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These Wild English
I'm England till I die. I know I am, I'm sure I am, I'm England till I die!
Mum's marching through towns yelling slogans with the EDL. Billy's in prison for armed robbery. Nicola's left with a holdall of family photos, trying to work out who are we? and how did we get here?
This is the story of one family finding their way through the chaos and crises of modern Britain. From the working farms of Cumbria to the windswept shores of Kent, Nicola Wilding follows three generations of her family through moments of love, pride, rage and riot as they struggle against dispossession and marginalisation. Written with tenderness, candour and an eye for beauty amid the mess, this is an unforgettable portrait of a fractured community, class and country searching for meaning and belonging.
Mum's marching through towns yelling slogans with the EDL. Billy's in prison for armed robbery. Nicola's left with a holdall of family photos, trying to work out who are we? and how did we get here?
This is the story of one family finding their way through the chaos and crises of modern Britain. From the working farms of Cumbria to the windswept shores of Kent, Nicola Wilding follows three generations of her family through moments of love, pride, rage and riot as they struggle against dispossession and marginalisation. Written with tenderness, candour and an eye for beauty amid the mess, this is an unforgettable portrait of a fractured community, class and country searching for meaning and belonging.
- GenresNonfiction
303 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 11, 2026
These Wild English is an interesting and thought provoking read. This memoir is about three generations of the author’s family but also about the societal and political environment they live and grow up in. It shines a spotlight on working class white English people, their identity, struggles and beliefs.
It’s a tender exploration of the individuals in this family and what might have shaped them as people. The intergenerational trauma struck me but also thinking about the surrounding circumstances, the political environment, poverty, relationships etc. It explores how it came to be that her brother ends up in prison and why her mum is marching in protests with the far right movement. It’s well written and accessible.
I’d recommend this! Pick this up if you enjoy non-fiction, memoirs, exploration of intergenerational trauma, class, society and political environment.
“the magical way ordinary things can surprise you when they stand up and stare back at you.”
“… it was because there was a deep hole where belonging should have been and nothing but the fire of her anger to light it.“
“It felt impossible to capture the tangled mess of decades of bad policy and wider global forces that had created such precarious lives that swirled with growing anxiety, fear and resentment.”
It’s a tender exploration of the individuals in this family and what might have shaped them as people. The intergenerational trauma struck me but also thinking about the surrounding circumstances, the political environment, poverty, relationships etc. It explores how it came to be that her brother ends up in prison and why her mum is marching in protests with the far right movement. It’s well written and accessible.
I’d recommend this! Pick this up if you enjoy non-fiction, memoirs, exploration of intergenerational trauma, class, society and political environment.
“the magical way ordinary things can surprise you when they stand up and stare back at you.”
“… it was because there was a deep hole where belonging should have been and nothing but the fire of her anger to light it.“
“It felt impossible to capture the tangled mess of decades of bad policy and wider global forces that had created such precarious lives that swirled with growing anxiety, fear and resentment.”
July 2, 2026
Complex, compassionate and uttely captivating ‘These Wild English’ is (writer & tv producer) Wilding’s memoir following three generations of her rural working class family, from a working farm in the Eden Valley, Cumbria via army barracks in Cyprus & Northern Ireland, to the Kent coast.
Tender and uncompromising it’s a tale of love and generational struggles, hard labouring - grafting on land that was never theirs to own - strong women, hard drinking, impulsive decisions and a deep well of pride.
From poll tax riots, the foot-and-mouth outbreak and ‘right to buy’ credit, to being reviled Brits on Irish soil, a prison sentence and marching with the EDF; Wilding paints a portrait of a fractured community, a sense of belonging slowly dismantled by political decisions made elsewhere. Systems set up to fail them. A country on fire.
Told with love and fury in equal measure, These Wild English is brilliantly forthright, funny and very, very readable. A timely and very much recommended read.
Tender and uncompromising it’s a tale of love and generational struggles, hard labouring - grafting on land that was never theirs to own - strong women, hard drinking, impulsive decisions and a deep well of pride.
From poll tax riots, the foot-and-mouth outbreak and ‘right to buy’ credit, to being reviled Brits on Irish soil, a prison sentence and marching with the EDF; Wilding paints a portrait of a fractured community, a sense of belonging slowly dismantled by political decisions made elsewhere. Systems set up to fail them. A country on fire.
Told with love and fury in equal measure, These Wild English is brilliantly forthright, funny and very, very readable. A timely and very much recommended read.
July 6, 2026
Just superb.
August 7, 2026
Brilliantly written and incredibly fast-paced, though ultimately not my personal preference.
Thank you to the author and the publishers for providing an ARC copy for review through Jubilee Crescent Book Club.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book, and I was deeply impressed by the author's execution. Biographies are not my usual genre, but the writing style here was so brilliant and the pacing so excellent that I ended up finishing the entire book in two nights.
While there is a politics and societal context it really is just the telling of a family story and trying to fit it into a bigger agenda to make sense. The first half paced by beautifully but then it slowed somewhat, possibly because it was just a retelling of events I have lived. Must say I hated how it ended in covid.
While the factual, family-focused biographical subject matter simply isn't my kind of book—and therefore wasn't something I personally enjoyed reading—I cannot deny how well it was crafted. It is rare for a biography to be such an effortless, compelling page-turner.If you are a fan of factual family biographies, this is an absolute masterclass in the genre, and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to the author and the publishers for providing an ARC copy for review through Jubilee Crescent Book Club.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book, and I was deeply impressed by the author's execution. Biographies are not my usual genre, but the writing style here was so brilliant and the pacing so excellent that I ended up finishing the entire book in two nights.
While there is a politics and societal context it really is just the telling of a family story and trying to fit it into a bigger agenda to make sense. The first half paced by beautifully but then it slowed somewhat, possibly because it was just a retelling of events I have lived. Must say I hated how it ended in covid.
While the factual, family-focused biographical subject matter simply isn't my kind of book—and therefore wasn't something I personally enjoyed reading—I cannot deny how well it was crafted. It is rare for a biography to be such an effortless, compelling page-turner.If you are a fan of factual family biographies, this is an absolute masterclass in the genre, and I highly recommend it.
August 7, 2026
This compelling family memoir tackles themes of class, poverty, domestic violence and childhood trauma in such an engaging way that I often forgot I wasn’t reading a novel.
There was raw emotion spilling out of every story laced with humour as we follow the twists and turns of Nicola’s family history.
These Wild English shines a new light onto recent events such as foot & mouth, Brexit, Covid and more, and we see how the fallout directly shaped her family’s lives.
Overall a moving and compassionate illustration of a family’s struggle to hold on against the changing political tide which often picks them up and casts them aside.
There was raw emotion spilling out of every story laced with humour as we follow the twists and turns of Nicola’s family history.
These Wild English shines a new light onto recent events such as foot & mouth, Brexit, Covid and more, and we see how the fallout directly shaped her family’s lives.
Overall a moving and compassionate illustration of a family’s struggle to hold on against the changing political tide which often picks them up and casts them aside.
August 8, 2026
this was a brilliant story! I find it hard to rate a non-fiction book since it isn’t really a story but this was easy to read, super interesting and open to analysis and interpretation. Opened my eyes to the fact non fiction can be fun, definitely should have more reads than it does! Of course at times felt slightly sympathetic to extreme right wing views but I understand the circumstance and trying to portray the nuance and naivety above the seen online evil mindset.
July 27, 2026
A worthy book that was so miserable I gave up. The author’s mother was obviously an abused woman who kept making bad choices and didn’t support her children properly.
July 28, 2026
Such a good read!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews