The English: A Portrait of a People

by Jeremy Paxman

In "The English," Jeremy Paxman sets out to find out about the English. Not the British overall, not the Scots, not the Irish or Welsh, but the English. A book on what constitutes Englishness, and what are considered the essential characteristics and values. Using literary sources and interviews, he attempts to define how “Englishness” has changed over this century, and what it is now both in our own and outsider’s views.

Covering history, attitudes to foreigners, sport, stereotypes, language and much, much more, "The English" brims over with stories and anecdotes that provide a fascinating portrait of a nation and its people.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, British Literature, Politics, Cultural, Anthropology, Sociology

309 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Jeremy Dickson Paxman is a British journalist, author and television presenter. He has worked for the BBC since 1977. He is noted for a forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians. His regular appearances on the BBC2's Newsnight programme have been criticised as aggressive, intimidating, condescending and irreverent, and applauded as tough and incisive.

Reviews

[Robert Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thankfully, I don't know Jeremy personally (yes, I know this is difficult for my North American readers to understand being as both Jeremy and I both live in 'London'!) so that means I don't have to mince round his feelings like an insomniac's husband going for a midnight pee.

All I really know about Jeremy is that he's on the radio and he interviews people (although if you're reading this in the year 2025 this may not still be true).

This book that Jeremy wrote comes over like the weather in England, on virtually any day since the history of forever: partly sunny, partly cloudy, with a moderate risk of hailstones the size of sixpences. Hmm - I think that metaphor broke down along the way; but anyway - some parts of this book are excellent, some are utter tosh and most of it says nothing whatsoever about the experience of your average Englishman (aka me) of being English.

The excellent parts are ... hmm, strike that. I've re-read my 'Reading Progress' notes, and it's all pretty much cloud, rain and snow, with a brief moment of sunshine between pages 24 and 32 when the book made me feel momentarily privileged to be English.

The tosh is pretty much everything else, mainly because I consider the parts of the book that don't speak to me to be tosh too.

I wonder how I came to consider myself to be so stereotypically English, yet without identifying myself as the English described in this book.

My nose has more than a touch of Roman about it, so perhaps my identity confusion comes by way of being descended from ...

Actually, I don't feel confused about this at all. I'm English, and Jeremy doesn't know me and so could not have included me in his book - it's a simple as that. What he has done is describe the England that he knows and the people that he knows, and so has missed out everything and everyone else.

The only parts of the book that include me are those that mention the 'common' (or words to that effect) people who live in the 'ugly' (not my experience) built-up parts of the country and who (presumably) don't matter enough to be consulted by Jeremy as to their views and opinions (he wrote letters to several public figures in order to get their views on what it means to be English).

A better approach to researching this book would have been to step away from Wikipedia, forget about the famous people he quoted, get out into the country and just talk to more people.

If you're reading this Jeremy - you can come and stay with us for a while - there's a futon in the spare room whenever you're ready - and I'll introduce you to a few people on the estate. That way you can have something real to talk about when you write your follow-up: 'The English: A Portrait of a People I Never Even Knew Existed until Robert Clued Me In'.

Yeah - I know - utter tosh - sorry and all that.

[Margarita Garova · Rating 4 out of 5]

“По-скоро създатели, отколкото мислители, по-скоро писатели, отколкото художници, градинари, но не и готвачи.”

Те са комично сковани в личния си живот, но имат ненадминато гъвкава интелектуална традиция. Силно привързани са към традициите и установения ред, но най-важните революции – в музиката и парламентаризма, тръгват от тях. Владеят изкуството на малкия разговор, но презират патоса на крайните идеологии. Облъхнати са от песимизъм и меланхолия в ежедневието си, но в критични моменти са куражлии за пример – да си спомним раздавачите на вестници и мляко, които се препъват сред руините по време на блица. Скучни и ексцентрични едновременно. Правят най-добрите мини сериали, най-готината поп музика, най-забавната мода и най-вкусния ейл. В същото време едва ли има хора, които да се хранят по-зле от тях, които живеят в апартаменти с изолация като на къщичката от “Трите прасенца” и които си изпиват седмичната надница в пъба.

Те са противоречиви, леко смахнати и някои от нас много ги харесват, дори когато не ги проумяват съвсем. Парадоксите им отиват – англичанинът смята, че е по-добър от останалите, без да си даде труда да ги познава. Смята че страната е заотивала по дяволите поне от два века насам. Космополити и пътешественици, пълни с предразсъдъци към другите народи, а към французите – и с малко животворна омраза.

Островът е тяхното спасение. Може би никоя друга европейска страна не дължи толкова много на географията си. Докато континенталните европейци се избиват, прекроявайки граници и жертвайки няколко поколения млади мъже, английската психика (и политика) е оформена от островния релеф – по море всичко е еднакво близо и еднакво далеч.

Въпреки че типичният англичанин от книгата на Паксмън – вечно смутеният и безукорно възпитан джентълмен, който търси утеха от вулгарната столица в пасторалния си дом в провинцията, е еволюирал в противоречиви посоки, леко размит и страдащ от криза на идентичността (като повечето съвременни европейци, впрочем), този архетипен образ доминира както в представите на не-англичаните, така и в културната продукция. Мистър Дарси винаги е за предпочитане пред футболния хулиган или банкера от Ситито.

Тази книга е страхотно удоволствие и истински подарък за англофилите! Не е лесна работа да обясниш един народ, без да изпадаш в нелепи генерализации, и което е още по-трудно – от позицията на “вътрешен човек”, който не разполага с предимството на дистанцията. Паксмън е постигнал максималното. За разлика от “Политическото животно” – безкрайна скука, която зарязах без угризения по средата, “Англичаните” е успешен проект, който ще продължа да допълвам с лични впечатления на терен.

[Margaret]

Didn't finish. Got well pissed off when I reached an historical "fact" that I know is bollocks.

Completely lost interest at that point.

[Graham Tapper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating analysis of the State of the Nation and how we got to be who we are. Written in 1998, pre 9/11, it could be considered already out-of-date. However, the picture that Paxman paints draws mostly upon the past and the changes in attitudes and beliefs and this continues from where he left off as much as it changed in the past.

Paxman does emphasise that he is discussing the English as opposed to the British. However, it is interesting how and when and by whom the terms English and British are used and how those that use them my mean the one when they say the other.

He also exposes many misconceptions about the English such as the so called modern phenomenon of "Soccer Hooliganism". Turns it it's nothing of the sort, nor is it a feature just of the English game. Records of football violence date back as far as the 17th century and is as much a feature of German, Italian and Scottish football "fans" as it of the English.

Paxman's book is hugely readable and highly engrossing. It should be compulsory reading in all schools.

[Humphrey Boon]

Review? What review? I have mislaid the book! Aaah!

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Paxman, the famous UK television presenter known for his caustic interviewing - and generally coming across as a sneering, aggressive, pedantic and lecturing bully, also has written a few books. While I cannot stand his personality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlE5cT... , I did enjoy his book On Royalty - A Very Polite Inquiry into Some Strangely Related Families from a few years ago, where his vain, egotistical and superficial tone was somewhat dampened, perhaps because it was too difficult for him to sneer through a typewriter.

With The English, that judgmental tone - condescension and superiority to all those who do not see the world in the same, simplified way as him (a rigid and monotone liberalism), coupled with an arrogance and irreverence to the rich and 'elite'- both hallmarks of a permanently embittered and irredeemably spiteful man - color every page of The English, an inquiry into what traits and attitudes are essential to the English character, with forays into English cultural and political history. Even when Paxman uncomfortably strays into simpering emotionalism, his boorish and judgmental tone colors every thought. Paxman should be boiled down to a saucy, viscous ooze and used to scrub away otherwise intractable rust and embarrassing stains and spills.

[E Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book begins as a perceptive pulse-taking of Englishness and examines the struggle to re-formulate a post-colonial identity on the realisation that England is now a sub-nation of the UK rather than a master of quarter of the world. Even now, this is a difficult concept for some as the insidious English/British imbrication continues between the Tweed and Wye without yield. It is this form of Englishness/Britishness: the patriotic trinity of monarchy, archbishops and armed forces which is historically espoused as being “Englishness”. A lot of what is now seen as Englishness comes out of this age but is more pinpointed to what we define as quintessential: warm beer, village greens, the parish church, change ringing and book of common prayer, cricket, “fair play”, morris dancing, Shakespeare, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. It is resolute nostalgia and calm stubbornness, diffidence, xenophobia, traditionalism. He’s right to touch upon the fact that there is an English notion of being aloof from the continent, and “true-born”, but this betrays the melange of Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Viking in the English bloodstream. The view of England is a pastoral and rustic ideal where in reality the majority of English people have been living in cities for centuries (Paxman is right to say the countryside is now polluted by the “escape to the country” set).

Sadly Paxman begins to lose me when he starts talking about the “Ideal Englishman” - privately educated, drunken, arrogant, entitled - someone who read Greek and Latin to patronise and push around the farm labourers on his estate. The other alternative is John Bull: the famously rotund caricature famous as a straight-talking reflection of Napoleonic resistance who guzzles all manner of things. These are the only offers of the ideal made when there are so much more to choose from. He then veers off to talk about a balding merchant banker with a penchant for BDSM (really?) as a quintessentially English oddity (Marquis de Sade?). In discussing how Englishness has come to the fore in response to cultural renaissance in Wales and Scotland, he delves into his own Anglocentric ignorance (the first recorded Eisteddfod was 1176, not 1792!). It’s always worth remembering that Paxman is an over-opinionated Journalist, not a historian and although there are some very well recorded interviews with those who imbue Englishness, the overall book lacks depth and fails to grasp what is tangible.

The book finishes by looking at how things have both changed and remained the same: how much the English like a fight, but now that is at 02:30 in most town centres after countless pints of pasteurised Danish-style lager with other toothless morons. Much like other writers such as Peter Hitchens (yuck) Paxman is right to say Diana’s funeral showed an alienation from traditional “Englishness” in contract to Churchill’s funeral: a quiet, polite people clad in black respectfully solemn as a coffin passes have transformed into a people who are dressed-down, applaud at a passing hearse, throw flowers and take pictures. Hasn't Englishness always been a fluid concept? Of course it has: I've always preferred the ostentatious sensual English baroque of the late 17th century to the repressed, dour, starch-collared Englishness of the 19th. British identity is now a minority one according to the last census, but non-white people in England increasingly identify as British rather than English because “Britishness” is a vague political allegiance without a tangible location and Englishness is seen as an ethnic concept trumpeted by skinheads rather than as a neutral national identity. Personally I’d love to see Englishness move beyond ethnicity and the political spectrum existing respectfully alongside the identities of Wales, Scotland and Cornwall but so long as the English/British brigade exist, it never will.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a bit of a mixed bag this, really. I can't say I learned a great deal from it - but then, on the other hand, I'm not sure I expected to. Paxman, in his uniquely deprecating way explains why the English nation is the self-hating mess that it is. Over the course of the book, he interviews the great and the good - from caddish rogue Simon Raven (who once suggested by telegram to his impoverished wife that she eat their baby) to former Prime Minister John Major.

We're treated to several lists of examples of Englishness - fish and chips, Monty Python, dry-stone walls, crosswords, Do-It-Yourself, the music of Elgar, and so on.

I guess the major failing of the book is that we never really get to the depths of why the English are as we are, but I guess the beauty of that issue is that there are so many possible explanations that we could never entirely boil it down to simple causes. This obviously leaves Paxman to fill the middle ground with some very interesting navel gazing... which is essentially what the book consists of, with chapters on different aspects of the English persona.

[Elif Çevik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeremy Paxman İngilizler'in psikolojisini çözümlerken kendini dürüst sanan bir İngiliz kadar dürüst.

Kitabın içeriğiyle ilgili konuşulabilecek birçok şey var elbette. Ancak bu kitabın en başından beri bana düşündürdüğü başka bir soru var: Acaba Türklerin psikolojisini

[John Grinstead · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surprisingly readable account of the historical events and influences that have contributed to the development of Englishness and the unique character of this island race. Whether you are proud to be English, riddled with guilt about our historical associations with colonialism and the slave trade or are looking for an insight into what makes the English who they are, this makes a pretty good fist of things. Paxman differntiates the national characteristics of the English from the British as a whole and traces the changes that have brought us to where we are today; less sure of ourselves and, arguably, in search of a new identity, both at home - as we cope with the influx of Europeans - and in trying to establish where we stand in the wider world order. Whether you are a Paxman fan or find his intellectual snobbery and smugness irritating, this account is undeniably well-researched and is delivered with wit and self-depricating humour, if at times it is a little rambling. A good read.

[Jack Strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeremy Paxman has a quite wonderful way with words and puts his skills to good effect in this wonderful portrayal of the english. It's an ambitious aim, but he pulls it off.

I am myself english, or count myself english, and i recognise many of my traits in his portrait. I wonder whether other english readers will feel the same way; and whether those who are not english, but have english friends, will recognise the traits of their english friends in this book?

If you are english, or an anglophile, or just someone who enjoys increasing hs breadth of knowledge on a number of subjects, you should consider reading this book.

In addition to it's other many virtues, it's great entertainment!

[piet van genderen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het was een uitdaging om dit boek met talloze noten en referenties te lezen. Een moeizame exercitie maar wel heel interessant en leerzaam in deze Brexit tijd.

[Melanie Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lively discussion of what it is to be English from Jeremy Paxman. I didn't agree with every point and they were mostly from a white, male perspective, but hats off to Paxman for raising a lot of useful points and perceptions on the topic. This book was first published in 1998, so it's written prior to Brexit, but does make some relevant points about attitudes to Europe.

Writing soon after the death of Princess Diana, the comments about the reaction in England are pertinent, but the writer fails to understand Diana's relevance to many English women as a feminist role model (in spite of, rather than because of, her links to the Royal family and the aristocracy) -our grief was, in part at least, for a fallen feminist comrade. This was not because she was always a perfect role model in this respect, but Diana confronted the patriarchy in several areas of life, including via some of the causes that she championed.

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was published in 1998 and many things have changed since then, notably the Brexit vote and ongoing wrangling. So it was interesting to see how much of that anti-Europe feeling was alive and well among many English people long before it came to the Referendum.

Being the Australian child of English parents, there was much that I recognised of course. The book is dated in some things, but essentially rings true, and I found it entertaining.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an educational read for me. Paxman identified the inextricably linked relationship between national identity and national history, as well as how national identity affected England's foreign policies and affairs. Paxman also elaborated on the character and disposition of the people, presenting the reader with the changing culture of England.

[Sarah Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know Paxman and what he's all about, then this book is exactly what you'd expect: it's England according to Paxman, and he hates everything. 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 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. I would suggest that, if you read this book, approach it as you would any popular social science/history book, and be skeptical of most things, but just enjoy the narrative. 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!), so for now this is among my favourite books I've read on this topic.

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....even though it was written 17 years ago. 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: so long as we hold the belief that the real England is 'out there', moving there will be something that we aspire to achieve, and we will have little incentive to improve the quality of life for the vast majority of people who live in the cities.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a book about The English almost feels a bit of a self-indulgence. I feel like I know quite a lot about them already and should be spending my time educating myself about other cultures. Nevertheless, this book - like its author - was opinionated and challenging enough to make me feel I was doing more than just navel-gazing. Like its author too it was occasionally grating, for example for its sneering dismissal of the engaging writing of Bill Bryson, a very different kind of observer of the English but an equally acute and witty one, or its uncritical equation of sexual liberation with social progress and failure to consider the bad as well as the good consequences of changes such as the increase in divorce.

Another omission of the book which the author could not have helped is that it fails to consider the events of the last ten years, most notably the Iraq war and the global financial crisis. Although Paxman rightly mocks Tony Blair's attempt to rebrand the country as 'Cool Britannia', he seems to share the upbeat view that England, or Britain, is indeed taking a new direction and becoming more vibrant and forward-looking as it shakes off at least some of the shackles of the past. Specifically, he refers to the gradual increase in social mobility since the war. Unfortunately, as today's reader will be aware, that shift in social mobility has gone backwards despite 13 years of a Labour government and now getting our financial house in order, not equality, has become the priority, as Nick Clegg's U-turn on student fees has clearly shown. Equally, the war in Iraq gave thousands an even lower opinion than they had before of democracy in the UK and the nation's standing in the world, while turnout rates at elections have never been lower. We now have a government that proclaims economic recovery while food banks open across the country. It would have been interesting to see these events considered in Paxman's portrait of the English.

Nevertheless, the broad sweep of the book still takes in all the key elements of what it meant, and means to be English, throwing in both well known examples and the more obscure to make a satisfying sort of cultural soup that in the end, smells authentically of what one instinctively feels to be Englishness. The arguments, in general, are powerfully made, even if you don't agree with them - the chapter on the Church of England is particularly spiky and robust, and the book's conclusion, that the ironic, dislocated attitude of the English to their country could be a new kind of nationalism, is thought-provoking. What really makes the book a success is that with only a very few exceptions, Paxman is rigorous in distinguishing what is particularly English from what is merely a local expression of a universal human trait.

So while reading a book on Tibet or Africa might have familiarised me with a strange culture, this one had the equally edifying effect of making the familiar seem strange.

[Ралица Генчева · Rating 3 out of 5]

Книгата е сполучлива остроумно-забавна комбинация. Информативна е, има доста статистика и исторически факти, но пък авторът разнообразява с интересен и хумористичен на места стил. Паксман сякаш през цялото време се опитва да направи паралел между всички всеобщо известни представи за англичаните като народ и реалността. Казвам паралел, а не контраст, защото изглежда повечето степеотипи за англичаните, които мразят французите, мразят шотландците, не са особено разговорливи, но винаги са престорено гостоприемни, сдържани, не отдават голямо значение на храната и секса и т.н., се оказва в голяма степен вярно.("Имало едно време англичани, които знаели точно какво представляват. Съществувал огромен списък с подходящи прилагателни. Учтиви, уравновесени, въздържани хора, които предпочитат грейка в леглото пред редовен полов живот – въпросът как са се възпроизвеждали си остава една от големите мистерии на западната цивилизация"). Дозата хумор и самоирония е жизненоважна за книгата, иначе човек може да реши, че цифрите са прекалено много и да се откаже.
Препоръчвам я на всеки. Ето и малък откъс:
"По-скоро създатели, отколкото мислители, по-скоро писатели, отколкото художници, градинари, но не и готвачи. Оковани в класови предразсъдъци и традиции, неспособни да изразяват чувствата си. Със силно развито чувство за дълг и непреклонност, граничеща с непонятното. “Да му се не види, останах без крак!” – възкликнал лорд Ъксбридж сред експлодиращите гранати на бойното поле при Ватерло. “Вярно, да му се не види!” – бил отговорът на фелдмаршал Уелингтън. Съгласно легендата, в наводнените окопи при Сома един смъртно ранен войник казал само, че “не бива да мърмоли”. Честта се считала за най-ценното притежание на един англичанин. Били верни и благонадеждни. Думата на английския джентълмен струвала колкото полица, подписана с кръв."

[Herman D'Hollander · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my student days the book(let) to read about the English was 'How to be an alien'. In short chapters author George Mikes described the 'typical' character and idiosyncratic behaviour of the English, based upon everyday observations. Funny, entertaining and recognisable, but nothing more really. Paxman's 'The English' is another matter altogether. It is a thoroughly researched work in which most aspects and characteristics of the English people (not the British, as he doesn't fail to point out) are described, commented on and explained. The book is packed with names, places, quotes, historic facts and references (sometimes overdoing it) to prove each and every point the author wants to make. Although the book was published in 1998 (a year after Princess Diana's death), it is still very relevant today. One reason is that the author uses the historic past to explain the present: ranging from the pre-Norman period over the rise and decline of the British Empire up to the events of the 20th century. In doing so, he is also 'walking backwards into the future', to apply a quote that he characterises the English with himself. Of course Paxman often gives his own opinion about what he describes, but all in all he is able to keep his notorious caustic temper in check. 'The English': to read, to reread and henceforth to dive into and hand-pick good bits and pieces at regular intervals, like with a box of chocolates (as the cliché goes).

[Fred Grün · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book interesting, funny and enjoyable but, at the same time, I sometimes felt like I was reading a draft. I didn't find the book very well structured and cohesive and I feel like the author didn't fully explore the topic and sometimes dwelled for too long on irrelevant subjects. At times, I was losing track of where he was going and found myself wondering "What exactly is your point?".
I think this book could have been a lot better if it had undergone more thorough editing.
Overall, I did enjoy it, though, and would recommend it to whoever wants to learn about English culture.

[Othón A. León · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a non-English reader, I found this book not only fascinating but widely enlighting for as to understand much more clearly the "why's" of Englishness. Through a recent business trip in England, I found this book in a convenience store and immediately found myself reading the most reveling story of the origins, habits, customs and even vices of this incredible culture that has given so much (in good and bad) to the world. For the first time I could krystal clear comprehend the differences (huge) between Scots, Irish, Welsh and English, which as a foreigner are not always clear (from the outside, you are in great risk of believing for all of your life that Jack's Union flag is the English flag, and never understand either the difference between St. George, St. Andrew and / or St. Patrick). Take the case of Renaissance; this is the first time I understand why are there so many outstanding representatives of literature or choral music in England and not so sculptors or painters for instance. Why French food is an art and not so English food is was another interesting discovery. Being "English" as a choice vs. being British as a convenience, well, fascinating hipothesis. It definitely is a "must"; read it.

[Mark Colenutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paxman has his detractors but personally any interviewer that is prepared to repeat the same question 14 times to a politician like Michael Howard, because he tries to avoid it, is worth his weight in democratic gold. If we had more enquiring journalists unwilling to accept the official line, like Vincent Browne vs the ECB, then we probably would have averted the economic mess we're in now. Such outspoken questioning has been conspicuous due to its thrity-year absence on our television screens.

All this is to say that Paxman gets the job done and leaves no stone unturned. I was surprised by just how much material the writer covered; the bibliography is a chapter in itself. He also investigates unique avenues in a quest to analyse the English. His observations are far from partisan due to his mixed Anglo-Scottish ancestry and this gives his opinions a certain legitimacy.

Probably, the greatest pleasure the reader will take from the book is the unexpected anecdotes and the wholly unexpected cultural yardticks that the author has chosen in order to measure Englishness.

Arguably then, the best book to undertake the challenge to define the nation and a serious attempt that makes it stand head and shoulders above a host of recent, less rigorous pretenders.

[Nick Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

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, 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.. but it possessed an authority and a convincingness that Kate Fox failed to reach by virtue of her poorly defined target audience and lack of conviction in what was being said. A bit stodgy in places though.

[Sarah u · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting study of English national identity throughout history; most prominently from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, I thought. Paxman looks at the ‘model Englishman’, the good and bad qualities of the English as a whole, the stereotypes, and the hypocrisies, while acknowledging the individual nature of us all. As an English person I enjoyed reading it, and would say it’s worth reading if you’re interested in English history, national identity, and contemporary English culture.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Fiona · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really disappointed by this-stereotypes abound!

[Tsvetelina Ivanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Забавно четиво, което отговори на много мои питанки за начина на поведение, нрава и културата на англичаните.

[marjinal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanıştırayım İngiliz.
Tarihteki etkileri açısından Türkler ve Çinliler gibi İngilizler de herhangi bir millet değil. Öyle ki dünyanın çürümeye yüz tutmasının, güçlü güçsüz insanların barbarca yaşamasının sorumlu faktörlerinden biridir İngilizler. Dolayısıyla düne kadar dünyaya katliam, işgal, sömürgecilik gibi bir dizi kötülük paketleri ihraç eden İngilizleri tanımak bilmek yaşamsal önemdedir. İngilizlerin yüzyılın ortalarında kötülüğü emmioğlu Amerikalılara devretmesi bir şeyi değiştirmez. Kötülükleri yadigar kaldı.          Düne kadar İngilizlerin ciğerini biliyorum diye bilirdim kendimi ama bu kitap havamı bozdu, hiçbir şey bilmiyormuşum!          İngilizler kitabından beklentim çok farklıydı. Jeremy Paxman sonuçta bir gazeteci dedim ve eğlenceli, gevşek, popülist, hemencek okunabilir bir kitap bekliyordum. Tam tersi ortamı vardı kitabın: Odağını kaçırmadan sayfalandırılmış muazzam bir araştırmanın kitabıdır İngilizler.          Ada'daki diğer topluluklar İskoçlar, Gallerlilerle iğrenircesine geçiremeyen ve kimin ne olduğu da pek bilinemeyen bir milletten bahsediyoruz. İngiliz için Ada dışında muhatap alınacak bir millet yok. Kendilerini milletlerüstü son derece özel bir millet olarak görüyorlar. Ama tabii şartlar değişti; kimseyi beğenmeyen bu sersemler Ada'da kendi başlarına yaşamanın sonucunda çürümeye yüz tutmuşlarken nasıl olduysa son bir hamle beğenmedikleri milletleri davet ettiler de şimdilerde sanırım birlikte mutlu mesut yaşıyorlar.          İngilizler bahisçi millet; akla hayale gelmeyen konuları bahis konusu yapıyorlar. Atlar yetmiyor köpekleri koşturuyorlar düşün.         İngilizler biraraya geldiklerinde üç konunun sohbetini yapıyorlar: Bir, hava durumu. İki, hava durumu. Üç, hava durumu. Varsa yoksa hava durumu. Niye? Hava bozarsa tehlike doğar, önlem almakta fayda var. Ne de olsa Ada'da yaşıyorlar. Her yerden esiyor yani. Fakat hava durumunu konuşmalarının daha önemli nedeni, pikolojilerinin hava durumuna göre değişmesi. Asansör tipler yani. Güneşli havada coşuyorlar bulutlu havada küsüyorlar. Ne zaman coşup küseceklerini bilmek için de hava durumu haberlerini derinlemesine takip ediyorlar konuşuyorlar.          İngiliz romanlarında bazen kamçılanmak isteyen karakterlere rastlarız. Sanırız ki bu adam sapık. Kamçılanma arzusu bu karaktere has bir dengesizlik değildir. Viktorya yıllarında bir iki üç hatta dört nesil centilmen yetiştirme ayağına okullarda kamçıdan geçirilmiş. Kamçılanma zamanında kaldırıldıysa da birer alışkanlık olarak sosyal yaşamda yer etmiş.          Holiganlar! Bu futbol anarşistleri tanımlanmış haliyle sadece İngiltere'de var. Özellikle şehir meydanlarında tahrik etmek süretiyle olay çıkarıyorlar. Kafe masalarını devirmeye bayılıyorlar. Hele de karşılarına kazara birileri çıktı mıydı uffff, ağız burun darmadağın ediyorlar. Hiç kimseyle sorunları yok. Sadece bir geleneği  çalıştırıyorlar: 1800'lü yıllardaki maçları savaş alanı halinde geçermiş. Festivallerde komşu köylerden kavga etmeye sopalı gelinirmiş.          İngilizler ayaklanma milleti olarak da tanınıyor biliniyor. Sokakta en küçük bir sorunda hemen ayaklanıyorlar. Tarzları Fransızlarınkinden farklı: Siyasetle ilgilenmiyorlar. İdealizm, felsefe gibi konuşuklara yüz vermiyorlar, gıcıklar.          Şimdiki durum nedir bilmiyorum ama düne kadar İngiltere'de kadınlar hayvan muamelesi görüyordu. En eğitilmişin bile evde yeri yoktu. Erkek ortamlarında bulunamıyorlardı. İngilizler bir zamanlar gerçekte kadınsız toplum olarak kayıtlara geçmiş.          Fakat çok çok çok ilginçtir böylesine tehlikeli bir toplumun suç dosyası bomboş. İngilizler suç işlemiyor, en azından cinayetleri yok, kafa kol burun kırıyorlar sadece!          İngilizler kitabıyla iki şeyin farkındalığına vardım: Türk milletine sallamak haksızlık. Kadınları sosyal yaşamın dışında tutan toplum tehlikelidir. İngilizlerin küresel kötülüğü rastlantısal değil yani.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean...where to start? This book is written from the point of view of a middle aged, middle class, white English person - one who truly has no appreciation for the point of view of others in a different positions from his. At times he was mixing apples with oranges, drawing comparisons with things that were not analogous at all. He compared the French policy on French language preservation with the English tendency to let their language evolve. His view was that this was just because the English are like this - confident lovers of independence and freedom, and the French are just uptight and miserly. How ridiculous! Talk about perpetuating stereotypes. English is not a language under threat. Astounding that he cannot see this. As a naturalised British citizen, but a non Anglo 'foreigner' this book is puzzling. His view is basically that English people are kind, polite, gentle, moderate. I hardly recognise this at all. He hardly mentions the points of view of any ordinary people, working class people, brown people, naturalised foreigners like me. Only other people like him and influential, historical figures are given a voice. Ordinary people are mentioned here and there but that's it. I really wish that the people he talks about knew of negative stereotypes about English people, and no they're not about drinking tea with the Queen! They're nasty. I wonder if he'd believe that English people committed terrible atrocities in other countries during Britain's imperial history. You don't just seize a country through diplomacy and honesty. Having said all this, I did enjoy learning about who the English actually are historically. I even grew to feeling more warmth towards the concept of the English as a whole, having understood their point of view a bit more (e.g. island mentality, and how the continent is something to be suspicious of and envy in equal measure). But apart from that, I do not share his views or affections.