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Darkest England
This work offers coverage of England in an anthropological sense and from the Sufi perspective.
346 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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About the author
Idries Shah
279 books428 followersIdries Shah (Persian: ادریس شاه), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد إدريس هاشمي), was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.
Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.
In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.
Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.
Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."
Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim
Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.
In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.
Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.
Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."
Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 2, 2026
Symbolism is the thing in which to catch the patches of the King. How 'Men of Wisdom' may operate. Something for England to emulate. Chapter Thirty Page 281. Heisenberg Wasn't so Original... Quotes from page 287. 'This supposed madness is never more in evidence than when the English are imparting information by the method-without-a-system-which to outsiders- is positively oriental, even metaphysical, in texture.'.......' Perhaps to describe this Shakespeare uses the word multipotent: Having the power to do many things. To get closer to the truth we would have to invoke another English word, omniform, a sort of opposite of uniform, and signifying 'capable of every form.'' Intend to re-read the other two books in the Trilogy. The Natives Are Restless and The Englishman's Handbook. Read as a whole, one suspects pointers to the future that is now the present, and how to deal with that future. 'Trust your nose and your own best interest he would say.' Idries Shah would say. The quote is from Darya Hoare in Idries Shah Remembered, page 165.
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July 9, 2008An absorbing book that certainly comes through on its promise to consider England in the way it suggests the English mind works: "To understand the problem, let alone any of the answers, you have to let your mind run free, range over the whole of the horizon, seek and find hints and glimpses here, there, and everywhere", then sift the grains of evidence you collect before testing them out.
It was also interesting to see how much has changed since the book was first published in 1987 - I can't imagine a lot of it being written about the English now. I did gain insight into my own country and culture, though: for example, the explanation of Education Through The Intimidatory Approach, which "makes you look for something inside you which can't be deflated, can't be harmed, can't be got at."
It was also interesting to see how much has changed since the book was first published in 1987 - I can't imagine a lot of it being written about the English now. I did gain insight into my own country and culture, though: for example, the explanation of Education Through The Intimidatory Approach, which "makes you look for something inside you which can't be deflated, can't be harmed, can't be got at."
September 9, 2020
Originally wanderers and warriors, the English have certainly changed with the times. They’ve used their Asian tales and traditions and English noggins plus anything and everything to succeed as businessmen, writers, diplomats and thinkers. This quintessentially English book about the English by an insightful insider with an outsider’s eye is a wild, seemingly trackless roller coaster ride, loaded with hilarious anecdotes. As quirky, unpredictable and many sided as the English themselves, Idries Shah’s book is an experience in flexibility. It may even be a unique and useful way to do all kinds of other research and help us make sense of our lives.
July 25, 2020
I read 'Darkest England' because I've been reading each new edition of Idries Shah's work as it was released. I bought it without enthusiasm. I'm not English, and I resented the way a few English people used this book as ammunition to promote Brexit, which was the last thing we needed in the part of the now Disunited Kingdom where I live. For us it soured relationships and is still causing great anxiety about livelihoods among many people. However this book is not about ephemeral political controversies, or about hallowed institutions, or fashions, or the obsessions of the media. It is about how it is possible for a certain type of character (the Angle) to succeed amid the emotional noise, in being true to himself and making a valuable contribution to society. Darkest England can be found in cities or rural areas. It can stray across borders, even seas, and you don't have to be a white, upper-crust Englishman to find it. This is ultimately a liberating book, chock-a-block with stories, some of which are very funny.
April 28, 2014
The first of Shah's anthropological trilogy regarding the English. In it he addresses our strengths and our faults, as individuals and as a culture, but in such a humorous way that it's easy to forget that it underlines a number of salient and significant points that are worth noting. For me it was unusual to hear a 'foreigner' explain that while the English can appear to be 'humorously harsh' toward outsiders, it's actually a meme that we mercilessly practice on each other.
January 9, 2026
Il libro ha la forma di uno studio antropologico sulla tribù degli inglesi, alla maniera di quelli che gli esploratori inglesi hanno redatto sulle popolazioni incontrate nei luoghi più selvaggi del pianeta.
L'autore si è basato su materiale, osservazioni dirette ed esperimenti sul campo accumulati durante una vita trascorsa in gran parte in mezzo agli inglesi. Grazie alla fiducia di cui ha goduto tra i nativi ha potuto accedere ai loro rituali e incontrare rappresentanti di tutte le posizioni sociali. Il frutto di questo lavoro è presentato al lettore attraverso una scrittura coinvolgente e spesso divertente. Il tema centrale riguarda le peculiarità psicologiche che secondo l'autore rendono gli inglesi diversi dal resto degli occidentali e simili invece alle popolazioni orientali.
Si esce da questo libri arricchiti e più liberi. Arricchiti per la quantità e qualità di informazioni con cui si viene messi in contatto. Più liberi perché si ha la sensazione di avere guadagnato nuove possibilità di pensare, di sentire e di agire.
L'autore si è basato su materiale, osservazioni dirette ed esperimenti sul campo accumulati durante una vita trascorsa in gran parte in mezzo agli inglesi. Grazie alla fiducia di cui ha goduto tra i nativi ha potuto accedere ai loro rituali e incontrare rappresentanti di tutte le posizioni sociali. Il frutto di questo lavoro è presentato al lettore attraverso una scrittura coinvolgente e spesso divertente. Il tema centrale riguarda le peculiarità psicologiche che secondo l'autore rendono gli inglesi diversi dal resto degli occidentali e simili invece alle popolazioni orientali.
Si esce da questo libri arricchiti e più liberi. Arricchiti per la quantità e qualità di informazioni con cui si viene messi in contatto. Più liberi perché si ha la sensazione di avere guadagnato nuove possibilità di pensare, di sentire e di agire.
April 16, 2019
In Darkest England, Idries Shah makes us see England as though it were an foreign culture. And in doing so makes apparently mundane habits, "exotic" - and by doing so helps us see cultures, our own and that of others, more objectively. An amusing and heartfelt romp, with moments of great insight, through the labyrinth that is England.
October 1, 2018
Fun romp through English culture with all its amusing oddities. Plus fascination new information about England's very ancient past. A very enjoyable read!
September 23, 2023
Darkest England is one of those rare books that’s not only entertaining, amusing and interesting, but also informative and instructive on multiple levels. A most worthwhile read!
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January 4, 2025Humorous insights into many aspects of the English and some Eastern idiosyncrasies.
February 1, 2008
Shah gives England the Occidental analysis its disciplines of sociology, cultural anthropology, and psychology hang on the east, the Orientals. Hence the name, Darkest England to describe the strange practices of the Angles and what's left of the Brits.
April 24, 2024
Darkest England.
‘Commander!’ I shouted, the penny dropping at last.
‘You’ve got it all wrong. It’s not “O Hadrat Imaam Ridaa!”
at all – it’s “Any old iron or lumbaa!”’ The two chants are,
in fact, uncannily alike.'
WELL what about that? Read Darkest England to find out.
‘Commander!’ I shouted, the penny dropping at last.
‘You’ve got it all wrong. It’s not “O Hadrat Imaam Ridaa!”
at all – it’s “Any old iron or lumbaa!”’ The two chants are,
in fact, uncannily alike.'
WELL what about that? Read Darkest England to find out.
May 7, 2012
Loved it! An excellent and erudite essay about the origins of the English. Very surprising conclusions.
February 5, 2015
Outsiders view of English people and the land.
January 19, 2016
Very funny
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews