English: A Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather

by Ben Fogle

What makes the English English? Is it their eccentricity, their passionate love (or, indeed, hatred) of Marmite – or is it something less easily defined?



Beginning at the top of a muddy Gloucestershire slope at the Coopers Hill cheese-rolling contest and traversing a landscape of lawns and queues, coastlines and sporting arenas, Ben Fogle takes us on a journey through the peculiarly English: a country of wax jackets, cricket, boat races and jellied eels, by way of national treasures such as the shipping forecast, fish and chips and the Wellington boot. Not to mention the Dunkirk spirit of relentless optimism in the face of adversity, be it the heroic failure of Captain Scott’s doomed Antarctic expedition, or simply the perennial hope for better weather.


The archetypal Englishman – lover of labradors and Land Rovers yet holder of two passports – Ben applauds all things quintessentially English while also paying tribute to the history, culture and ideas adopted with such gusto that they have become part of the fabric of the country. Written with Ben’s trademark warmth and wit, this is a light-hearted yet touching tribute to all things English.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Humor, Travel, British Literature

304 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Ben Fogle is a presenter, writer and adventurer. His achievements include racing 160 miles across the Sahara desert in the notorious Marathon Des Sables.

He has rowed the Atlantic Ocean in 49 days and crossed Antarctica in a foot race to the South Pole.
He has presented numerous programmes including BBC’s Animal Park, Wild In Africa, Countryfile, Crufts, One Man and His Dog and Extreme Dreams.

He writes regularly for the Sunday Telegraph and the Independent and has written four bestselling books. Ben’s latest book, The Accidental Adventurer will be published by Transworld in 2011.

He is an ambassador for WWF, Medecins Sans Frontier and Tusk, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the President of the Campaign for National Parks.

Ben is a special correspondent for NBC News in the United States, reporting from all over the world for Today, Dateline and MSNBC Nightly News.

http://www.benfogle.com/biography

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was almost the perfect bedtime read. Something light, amusing and endearing, easily picked up and put down, to lull you into a state of contented wooziness before you go to sleep. It sounds like I am damning with faint praise, but this is not meant to be the case. It really IS the ideal bedtime read. Even more so for any of you who might be thinking of visiting England.

It's a posh totty read. Ben Fogle used to work for the snobbiest of snob magazines - The Tatler - and he is endlessly charming. We learn about life in stately homes, the protocols of queueing for Wimbledon, and the joys of the Henley Regatta (not the boating, but the bright sugary colours of the male attire at this occasion.)

The book is a mix of gung-ho eccentricity (in another life Fogle rowed the Atlantic), and the more civilized idiosyncrasies of English life. He discusses the weather, tea, cricket, wellies, Barbour jackets, Chelsea (the flower show of course, not the reality television programme), our lack of a national anthem, Radio 4's shipping forecast, Shakespeare, pubs, Marmite and a crazy cheese rolling competition. Basically it's all good fun.

Fogle is congenial, with a good sense of humour and a kindly eye. He also loves England, albeit England through rosy colour spectacles. All of this shows in this book. I found it an enjoyable read.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting facts here - but (probably quite predictably) a bit too posh for me and giving a very selective view. Many of the 'quintessentially English' things Fogle describes are obviously in his comfort zone but are hardly accessible to all (Henley, Ascot, Barbour jackets, Cowes week, Landrovers, rich eccentric male gentry). Would have appreciated some more things that the average person could relate to, like pubs, football, trains, the NHS, etc... Ah well. Learned some fun facts about the Shipping Forecast and tea anyway.

[Snoakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

In English, Ben Fogle takes us on a jaunt around the country in search of the things that make us specifically English, rather than British. Unsurprisingly to anyone who knows him from the TV, many of the pursuits he chooses are unremittingly posh. But never mind - he is an amiable companion and it's a nice easy read that frequently makes you smile. And if he wants to wrest the concept of English away from its current rabid far-right connotations, then all power to him.

[Stuart Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect anti-dote for this exported Englishman. Perhaps not as in-depth as, say, a Bryson effort - it still manages to convey what it is to be English. Not intended to be definitive, but it makes you proud enough to puff out the chest a little.

[Louise Culmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

quite an enjoyable book about what (in Ben Fogle's opinion) is uniquely English. some things I agree with - the national obsession with weather for instance, that is evident wherever you go. And the loveliness of Marmite. others I am more dubious about - his description of the Cheese rolling in Gloucestershire is hair raising, but surely there must be other countries that have odd customs, strange sporting events etc? And there are certainly foreigners who love animals - look at the number of dogs in France for instance. And I felt he was going a bit too far when he claimed that rivers were 'quintessentially English'. I'm sorry, but I do know that even foreigners have rivers, I have seen some of them. The phrase 'only in England' is used a bit too often. And he drags up that old chestnut about people drinking beer in past times because the water was unsafe - if that was so, why do they still drink it today? But there is much to enjoy in this book, even if the claims for uniqueness are overdone at times.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fogle journeys around the country to explore what it means to be English; mostly he takes part in either eccentric or upper middle class pursuits. Some interesting points but generally full of nutty folk doing weird things.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the traditions and quirks of the English. It was a laughable interesting read.

[Lucie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like discussing the weather, you'll love this book...

[Fern A · Rating 2 out of 5]

In ‘English’, Ben Fogle aims to set out what he views as an English identity. He argues from the beginning that while there is an overall British identity and that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been able to establish their own identities, England is a country that is shamed and that English people are not allowed to be proud of their country or what makes them unique. The book then sets out various topics that the author believes to be specifically English with information about them.

This is a light read and Fogle is definitely a good storyteller. I found some of the little snippets and asides of his adventures interesting. However what really didn’t work for me was Fogle’s argument of English identity as a whole. Many of the things he selected to talk about I think are definitely British not just English (fish and chips and tea to name just two examples). Many of his other examples arguably are also more European than just British too. Even that if overlooked didn’t leave me convinced overall with the book when Fogle near the end (after repeatedly stating the importance of English identity as separate from British) made a statement that he prefers to fly and be represented by the Union Flag rather than the English flag as he felt the English flag has been used and ruined the reputation of England. I don’t think when talking about identity it should be possible just to pick and choose the nice bits that fit one picture someone is trying to paint. Either Fogle should argue for an English identity that encompasses everything, both good and bad, or just go for the British, this point for me unravelled a lot of his arguments. Finally I felt the country Fogle put forward here was an entirely posh, white upper class one and definitely not the reality for a large amount of the population.

A good light read for stereotypes but some serious flaws throughout, which for me completely overshadowed the book as a whole.

[Jo ✨☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book - there is some repetition but i enjoyed it overall !

[Aga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read with loads of interesting facts and good humour. Some reviewers said it was selective, maybe a bit too posh. I enjoyed it, and laughed a lot...

[Michelle Ryles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of English by Ben Fogle on Twitter and have to admit to being slightly underwhelmed by the cover. Although the English do love talking about the weather, there's nothing worse than getting soaked when a force 10 gale blows our brolly inside out on a wet weekend but it actually does typify the English so, in hindsight I did find it a good choice of cover image.

So I went into the book thinking: 'What could this half-Canadian tell me about my own country?' The answer: quite a blooming lot actually. I not only learned new things, but I remembered things I had forgotten and had a good laugh along the way. I loved the way English is written; I felt as if Ben Fogle was talking solely to me and I think, as Ben is a natural presenter, some of the subjects would make good TV viewing.

Of course you couldn't start a book about the English without talking about the weather and English has a whole chapter relating to our favourite subject, not just a chapter but the honour of the opening chapter. (It's cold and damp here in North East England, in case you were wondering). It was this chapter that first made me sit up and take notice as I read about Captain Gladstone Adams travelling back to Newcastle in 1908 after seeing the Mags losing to Wolves in the FA Cup Final (ha ha). It was snowing so heavily on 25 April 1908 that Captain Adams had to keep stopping to clear his car windscreen and decided to invent mechanical windscreen wipers. Who knew?

The North East gets quite a good few mentions in English, which makes quite a change as we are normally forgotten. Apart from the windscreen wiper inventing Newcastle fan, there are also good mentions for the Barbour factory in South Tyneside, the Alnwick Shrove Tuesday football match and the Hartlepool monkey.

I learnt so much in this book, not only about what makes us English, but about things that had previously been a mystery to me. For example, why do some people call their evening meal 'tea' and what is the origin of taking someone down a peg or two? Answers to these questions and SO much more are in this amazing book.

I don't want to share too much of my (many) favourite parts of this book, but I just have to quote a passage from English that anyone who has been to Betty's tearooms will understand. Only the English would happily queue for tea. Just reading it back here is music to my ears! A queue for tea? Where do I sign up?
The tea queue stretched around the corner. Can there be two more beautiful words to the English ear than 'tea' and 'queue'?
Ben Fogle may be half Canadian but he sure knows a thing or two about the English and is sure to raise an eyebrow or two in this excellent book. This book should be given to everyone applying for British citizenship to let them know what they are letting themselves in for; you can't revise for this test, Englishness is either in you or it isn't.

A highly recommended book for non-fiction fans who think they know everything about English history, you ain't read nothin' yet!

[RhysEvans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good night time read. A book you can easily dip in and out of.

Fogle focusses on quintessentially English middle and upper class life, with the odd detour down some of the countries most madcap traditions such as cheese rolling or worm charming. Although there are a fair amount of universals such as our obsession with the weather, tea, beer... apologising

Some parts drag on such as the shipping forecast and marmite - seriously how can one man be so fascinated about marmite? - but you can simply skim over the parts which aren't your cup of tea without losing too much. For the most part I really enjoyed Fogle's story of living Englishly. Of course as Fogle suggests the English are a nation of hobbyists and enthusiasts and he loves his shipping forecasts, marmite and crabbing.

After living in China for several years, I've done a lot more reflecting on England and Englishness than any other time in my life, and I feel that Fogle does a pretty good job of capturing the character of the sceptred isle, albeit maybe one that is a little cliche by his own admission. Yes for the majority of people England probably isn't eating strawberries and cream under a willow watching cricket. But it is an England which brings millions of teeming tourist to the capital and all four corners of the British Isles every year.

I thought that Fogle's ambition was admirable and that he does a pretty good job in helping to restore the reputation of the word English. Having a father that is Welsh and a mother who is American has always offered me some psychological relief from anxieties around being English, those of guilt/ shame, as I could always claim to be only half-English, or not really English, 'English (sort of) ' in Fogle's own words. But living abroad I came to realise how much I do love about being English (although don't tell my dad): England's weather, landscapes, music, food, tea, and our Shakespeare.

Yes, Fogle only captures a slice of English life on the British Isles but I feel many aspects that he touches on, even some of the barmiest are well worth preserving and certainly contribute to our unique identity: our fish and chips, finely trimmed lawns and pubs. Personally, there was a whole chapter missing on rugby but I enjoyed learning more about England's unique geography and weather, the history of waxed jackets and wellies, the lawn and Fogle's musings on how everything from the weather to tea has shaped England's cultural identity.

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Inglastest on kirjutatud väga palju paremaid raamatuid kui see. Absoluutselt parim on Kate Foxi "Watching the English"; kui see on läbi töötatud ja tahaks veidi rohkem nalja saada, siis Bill Brysoni "Notes from a Small island" pole ka paha. Fogle'it julgen soovitada ainult tõelisele inglase-aficionadole ja kindlasti mitte algajale.

Kogu eelnevalt läbitöötatud kirjanduse pluss isikliku elukogemuse pealt tean, et inglasi peaks iseloomustama understatement ja self-deprecation. Fogle end juba selliste stereotüüpidega piirata ei lase! Mul sai üsna kiirelt otsa kannatus tema imeliste seikluste, nimekate sõprade ja arvukate talentide suhtes. (Paraku ei säästeta meid raamatu lõpus ka pildigaleriist tüüpi "mina ja kuulsus".)

Siiski oli tal jutustada ühtteist sellist, mida ma enne ei teadnud. Nišiteemad küll, nagu näiteks Marmite'i ajalugu, Eddie the Eagle'i seiklused ja - mu lemmik! - loetelu rohkem ja vähem jaburatest spordialadest, mille inglased on läbi aegade leiutanud. Eestlaste kiikingule ja naisekandmisele on neil vastu panna näiteks... worm charming ja extreme ironing. (Worm charming oli ka üks väheseid inglaslikke ettevõtmisi, mis hr Fogle'il just hiilgavalt ei õnnestunud, ja kirjeldus sellest, kuidas BBC hoolekogu hiljem tagajärgedega pidi tegelema, oli raudselt raamatu meeleolukaim osa ja teenis käesolevale reitingule hoobilt ühe tärni juurde.)

Ilmast räägib Fogle oma raamatus way rohkem, kui ükski inglane seda elus päriselt teeb (ja ma ei ütle, et nad seda üsna palju ei teeks), aga ei anna selle käigus bittigi infot (mis muidugi on ilmast rääkimise point, sort of). Aga olles lugenud Foxi, kes selgitab väga huvitavalt ära, miks ja kuidas see rääkimine käib... Fogle'ilt null lisaväärtust.

Minu diagnoos Fogle'ile on ikkagi, et lower middle class (aga, oh, kus tahaks olla upper). See obsessioon muru, kriketi, Marmite'i, Wimbledoni, Henley, Shipping Forecasti ja Barbouri jakkide suhtes muutub väga kiiresti väga üksluiseks. (Ja mis puutub Barbouri, siis see osa raamatust oli nii ilmselge sisuturundus, et tõesti üllatusin, et mu Kindle'i väljaandest otse veebipoodi linki ei viinud.)

[Martin Belcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved reading English by Ben Fogle, I’m a big fan anyway and when I saw this book, I was really looking forward to it.
Ben takes a tongue in cheek romp through eccentric English life and pastimes which most foreigners find confusing or amusing or both.
Everything from chasing a cheese down a very steep hill, to our obsession with our changeable weather, to Wellington boots, Barbour jackets, marmite, queuing, tea, monty python and our gritty more realistic look on life.
England is a small island but we have made a huge impact on the world, through our literature, music, language, parliamentary democracy, industrial revolution, railways, tolerance, fairness and sense of humour even when faced with an uphill struggle. It makes an interesting read and is very easy to dip in and out of. A great read and hopefully will demystify many puzzling English traditions for our foreign neighbours.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite entertaining, which in English likely means 'I really enjoyed it'. Fogle is a good story teller but a so-so writer. If you can handle his style, you'll enjoy the content. I will add the caveat that his Englishness is pretty much white upper middle class heteronormative et al. - nothing really about being from a colonial nation, about other sexualities and so on. But then, he is unabashedly writing about his OWN experience. Approach the book with that understanding and it's okay. He does acknowledge that England has a bloody and shameful colonial history, as it happens. However, it's more about cricket, weather, Marmite (love the story about Bill Nighy and customs), and even swan-upping, though I want to tell Mr Fogle that swans are not seals and they don't have flippers, as he describes their feet.

[Jo Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although Ben Fogle isn’t Bill Bryson or Pete McCarthy in his writing this is still a rather good book. I like how he explains that the English are a little bit ashamed to be English and often default to being British instead, although this is not the same. I loved the chapters about the weather and Queuing and have found myself thinking of them every time I mention the weather or join a que. Which is quite often as I am English!!! This is a bit of a gem and I found myself asking amazon to play the whole Chicken song after reading about it and getting quite excited about the section about marmite. (Yes I love that too!!)

[Jeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read :) As a person of either 60% (MyHeritage.com) or 50% (Ancestry.com) English heritage; I definitely identify! Haha!
My love of Crumpets & Marmite ..... my affair with Scones and clotted cream and finally.... Sorry..sorry... polite small talk.... "talking to a stranger is actively prescribed: you will be regarded as rather snooty and frowned upon if you "keep to yourself!" :P
WHAT THE ENGLISH SAY: With the greatest respect
WHAT THE ENGLISH MEAN: You are an idiot
WHAT THE ENGLISH SAY: Oh incidentally/by the way
WHAT THE ENGLISH MEAN: The primary purpose of our discussion is
WHAT THE ENGLISH SAY: Very interesting
WHAT THE ENGLISH MEAN: That is clearly nonsense

[Bodil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun and easy read. In a rambling style Ben Fogle covers many things he considers English. However, as a foreigner, I am unsure if not some of these “English” traits could as well be regarded as British. As least my impression is that tea is as much a drink of the Scots or Welsh as of the English. (Actually there are tea plantations in England, despite what Fogle says). But you are probably not to take this book that seriously, but just enjoy it. And marvel at all the facts we can learn from it. My personal favourite is the extensive list of all the well-known sayings that in fact are from Shakespeare! There is nearly four pages of them!

[Tina Tamman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was given to me as a present, so I have dutifully (mostly) read it. The trouble with all the books about the English (and I've leafed through a few) is that George Mikes said it all so well so many years ago and there is not that much to add. His of course was a foreigner's (Hungarian) view but even with my underdeveloped funnybone I still think his observations are amusing. Doesn't matter one bit that he was not English because what he says is spot on, very sharp. And then again, I too am a foreigner.

[Rachel Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like Ben Fogle, you’ll like this. A quirky look at all things English, cheese rolling, Marmite, the shipping forecast, where phrases come from, such as ‘the cut of your jib’. The sort of book you can pick up, read a page or two between playing with the kids, or a swim in the pool. Some fairly boring page fillers like a transcript of the shipping forecast (why would anyone want to read two or three pages of that? Were you paid by the page, Ben?) and a few lists of things that went on too long, one or two examples would have been enough. But a lot of the writing was quite interesting.

[MadRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

As to be expected from Ben Fogle, this was a charmingly funny book about the eccentricities of all things English, not British. I loved this clarification as it is completely true that the English must generally be considered British rather than English, whereas their neighbouring cousins always fall under their nationality first and foremost. I great light-hearted read that has encouraged me to read more from Ben.

[Richard Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant.

This is a pleasant undemanding book in which Ben Fogle has pulled together a quite amazing array of interesting facts, ideas, thoughts and experiences which go together to create Englishness. The charming and agreeable personality of the author are apparent; he does wear his research and experience lightly and whilst the book breaks no new ground it is well worth reading both as a survey of what might be thought to be English and as a fascinating read.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has a keen interest on England and its people, 'English' is a delightful read. From cheese rolling to Marmite, Fogle manages to entertain the reader with some stories of the quirks and activities which make England stand out from its European neighbors. This was a brisk read for me, as I usually take my time with a book. A good book for a rainy English day, or wherever you find yourself in the world.

[Paul Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being English - sorry in these ‘woke’ I’m not sure I can see that so perhaps I’m British - this book was a nice read discussing and explains the strange things that are peculiar to England and the reasons why. I’m sure in reality most have quirks as well and so this is interesting read for people from any creed, colour or whatever. Whilst I read it fairly quickly it is one of those books that could sit on your bookshelves and you just dive into it as and when

[Eli Kej · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a foreigner living last 16 years in this lovely green island, I finally found the answer for what comes first to a cup - tea or milk? Why English people say one thing meaning the complete opposite, roots of any game and sport, love of nature and animals ... but mostly one English nation talks with no end on the horizon about weather drinking tea and buttering scones? Thank you Ben x

[Stephanie Chambers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally like all things British, but this book spent too much time explaining and exploring all the Britain things. I know the Brits talk about the weather, but I am not sure I need quite so much explaining on the hows and the whys. I was looking for more British comedy. There needed to be more TV and food talk. There was certainly not enough about tea!

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than I thought it would be as it contains a lot of interesting facts and history. It also made me even more jealous of Fogle's life; the places he has been and the people he has met. This book has also increased my love of marmite (helped us win WW1 and has loads of Vitamin B!) and my desire for our national anthem to be Jerusalem!

[Sandra Hooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so much the story of Englishness more like a list of interesting facts and thing Ben Fogle has done. That said I loved the list of things we say sorry for and if I hadn’t already known it the list of everyday sayings that Shakespeare gave us. A mildly entertaining book more of a dipper in and out of than a read.

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 zvaigznes. Interesants ieskats visā angliskajā. Lielisks apraksts par to, ka tik daudz citējam Šekspīru, nemaz to nezinot (un es nerunāju par “To be or not to be”). Tāpat informatīvi par tēju, Marmite, kriketu, gumīšiem, laikapstākļiem, angļu humoru un rindām, kuras viņiem patīk veidot, bet kā izrādās kurās viņiem nepatīk stāvēt ilgāk par 6 min.