wears its learning lightly. As for its politics, which appear to have infuriated a number of reviewers on this site, I found them generally fair-minded and unobtrusive, though the attempt to be 'gender-inclusive' falls rather flat and probably won't satisfy ardent feminists either.

The one glaring omission, as far as I could see, was music. Paxman does refer, once or twice, to the enormous effect England has had on contemporary popular music; in this regard it is second only to the USA. However, apart from speculating that the English weather, which tends to keep people indoors, may have something to do with it, Paxman says little about the subject. Surely any study of the English people and character must try to explain how the English, not much known for their music before the second half of the twentieth century, suddenly came to produce so much brilliant and inspired music.

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But perhaps this is a task for a specialist. On the whole, I found this book absorbing and interesting. It peters out at the end, but for most of its length it is an excellent read. Just don't expect to learn anything new or definitive about the English national character from it. Aug 13, Mary Simonsen rated it liked it.

The Welsh have managed to hold on to their language and their songs while the Scots have their bagpipes, Parliament, legal system, and field their own football teams in World Cup competitions. So what about the English? Paxman traces the history of the British stereotype, beginning with the obese, meat-eating, ale-drinking John Bull in the 18th Century, followed by the stiff-upper-lipped Englishman of the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

The latter stereotype is the result of the British public private in the U. But what about their 21st Century identity? That is the essence of the book. For pages, Paxman wanders the country in search of a national identity for the English, and in some cases, with amusing results. But in a country as ethnically diverse as England, is it even possible?

And so I ambled along. Because it was written 14 years ago, it is dated. But even in , Paxman came up with very little to show for his efforts to find an English persona. I would think his task would be impossible today. The book shines in the historical and sociological background that defines English culture, but crumbles towards the end when less dignified behaviour becomes hard to explain. Some good insights are that an obsession with housing and property makes sense in a country with terrible weather that for a time only gave voting rights to landowners.

The enduring fantasy of rural England. The "ideal Englishman", anti-intellectual and with stiff upper lip. Sex, and the status of women in society. And, lastly, dragging England out of its glorious past into an uncertain future. Paxman volunteers insights that I, a visitor to England and Wales and Scotland multiple, but all too infrequent, times, would never have thought of: The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.

It is the consequence of genuine, small-scale anxiety. Whether his conclusions are correct or not is best left to the judgment of the reader. For the most part, however, they seem eminently reasonable to me, although I might have encompassed one or two peculiarities that have become apparent during my lifetime love affair with the country, e.

Finally, I applaud the author's attempt to tease apart national characteristics of the English from the "British" overlay. Mind you, "English", "Welsh" and "Scottish", are all lumped under the political construct "British", which is oft wrongly equated with "English" by both ignoramuses and those that should know better. After my many visits to the island, what I remember most vividly and superficially are: Covering a diverse number of topics related to english as opposed to British history,current events and social analysis this highly entertaining and witty study examines how the English identity is evolving in the age of multiculturalism.

Along the way Paxman's insights on everything from football hooliganism to English sexual practices keep the pages turning. I enjoyed this very much and highly recommend it. This is a "solid" read. The book is a study in complexity. I have had to read and re-read it to grasp the subject matter although brighter people than me may not need to do so.

Fascinating, absorbing food for thought. Despite this, Paxman has a light touch. A wonderfully light read, Paxman's English flies by through an admixture of fact and anecdote. If you are looking to enjoy a study of the English people, perhaps as you contemplate travelling to England, this book could be of use. The book flies by and retains substance at the same time. You will find yourself reading a hundred pages in a day. Trualy an English stylist. I am looking forward to reading this book again.

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