Goodbye Britain - Talking to the Brits Who Packed Their Bags and Left

by Tom Beck

Have you ever wondered what life's really like beyond our borders? Whether for work, love, adventure, or even to escape, millions of Brits packed their bags, grabbed their passports, and found out for themselves. Goodbye Britain is a collection of their real-life stories in their own words.


Discover fascinating insights from British people living across the world; from chasing their dreams, following their hearts, dealing with their disappointments, and even the few who returned to where it all began.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2021

Reviews

[Yvonne Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting concept. Many British people have said they’ll leave “home” in the uk and dreamed about warmer climes, a better quality of life, building a future in another land with or without a partner. But they often never left the comforts and familiarity of “home”. The authors own experience moving to Europe to experience living and working in another country before Brexit was a key catalyst to the kernel of the book. The core was all about those who did pack their bags - where did they choose to go? What made them go? What did they expect and how was the experience? The author interviewed around 80 different people whose lives changed once they made the leap, and details some incredibly authentic, interesting and inspiring stories. There are some truly astonishing tales. A really excellent book.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! So interesting to read so many different people's stories from so many different countries.
I found that some of the stories seemed to start in the middle, and I had to work backwards in my mind to figure out what the start could have been. I never felt exhausted by reading story after story, having to learn someone else's background each time, and perhaps this way of not starting at the very beginning each time helped. It certainly made it more interesting!
A great read!

Sadly, there were a few typos (read on Kindle Unlimited).

[Tracey Gemmell · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this collection of interviews with multiple British expats, Tom Beck exposes the reader not only to different cultures but also the myriad of reasons people leave their birth country. Using verbatim transcripts of hours of phone calls, Beck captures the good, the bad, and the ugly of life abroad. The book is deftly compartmentalized in categories, such as exciting adventures, broken hearts, disappointments, and even the struggles of some to return home. This format works well as common threads are exposed.
At first, the non-edited structure found me searching for answers that could have been included with a few guidance questions. Sometimes referents aren't clear, time periods aren't noted, and tales abruptly end rather than conclude neatly. However, I found myself drawn to this free-flowing format as the book progressed. The candid nature of the discussions and, in some cases, brutal honesty, really put me 'inside' the experiences of the expats. I was left with a sense of loss that Brexit has deprived many of the ability to up and leave for a European experience on a whim. The book is well-formatted (though a professional proofread would have been helpful) and the cover design is a great representation of the contents. Well worth a read for anyone thinking of leaving Britain for foreign experiences.
Note: My story is included in this book. However, I purchased my copy retail, received no compensation for my contribution, and receive no royalties from sales.

[Angelika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read for me. As somebody who left Germany over 40 years ago to live in England I could find myself nodding in agreement with some of the things people experienced.
A useful book for anybody wanting to say goodbye to Britain to learn what might happen!

[Ben Ramhofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read that inspires you to explore the world by living in foreign countries.