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The Full English: A Journey in Search of a Country and its People
A Sunday Times Book of the Week and Top 10 BestsellerA Waterstones Travel Book of the YearA Spectator Book of the YearWhat kind of country is England today?
What does it mean to be English?
Are we hungry for change or seeking old certainties?
Join Stuart Maconie on an enlightening, entertaining journey through England, from Bristol's Banksy to Durham's beaches, from Cotswolds corduroy to Stoke's oatcakes.
As his guide, Maconie walks in the footsteps of J.B. Priestley's classic travelogue, English Journey, to explore our national identity and how it has evolved over the last century. On his way, Stuart takes inspiration from the people he meets at bus stops and train stations, cafes and corner shops.
Travelling the length of the land, Maconie explores the differences between city and town, north and south, and examines our past and present with affection and insight. Whether he’s passing the boutique hotels of Manchester, the moors of Ilkley or the grand houses of Tynemouth, looking out over misty fens or urban skylines, he shines a light on the people who make these places and asks what the future holds for them. Along the way, he uncovers local heroes and secret histories over early breakfasts and last orders.
Through his journey, he lets us see our homes and habits, hopes and eccentricities with fresh eyes. The Full English challenges us to embrace the messy, shifting and diverse nature of England, and to ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be.
Stuart Maconie's book 'The Full English' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2023-04-17.
What does it mean to be English?
Are we hungry for change or seeking old certainties?
Join Stuart Maconie on an enlightening, entertaining journey through England, from Bristol's Banksy to Durham's beaches, from Cotswolds corduroy to Stoke's oatcakes.
As his guide, Maconie walks in the footsteps of J.B. Priestley's classic travelogue, English Journey, to explore our national identity and how it has evolved over the last century. On his way, Stuart takes inspiration from the people he meets at bus stops and train stations, cafes and corner shops.
Travelling the length of the land, Maconie explores the differences between city and town, north and south, and examines our past and present with affection and insight. Whether he’s passing the boutique hotels of Manchester, the moors of Ilkley or the grand houses of Tynemouth, looking out over misty fens or urban skylines, he shines a light on the people who make these places and asks what the future holds for them. Along the way, he uncovers local heroes and secret histories over early breakfasts and last orders.
Through his journey, he lets us see our homes and habits, hopes and eccentricities with fresh eyes. The Full English challenges us to embrace the messy, shifting and diverse nature of England, and to ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be.
Stuart Maconie's book 'The Full English' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2023-04-17.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 13, 2023
272 people are currently reading
719 people want to read
About the author
Stuart Maconie
31 books187 followersStuart Maconie is a TV and radio presenter, journalist, columnist and author.
He is the UK’s best-selling travel writer of non-TV tie-in books and his Pies and Prejudice was one of 2008’s top selling paperbacks. His work has been compared with Bill Bryson, Alan Bennett and John Peel and described by The Times as a 'National Treasure'.
He co-hosts the Radcliffe and Maconie Show on BBC Radio 2 every Monday – Thursday evening, as well as The Freak Zone on 6Music on Sunday afternoons, and has written and presented dozens of other shows on BBC Radio. His TV work includes presenting the BBC's On Trial shows, Pop on Trial and Style on Trial, as well as Stuart Maconie’s TV Towns, a popular gazeteer of major British cities and their roles in modern cultural life for ITV 4 and The Cinema Show/The DVD Collection on BBC 4.
As well as a popping up in Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights, and on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Stuart was a favourite on hit TV series such as the BBC's I love the 1970s' , I love the 1980s , and is now in variously Grumpy... . His other books include the acclaimed official biographies of both Blur and James. He can name GQ Man of the Year and Sony Awards Radio Broadcaster of the Year amongst his accolades. He has regular columns in The Radio Times and Country Walking and writes for WORD magazine and The Mirror.
He is the UK’s best-selling travel writer of non-TV tie-in books and his Pies and Prejudice was one of 2008’s top selling paperbacks. His work has been compared with Bill Bryson, Alan Bennett and John Peel and described by The Times as a 'National Treasure'.
He co-hosts the Radcliffe and Maconie Show on BBC Radio 2 every Monday – Thursday evening, as well as The Freak Zone on 6Music on Sunday afternoons, and has written and presented dozens of other shows on BBC Radio. His TV work includes presenting the BBC's On Trial shows, Pop on Trial and Style on Trial, as well as Stuart Maconie’s TV Towns, a popular gazeteer of major British cities and their roles in modern cultural life for ITV 4 and The Cinema Show/The DVD Collection on BBC 4.
As well as a popping up in Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights, and on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Stuart was a favourite on hit TV series such as the BBC's I love the 1970s' , I love the 1980s , and is now in variously Grumpy... . His other books include the acclaimed official biographies of both Blur and James. He can name GQ Man of the Year and Sony Awards Radio Broadcaster of the Year amongst his accolades. He has regular columns in The Radio Times and Country Walking and writes for WORD magazine and The Mirror.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
June 17, 2023
I thought this was an excellent book and I'll have to read JB Priestley's English Journey to see how this book compares with the original.
I read most of this book when I was over in the UK and travelling around some of the northern and midland cities. I didn't see much difference from my last visit in 2019, but the author makes the valid point that the worst effects of Brexit and Covid and other political decisions have most affected the small towns rather than the more prosperous cities.
This book follows the original Priestley route which misses out most of the south and west of England, which is a shame as I'd like to have read about all the towns / cities in those areas too.
It sounds like the worst excesses of Brutalist architecture are being replaced in at least one place - Stockton on Tees - and I hope other places follow suit.
Another thing I like about this book is that it covers my home city and not many travel books do, so I am biased in my review because of this fact. I have to agree with the author that New Walk in Leicester is really rather lovely.
Finally, England / the UK itself is on a journey, a journey to both find itself and to discover what kind of country it wants to be when it finds itself. I'm not sure how long this will take as I wouldn't want another author in 50 years time to write a similar book and find that those questions remain unanswered.
I read most of this book when I was over in the UK and travelling around some of the northern and midland cities. I didn't see much difference from my last visit in 2019, but the author makes the valid point that the worst effects of Brexit and Covid and other political decisions have most affected the small towns rather than the more prosperous cities.
This book follows the original Priestley route which misses out most of the south and west of England, which is a shame as I'd like to have read about all the towns / cities in those areas too.
It sounds like the worst excesses of Brutalist architecture are being replaced in at least one place - Stockton on Tees - and I hope other places follow suit.
Another thing I like about this book is that it covers my home city and not many travel books do, so I am biased in my review because of this fact. I have to agree with the author that New Walk in Leicester is really rather lovely.
Finally, England / the UK itself is on a journey, a journey to both find itself and to discover what kind of country it wants to be when it finds itself. I'm not sure how long this will take as I wouldn't want another author in 50 years time to write a similar book and find that those questions remain unanswered.
February 28, 2024
Another very interesting and informative tour around England , this time retracing JB Priestley's 1933 journey. Whereas Priestley travelled in a Rolls Royce, Maconie used trains, buses and cars to get around and I suspect, got to meet a lot more genuine locals that way. He visited my local city and did the usual touristy things, visiting the same restaurant as every other travel writer. It seems that he relied heavily on getting local lowdown from his Twitter (as it was then,) followers rather than conducting all of his own research . Sometimes that made his choice of pubs and restaurants seem a bit cliquey.
This book was written in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic and it shines a light on an England struggling to recover from the political and economic upheavals of Brexit. All written with Maconie's usual dry wit.
This book was written in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic and it shines a light on an England struggling to recover from the political and economic upheavals of Brexit. All written with Maconie's usual dry wit.
June 27, 2023
enjoyed this retelling and examination and journey of JB Priestley's book the English journey told by the author in post brexit and post covid England following Priestley footsteps as much as possible in a socio-historical look at England of 1933 and 2023. well worth reading
June 13, 2023
Having just read, 'English Journey,' by J.B. Priestley, which was published in 1934 and involved the author travelling around the country, I was interested in this title by Stuart Maconie, retracing Priestley's steps.
I enjoy Stuart Maconie's books. He has a light, conversational touch, is passionate about many subjects, such as politics and music, and is excellent company. This was not my favourite of his titles which I have read so far, but it is a good, modern appraisal of Priestley's journey. Priestley made his trip in 1933, in a country between two World Wars. Priestley himself had suffered in WWI and with another war looming, and much of the world suffering economic depression, he wrote a lot about industry and poverty. Maconie finds a country suffering its own post-pandemic financial issues, struggling with identity and still facing a North-South divide.
To be honest, I enjoyed the lighter side of Maconie's travels best. Perhaps that is a cop-out, but when he writes about football, music, architecture and food, he is at his best. Meeting people, chatting to them, discovering what really matters to them. I am not sure I agreed with all his assessments about the country though, although it is a book that will make you think and he is an author who is always interesting and thought-provoking.
I enjoy Stuart Maconie's books. He has a light, conversational touch, is passionate about many subjects, such as politics and music, and is excellent company. This was not my favourite of his titles which I have read so far, but it is a good, modern appraisal of Priestley's journey. Priestley made his trip in 1933, in a country between two World Wars. Priestley himself had suffered in WWI and with another war looming, and much of the world suffering economic depression, he wrote a lot about industry and poverty. Maconie finds a country suffering its own post-pandemic financial issues, struggling with identity and still facing a North-South divide.
To be honest, I enjoyed the lighter side of Maconie's travels best. Perhaps that is a cop-out, but when he writes about football, music, architecture and food, he is at his best. Meeting people, chatting to them, discovering what really matters to them. I am not sure I agreed with all his assessments about the country though, although it is a book that will make you think and he is an author who is always interesting and thought-provoking.
August 18, 2023
The problem with British travelogues like Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island, its sequel The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island and now Stuart Maconie's The Full English (I haven't read English Journey is, no matter how entertaining their author can be, he (and it's usually a he) never gets involved in the life of the places he visits. I would love to see a UK travelogue where the writer does skag in a squat in Burnley, or accompanies hunt saboteurs in Dorset, or shadows a paramedic, or sleeps rough, or goes back to someone's house to shag, or something. Nick Hayes' excellent The Book of Trespass: Crossing the Lines that Divide Us sort of meets this criteria, and in The Kingdom by the Sea, Paul Theroux gets into some interesting situations.
But here we have Stuart Maconie walking around, chatting to the occasional local in a boozer or an Indian restaurant, describing some architecture and observing some street scenes and overheard conversations, ruminating on local history, and then getting a train to the next place to start all over again.
As I said, he is often witty and erudite in his commentary, and some of the cultural and historical detours were very interesting. I thank him for introducing me to the magical paintings of George Shaw. He also makes some shrewd observations—and some less shrewd. At one point he compares drag shows to blackface; in the epilogue he says Owen Jones is cut from the same cloth as Piers Morgan. He's welcome to his opinions but these takes ruined the vibe a bit for me. Yes, we get it, you dislike the 'woke left' as much as the Tories' foamy-mouthed culture warriors.
I was also slightly (okay, deeply) irritated by the frequent spelling and grammar mistakes. Less Maconie's fault, more the fault of the proofreader. And the frequent clichés and redundant phraseology, which very much are Maconie's fault.
The end effect of The Full English is a vision of urban England divided into shopping quarters that have recently been gentrified (look! there's craft beer and upmarket Thai cuisine!), and rough places that have yet to be gentrified. Again, this is not really Maconie's fault, to be fair, but rather a flaw in the travelogue format and a gaping hole in England's social imagination.
In the epilogue Maconie remarks that UK cities 'will no longer make or sell anything again' and instead we need to turn our centres into community hubs. That's a lovely idea, and obviously manufacturing is dead in this country, but on that second point: everywhere he goes Maconie finds things being sold. Usually these are services, food, drink and 'experiences' rather than goods, though, which is the crux of the thing, the crux that Maconie avoids discussing: if the ideal end point of every UK city and town is to be a buzzy service-and-information-economy where you can buy overpriced street food and craft beer and boutique vinyl records on break from your work-from-home IT job, well... that's a bit bleak, isn't it? As Priestley said in his original book (which again I haven't read), "The beginning of Carlisle will look like the end of Southampton..."
But here we have Stuart Maconie walking around, chatting to the occasional local in a boozer or an Indian restaurant, describing some architecture and observing some street scenes and overheard conversations, ruminating on local history, and then getting a train to the next place to start all over again.
As I said, he is often witty and erudite in his commentary, and some of the cultural and historical detours were very interesting. I thank him for introducing me to the magical paintings of George Shaw. He also makes some shrewd observations—and some less shrewd. At one point he compares drag shows to blackface; in the epilogue he says Owen Jones is cut from the same cloth as Piers Morgan. He's welcome to his opinions but these takes ruined the vibe a bit for me. Yes, we get it, you dislike the 'woke left' as much as the Tories' foamy-mouthed culture warriors.
I was also slightly (okay, deeply) irritated by the frequent spelling and grammar mistakes. Less Maconie's fault, more the fault of the proofreader. And the frequent clichés and redundant phraseology, which very much are Maconie's fault.
The end effect of The Full English is a vision of urban England divided into shopping quarters that have recently been gentrified (look! there's craft beer and upmarket Thai cuisine!), and rough places that have yet to be gentrified. Again, this is not really Maconie's fault, to be fair, but rather a flaw in the travelogue format and a gaping hole in England's social imagination.
In the epilogue Maconie remarks that UK cities 'will no longer make or sell anything again' and instead we need to turn our centres into community hubs. That's a lovely idea, and obviously manufacturing is dead in this country, but on that second point: everywhere he goes Maconie finds things being sold. Usually these are services, food, drink and 'experiences' rather than goods, though, which is the crux of the thing, the crux that Maconie avoids discussing: if the ideal end point of every UK city and town is to be a buzzy service-and-information-economy where you can buy overpriced street food and craft beer and boutique vinyl records on break from your work-from-home IT job, well... that's a bit bleak, isn't it? As Priestley said in his original book (which again I haven't read), "The beginning of Carlisle will look like the end of Southampton..."
February 20, 2024
If the final chapter was representative of the whole book this would have been a great read but the premise on which the book is based is watery and dim. Perhaps I should read JB instead. Maconie goes on a tour of Britain, but aside from following in JB Priestlry’s footsteps I’m not sure what the point of it was. Last chapter was as mentioned, really great. 2 and a half stars
January 12, 2024
Stuart Maconie has hit a rather repetitive groove with his books. Basically, they’re all excuses to travel around present day England - to retrace the steps of the Jarrow marchers, to explore what it is to be a northerner, to trace the effects of the ‘nanny state’. This time, he is retracing J B Priestley’s journey through England in the 1930s. I ought to be building up to a negative review, attacking him for repetition - and yet, I can’t do that because Maconie is never less than readable and invariably entertaining. There can be a very narrow line between a pub bore and a skilful raconteur and Stuart Maconie manages to fall on the right side of that line.
April 19, 2023
Another great read from Stuart Maconie. This time following the route of JB Priestley's English Journey in a very different England, some of the visits are as lockdown restrictions were lifted and other a few months later. The economic effects of Covid and the aftermath of Brexit are viewed as well as some great history and people
March 3, 2024
Sadly not as fascinating as I thought it might be. A tad depressing really as he visits some fairly down at heel, left behind bits of UK.
Maybe I expected too much, but ultimately it was a bit dull.
Maybe I expected too much, but ultimately it was a bit dull.
June 3, 2024
An interesting read after thoroughly enjoying the original book on which this is based. That was a five star, this is only four because some sections went on too long, referencing too many pubs.
August 8, 2024
Very enjoyable journey through England that juxtaposed the national mood in 1933 with the mood of today (well, 2021-2022 I think).
Ironically, the way Stuart Maconie wishes he could sit Priestley down and hash out a couple topics, I have the same thought towards Stuart, as he seems to have a nostalgia driven admiration of far left policies pre a certain timeframe, but the moment it's present tense, he views it as useless far left idealogues. Which I don't entirely disagree with, but I think there's an element of having your rose tinted cake and eating it here.
Overall I'm very pleased that the guy I'd listen to on the radio as an admittedly strange 7-11 year old, is still someone I consider to be of very good character and morality, as evidenced throughout this book. You just never know when someone is gonna do a Morrissey haha
No surprises that the book is very entertaining and witty, and filled with history, tidbits, factoids, and insight. My one, I can't even call it a complaint, but I guess I wish it had nothing to do with the original English Journey. Obviously the very reason the book exists is to compare with Priestley's journey, to mirror it, critique it, and demonstrate the changes. But one of the main things it left me with was a real appetite for Stuart Maconie to do his own journey, maybe across the UK, that is entirely to do with the present mood. Not weighed down by 1933 and that one journey, but hitting Aberdeen and Arran and Aberystwyth. The English/British psyche is a confusing mess right now because it's not social media, most people don't tweet as he points out in the book. Many don't even vote. There's riots right now, and a British Journey, purely set in the present, would be fascinating. But, that's not what this book is meant to be, however the cafe chats, pub discussions, and taxi driver insights were among my favourite parts of the book, and have me wanting more.
Ironically, the way Stuart Maconie wishes he could sit Priestley down and hash out a couple topics, I have the same thought towards Stuart, as he seems to have a nostalgia driven admiration of far left policies pre a certain timeframe, but the moment it's present tense, he views it as useless far left idealogues. Which I don't entirely disagree with, but I think there's an element of having your rose tinted cake and eating it here.
Overall I'm very pleased that the guy I'd listen to on the radio as an admittedly strange 7-11 year old, is still someone I consider to be of very good character and morality, as evidenced throughout this book. You just never know when someone is gonna do a Morrissey haha
No surprises that the book is very entertaining and witty, and filled with history, tidbits, factoids, and insight. My one, I can't even call it a complaint, but I guess I wish it had nothing to do with the original English Journey. Obviously the very reason the book exists is to compare with Priestley's journey, to mirror it, critique it, and demonstrate the changes. But one of the main things it left me with was a real appetite for Stuart Maconie to do his own journey, maybe across the UK, that is entirely to do with the present mood. Not weighed down by 1933 and that one journey, but hitting Aberdeen and Arran and Aberystwyth. The English/British psyche is a confusing mess right now because it's not social media, most people don't tweet as he points out in the book. Many don't even vote. There's riots right now, and a British Journey, purely set in the present, would be fascinating. But, that's not what this book is meant to be, however the cafe chats, pub discussions, and taxi driver insights were among my favourite parts of the book, and have me wanting more.
June 10, 2024
Stuart Maconie retraces the journey taken by J.B. Priestley in his 1933 book English Journey, visiting a variety of different towns mainly in the midlands and north of England(some are places Maconie has visited in previous books). Obviously much has changed since Priestley’s day, and Maconie discusses the contrasts between then and now. There is much speculation on what Priestley would think of the changes. Maconie’s own strong political views are frequently expressed, there are many criticisms of current politicians and media personalities. A lot of visits to restaurants and pubs. The book is quite interesting and there are some amusing bits. I have never read English Journey, but after reading this one will probably try it.
January 2, 2024
An intriguing trawl through the history and current state of England (and it is just England, not the U.K. as a whole) via the prism of visits to various of its towns and cities, written by an unashamedly old school leftie. If you’re a fan of Brexit, Boris Johnson and unthinking veneration of the royal family, this book isn’t for you. If you’re not (if you’re a grown up, as Maconie puts it at one point), I suspect you’d enjoy it a great deal.
October 20, 2024
Maconie is new to me but after looking at his bibliography, I see that he's written quite a few books on a variety of subjects. This one is about a trip he took a couple of years ago where he followed in the footsteps of J. B. Priestley's English Journey, which I hadn't heard of previously. Both books take a look at England...it's politics, social issues, history, pop culture and more...with nearly a century separating the two. By following Priestley's journey, Maconie updates it for the modern age and compares then and now. He gets into the minutiae and nitty gritty of the storied isle to the point where many things went over my head, but I still found this fascinating and entertaining.
January 9, 2025
An informative and thoughtful ramble round England without airs and graces. Anyone who wants to know the real England not just the capital should read it although I suspect it would be hard to understand if you arent living here. Lots of lovely comment on how great people can be and some honest comment on the changes of recent years, and the old government of course. He is a simple man with honest tastes and our views chime on most things. Makes you want to go to Newcastle and avoid Boston.
August 9, 2025
A very well researched and written update on modern Britain. Lots of witticisms and wry observations on this journey around several regions to update us on the 1933 journey of J B Priestley. Maconie doesn't take prisoners with some of his comments on less well liked people such as Boris Johnson and Luz Truss. An entertaining and informative read.
May 15, 2023
Stuart travels round Britain, following in JB Priestley’s footsteps; more specifically, his 1933 book, English Journey. So, as Priestley missed out several areas such as Suffolk and Essex, so does Stuart. Throughout he compares and contrasts his experiences with Priestley’s, which makes for a very interesting travelogue. Stuart is opinionated and amusing, which makes it even better. He stays in the Maids Head in Tombland, Norwich, and appreciates both the hotel and the city, which I loved him for.
June 16, 2023
Stuart Maconie's radio show with Mark Radcliffe on BBC Radio 6Music is in my opinion probably the best show on the radio, it's very funny and they play some great tunes. Maconie can be entertaining and informative and he's written some great books. Sadly though for me "The Full English: A Journey in Search of a Country and it's People" didn't work for me which is disappointing as I always look forward to a new book from Stu.
In this book Stuart follows in the footsteps of J.B. Priestley who in 1933 toured England (or part of it at least). His observations and the social problems he encountered were published in his book English Journey. Maconie follows the same path that Priestly followed and makes gives his own thoughts and political and social observations. I've never read English Journey so I have no experience of it apart from the authors' observations here.
My first problem is that although Stuart often waxes lyrical about Priestly from the evidence of this book he comes across as something of a curmudgeon, and what's more it seems infrequently he seems to be quite prejudiced and seems to have some borderline racist views, and Maconie seems to spend more time than I'd like having to apologise for his hero. Is this a fair assessment of Priestly? I don't know, as I say I haven't read "English Journey" but what Maconie says about it here rather than making me want to go out and read it for myself puts me off wanting to read it, which is a shame as his famous play "An Inspector Calls" takes a swipe at hypocracy in society and those who indulge in class prejudice. It's still very relevant now, so when Priestly comes across as he does here it's a little sad.
As for Maconie's own observations as he recreates the journey there is some stuff of interest here but he often covers old ground that those who are familiar with his writings (or radio show) will be familiar with. This type of book traveling to various places within the country giving his observations is one he has done on a number of occasions and I think the ground is less fertile the more he covers it. There are only so many times you can make a pithy comment before it loses what was meant at first. Some of his travels for this book were undertaken during lockdown restrictions and this inevitably comes out in the book, though by this time many others have made similar observations although that's not something he had any control over of course.
It also appears that his travels were undertaken in an alternative timeline where Jeremy Corbyn is still leader of the Labour party. You'd think that was the case the number of references that are made to him (all critical). Yes, we know Maconie doesn't like Corbyn. He's made that clear in his previous book and the one before that as well as on his Twitter feed all the way through his leadership and now he repeats his dislike here. What's his opinion about current Labour leader Keir Starmer? Who knows he never mentions him except for one non comital mention early on. Maconie criticises Corbyn as an idealist. However time and again the causes that Maconie champions (Workers rights, support for those striking for better pay and conditions, public ownership
of the transport system and other public amenities etc) are the things that Corbyn supported and continues to do so. While it's Starmer who has failed to show his support for these things in any meaningful way. Maconie is of course entitled to his view but he makes no rational argument for his disdain for Corbyn when so often his policies were the ones that Maconie often speaks out about himself. There's just no coherent argument.
Unfortunately nothing in this book makes me want to go out and read further into his inspiration for the journey he took. His previous works have made me want to check out the writers he's mentioned. He often talks about The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell his polemic of working class life in Yorkshire and Lancashire in the 1930's and I've checked out that work as a result of Maconie's writing about it. But nothing here makes me want to check out English Journey.
There are some good parts. Maconie can still be funny (and I agree with him when he speaks about his annoyance of the word "staycation" A staycation is when you stay at home not when you simply don't go overseas for a holiday), he does make some interesting observations about some of the places he visits. His comments about Magna Carta were informative and I didn't know Lincoln was one of only four places where you can see one of the surviving originals, it may prompt a future journey there.
Also most poignantly he speaks about how both his parents died during the journey he took both during lockdown (though not of Covid), therefore he wasn't able to be with them in their final days. He contrasts this with the actions of the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson who failed to keep his own rules and attended parties at Downing Street while others like him couldn't see their dying relatives. Those who dismiss it all as a row over a slice of cake miss the point. It may be that because Maconie had this on his mind that the book is far less engaging than I'd expect from Maconie. It clearly impacted him (as would be expected).
On the whole this book didn't work for me unfortunately. I think his previous book The Nanny State Made Me: A Story of Britain and How to Save it was probably his best work. He's best when he's clearly writing about something he's passionate about. Hopefully he'll be back on form next time as when he is he's a great read.
In this book Stuart follows in the footsteps of J.B. Priestley who in 1933 toured England (or part of it at least). His observations and the social problems he encountered were published in his book English Journey. Maconie follows the same path that Priestly followed and makes gives his own thoughts and political and social observations. I've never read English Journey so I have no experience of it apart from the authors' observations here.
My first problem is that although Stuart often waxes lyrical about Priestly from the evidence of this book he comes across as something of a curmudgeon, and what's more it seems infrequently he seems to be quite prejudiced and seems to have some borderline racist views, and Maconie seems to spend more time than I'd like having to apologise for his hero. Is this a fair assessment of Priestly? I don't know, as I say I haven't read "English Journey" but what Maconie says about it here rather than making me want to go out and read it for myself puts me off wanting to read it, which is a shame as his famous play "An Inspector Calls" takes a swipe at hypocracy in society and those who indulge in class prejudice. It's still very relevant now, so when Priestly comes across as he does here it's a little sad.
As for Maconie's own observations as he recreates the journey there is some stuff of interest here but he often covers old ground that those who are familiar with his writings (or radio show) will be familiar with. This type of book traveling to various places within the country giving his observations is one he has done on a number of occasions and I think the ground is less fertile the more he covers it. There are only so many times you can make a pithy comment before it loses what was meant at first. Some of his travels for this book were undertaken during lockdown restrictions and this inevitably comes out in the book, though by this time many others have made similar observations although that's not something he had any control over of course.
It also appears that his travels were undertaken in an alternative timeline where Jeremy Corbyn is still leader of the Labour party. You'd think that was the case the number of references that are made to him (all critical). Yes, we know Maconie doesn't like Corbyn. He's made that clear in his previous book and the one before that as well as on his Twitter feed all the way through his leadership and now he repeats his dislike here. What's his opinion about current Labour leader Keir Starmer? Who knows he never mentions him except for one non comital mention early on. Maconie criticises Corbyn as an idealist. However time and again the causes that Maconie champions (Workers rights, support for those striking for better pay and conditions, public ownership
of the transport system and other public amenities etc) are the things that Corbyn supported and continues to do so. While it's Starmer who has failed to show his support for these things in any meaningful way. Maconie is of course entitled to his view but he makes no rational argument for his disdain for Corbyn when so often his policies were the ones that Maconie often speaks out about himself. There's just no coherent argument.
Unfortunately nothing in this book makes me want to go out and read further into his inspiration for the journey he took. His previous works have made me want to check out the writers he's mentioned. He often talks about The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell his polemic of working class life in Yorkshire and Lancashire in the 1930's and I've checked out that work as a result of Maconie's writing about it. But nothing here makes me want to check out English Journey.
There are some good parts. Maconie can still be funny (and I agree with him when he speaks about his annoyance of the word "staycation" A staycation is when you stay at home not when you simply don't go overseas for a holiday), he does make some interesting observations about some of the places he visits. His comments about Magna Carta were informative and I didn't know Lincoln was one of only four places where you can see one of the surviving originals, it may prompt a future journey there.
Also most poignantly he speaks about how both his parents died during the journey he took both during lockdown (though not of Covid), therefore he wasn't able to be with them in their final days. He contrasts this with the actions of the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson who failed to keep his own rules and attended parties at Downing Street while others like him couldn't see their dying relatives. Those who dismiss it all as a row over a slice of cake miss the point. It may be that because Maconie had this on his mind that the book is far less engaging than I'd expect from Maconie. It clearly impacted him (as would be expected).
On the whole this book didn't work for me unfortunately. I think his previous book The Nanny State Made Me: A Story of Britain and How to Save it was probably his best work. He's best when he's clearly writing about something he's passionate about. Hopefully he'll be back on form next time as when he is he's a great read.
June 9, 2024
Oh dear. There were several moments while reading this book which annoyed me no end and frequently made me want to put it down. I am not familiar with this writer and this is the first (and likely the last) work of his that I've read.
He essentially recreates the journey made by Bradford's very own man of letters JB Priestley, wherein the stated objective is to paint a portrait of ‘Englishness’, and identify its traits or a common through-line.
When it comes to Maconie's writing, comparisons have been made to Bill Bryson due to the wry observations about people and situations. However, unlike Bryson, Maconie isn't humorous and is political. From disingenuously equating the people's justified desire to be free from lockdowns to “anti-vaxx”, to displaying outright classism to others, this self-identified Marxist (source: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics...) can't help but audibly grumble at people who voice their legitimate concerns about the erosion of English culture, or obnoxiously insert himself into others’ conversations.
This is a man who frequently brings up his working-class background, proudly recalls stories about the history of working-class people and evidently appears to be on their side - until they voice a socially conservative view (which many working-class people have, sorry Maconie) and then the sneering starts. Most amazingly at one point, he observes with apparent dismay that Britain will never follow Europe and switch to driving on the right-hand side of the road (which nobody wants) and implies that the reason for this is Brexit, not because there's no need to switch, it'd cost loads of money, as well as be a total hassle. What a load of palpable nonsense.
One passage in particular made me cringe and recoil so much it brought me very near to putting the book down:
"Because I spend my rare hours of leisure reading volumes of challenging modern verse while listening to Bartók's astringent string quartets, I have never seen ‘Peaky Blinders’, but I am aware of its popularity"
Jesus, how pretentious. Good for bloody you, mate.
I couldn't help but notice another refrain of Maconie throughout this book when talking about authors of the past and their feuds. When a writer he perceives as upper-class or successful criticises the work of an up-and-coming, working-class writer and nearly derails their career (as Virginia Woolfe did to Arnold Bennett) he characterises it as ‘snobbery’. When a working-class writer criticises the work of an up-and-coming upper-class writer and nearly derails their career (as J.B. Priestley did to Graham Greene), he relishes it. More prejudice based on someone's economic background, more classism from Maconie.
Maconie also disappointingly, albeit predictably, doesn't engage with the issues facing Bradford and conspicuously evades them, instead dismissing the cause of the 2001 Manningham riots essentially as the fault of the police, or those pesky ‘right-wingers’. Because everything is their fault in Maconie's view it seems.
Every namedrop of a remotely right-of-centre organ is prefaced by “militant” or some other adjective with negative connotations, yet the same is never done with left-wing publications. The Guardian, that cosmopolitan purveyor of anti-British bilge, is labelled as “high-minded”. I'd laugh if Maconie's characterisation of that rag wasn't so tragic.
I couldn't help but notice the irony of Maconie's mention of wanting to put down his copy of Priestley's ‘the English Journey’, wishing that he could argue it out with the late writer. I felt exactly the same way with Maconie and his book at times.
His outrage at the accusations levelled at Liverpool by certain modern-day politicians for embracing a ‘victim-complex’, I feel could be turned on Maconie himself and the “it's always someone else's fault” mentality, aversion to personal responsibility, and disdain of success that informs his kind of politics.
Wading through this eye roll-inducing nonsense, there were odd times when I could agree with Maconie; for example with his call for those who use the word ‘iconic’ for the most vapid, mundane things to be imprisoned without possibility of parole, the prioritisation of the South and indifference towards the North by Westminster, and the lunacy of ‘activist’ groups such as Extinction Rebellion. And even though Maconie is from red rose Lancashire county (boooo!), his assertion that if J.B. Priestley were alive to see Netflix, he'd have borrowed someone else's account because "he's a Yorkshireman after all" did elicit a snort of laughter from me.
Maconie's ‘verdict’, which I was hoping would be more thoughtful than what he'd written so far, was disappointing and predictably infused with his politics. I'd have hoped he'd leave those aside for a moment and offer something non-partisan, but no. In reference to J.B. Priestley's “3 Englands” hypothesis in his English Journey; the traditional, pastoral cosy English life, the grimy industrialisation of empire, and the look to a new future where the previous two were becoming increasingly a thing of the past, Maconie concludes that no-one or nowhere represents ‘modern England’. He instead notes that its cities are energetic, innovative and forward-thinking, while its towns are in decline, a dynamic perpetuated by a distrust rural areas hold of metropolitan sprawls which look down with pretension upon them.
He posits that with every step forward, England takes one back (Brexit being one he identifies, surprise surprise)- the steps forward he identifies being ones I feel do not bode well for Britain; whether it be censoring of our history, the dilution of English culture (let's not forget Maconie's sneering attitude towards the waving of the Union Flag), or the idea of Britain staying in that unwieldy, unelected body of corrupt bureaucracy, the EU.
No wonder Maconie can't identify what a modern Englishman looks like. He'll denigrate anyone who waves our country's flag, supports our most crucial tradition and mark of identity, the monarchy, or votes for his sovereignty from a corrupt, unelected overseas political entity.
He essentially recreates the journey made by Bradford's very own man of letters JB Priestley, wherein the stated objective is to paint a portrait of ‘Englishness’, and identify its traits or a common through-line.
When it comes to Maconie's writing, comparisons have been made to Bill Bryson due to the wry observations about people and situations. However, unlike Bryson, Maconie isn't humorous and is political. From disingenuously equating the people's justified desire to be free from lockdowns to “anti-vaxx”, to displaying outright classism to others, this self-identified Marxist (source: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics...) can't help but audibly grumble at people who voice their legitimate concerns about the erosion of English culture, or obnoxiously insert himself into others’ conversations.
This is a man who frequently brings up his working-class background, proudly recalls stories about the history of working-class people and evidently appears to be on their side - until they voice a socially conservative view (which many working-class people have, sorry Maconie) and then the sneering starts. Most amazingly at one point, he observes with apparent dismay that Britain will never follow Europe and switch to driving on the right-hand side of the road (which nobody wants) and implies that the reason for this is Brexit, not because there's no need to switch, it'd cost loads of money, as well as be a total hassle. What a load of palpable nonsense.
One passage in particular made me cringe and recoil so much it brought me very near to putting the book down:
"Because I spend my rare hours of leisure reading volumes of challenging modern verse while listening to Bartók's astringent string quartets, I have never seen ‘Peaky Blinders’, but I am aware of its popularity"
Jesus, how pretentious. Good for bloody you, mate.
I couldn't help but notice another refrain of Maconie throughout this book when talking about authors of the past and their feuds. When a writer he perceives as upper-class or successful criticises the work of an up-and-coming, working-class writer and nearly derails their career (as Virginia Woolfe did to Arnold Bennett) he characterises it as ‘snobbery’. When a working-class writer criticises the work of an up-and-coming upper-class writer and nearly derails their career (as J.B. Priestley did to Graham Greene), he relishes it. More prejudice based on someone's economic background, more classism from Maconie.
Maconie also disappointingly, albeit predictably, doesn't engage with the issues facing Bradford and conspicuously evades them, instead dismissing the cause of the 2001 Manningham riots essentially as the fault of the police, or those pesky ‘right-wingers’. Because everything is their fault in Maconie's view it seems.
Every namedrop of a remotely right-of-centre organ is prefaced by “militant” or some other adjective with negative connotations, yet the same is never done with left-wing publications. The Guardian, that cosmopolitan purveyor of anti-British bilge, is labelled as “high-minded”. I'd laugh if Maconie's characterisation of that rag wasn't so tragic.
I couldn't help but notice the irony of Maconie's mention of wanting to put down his copy of Priestley's ‘the English Journey’, wishing that he could argue it out with the late writer. I felt exactly the same way with Maconie and his book at times.
His outrage at the accusations levelled at Liverpool by certain modern-day politicians for embracing a ‘victim-complex’, I feel could be turned on Maconie himself and the “it's always someone else's fault” mentality, aversion to personal responsibility, and disdain of success that informs his kind of politics.
Wading through this eye roll-inducing nonsense, there were odd times when I could agree with Maconie; for example with his call for those who use the word ‘iconic’ for the most vapid, mundane things to be imprisoned without possibility of parole, the prioritisation of the South and indifference towards the North by Westminster, and the lunacy of ‘activist’ groups such as Extinction Rebellion. And even though Maconie is from red rose Lancashire county (boooo!), his assertion that if J.B. Priestley were alive to see Netflix, he'd have borrowed someone else's account because "he's a Yorkshireman after all" did elicit a snort of laughter from me.
Maconie's ‘verdict’, which I was hoping would be more thoughtful than what he'd written so far, was disappointing and predictably infused with his politics. I'd have hoped he'd leave those aside for a moment and offer something non-partisan, but no. In reference to J.B. Priestley's “3 Englands” hypothesis in his English Journey; the traditional, pastoral cosy English life, the grimy industrialisation of empire, and the look to a new future where the previous two were becoming increasingly a thing of the past, Maconie concludes that no-one or nowhere represents ‘modern England’. He instead notes that its cities are energetic, innovative and forward-thinking, while its towns are in decline, a dynamic perpetuated by a distrust rural areas hold of metropolitan sprawls which look down with pretension upon them.
He posits that with every step forward, England takes one back (Brexit being one he identifies, surprise surprise)- the steps forward he identifies being ones I feel do not bode well for Britain; whether it be censoring of our history, the dilution of English culture (let's not forget Maconie's sneering attitude towards the waving of the Union Flag), or the idea of Britain staying in that unwieldy, unelected body of corrupt bureaucracy, the EU.
No wonder Maconie can't identify what a modern Englishman looks like. He'll denigrate anyone who waves our country's flag, supports our most crucial tradition and mark of identity, the monarchy, or votes for his sovereignty from a corrupt, unelected overseas political entity.
January 8, 2024
An entertaining read, however Maconie's critiques of the current situation England's towns find themselves in are not backed up with any real solution or substantive critique.
Maconie seems to be remarkably "new Labour", riding the wave of unionism and workers rights that the party has championed in the past, whilst strongly disagreeing with Jeremy Corbyn. What results is a confused thesis: the Tories are bad, English towns are struggling and we should talk about it.- but let's not talk about the literal solution to the problem floated to the voting public in 2019, because that was wrong for some reason.
There is no mention or critique of the current labour opposition government and their policies for helping English towns (or lack thereof).
Maconie seems to be remarkably "new Labour", riding the wave of unionism and workers rights that the party has championed in the past, whilst strongly disagreeing with Jeremy Corbyn. What results is a confused thesis: the Tories are bad, English towns are struggling and we should talk about it.- but let's not talk about the literal solution to the problem floated to the voting public in 2019, because that was wrong for some reason.
There is no mention or critique of the current labour opposition government and their policies for helping English towns (or lack thereof).
August 17, 2023
I like Stuart’s books but I found they are becoming increasingly formulaic as time goes on.
The itinerary was fixed in this book as he was following a previous author’s journey but the encounters and descriptions of places were similar to previous books.
I had a couple of minor quibbles - the author comes across as a reverse snob (very evident in the Cotswold section), makes a factual error regarding Brexit voting in Gloucestershire to ‘make a point’ and I do question the veracity of many of the overheard conversations.
However, still a pleasant read and while a bit middle of the road in his views for me the conclusion is thought provoking.
The itinerary was fixed in this book as he was following a previous author’s journey but the encounters and descriptions of places were similar to previous books.
I had a couple of minor quibbles - the author comes across as a reverse snob (very evident in the Cotswold section), makes a factual error regarding Brexit voting in Gloucestershire to ‘make a point’ and I do question the veracity of many of the overheard conversations.
However, still a pleasant read and while a bit middle of the road in his views for me the conclusion is thought provoking.
July 2, 2023
Another travelogue from young master Maconie, this time following in the footsteps of J.B. Priestley and his famous (it says here, I'd never heard of it) book from almost 100 years ago, English Journey. It's entertaining and informed by a similar spirit to Priestley of wishing to shine a light into corners of the country that perhaps need it most. Maconie's scathing about the current Tory government - rightly so, they're a complete shower - and if the political opinions are surprising in a ostensibly light-hearted travel book, they don't jar (but then I share them).
March 5, 2024
There’s another review on here that says something to the effect of, “…here we have Stuart Maconie walking around chatting to the occasional local in a boozer or an Indian restaurant” and oh god it’s very accurate.
I like him enough that this was fine, though.
I like him enough that this was fine, though.
October 2, 2024
I have always liked Stuart Maconie’s books. His interests and outlook seem to be similar to mine. He’s about my age. So reading his books are not unlike a rather one-sided chat in a pub with a mate of long-standing. And as with a conversation, some bits can be engaging and interesting, while other bits can be rambling and boring. “The Full English” follows that pattern.
The book has grand ambitions. Maconie wants to follow in the footsteps of JB Priestley, who wrote a travel book about England that was published in 1934. Maconie is a huge fan of Priestley’s “English Journey”. On the cover of the latest edition, Maconie is quoted, “The finest book ever written about England and the English”. I read the Priestley book before the Maconie one. And I must say I thought it was overly long, bigoted and racist. Moreover, the bigotry can’t be justified by just saying it was a different age. However, Priestley’s book does give us some interesting insights into the state of the nation in the early 1930s. England was a country beset by economic gloom, caused by a worldwide depression that had closed many businesses and thrown people out of work. But also a long-term structural decline was being felt in some of the northern textile towns, as cheaper competitors had sprung up in other parts of the world. The people that Priestley described seem without hope, and to have no or little idea about how they might change things.
Priestley’s book followed an odd path, starting in Southampton, before heading off to Bristol, the Cotswolds and Swindon. Then he heads up through the Midlands, with the majority of the book being about the North of England. The book ends with a trip down the east coast, ending rather abruptly in Norwich. This is the path the Maconie follows.
The basic structure of the book is that Maconie goes to a town or city, visits a few places of interest, has a beer and usually a curry. He also weaves in a huge amount of research that he has undertaken into the history of the places he visits. There is an interesting story, for example, of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, who Maconie calls a “complete arsehole”. Londonderry was a terrible 19th century employer in County Durham, brutal even by the standards of the time. Even though all this historical research is interesting, it unbalances the book, as Maconie doesn’t spend enough time describing what is happening now.
He follows Priestley’s lead in describing Liverpool at the beginning of his chapter on Lancashire. Maconie admits that modern Liverpudlians would not see themselves as part of that county, which “Scousers view as a damp rolling upland of cotton towns and slow troll minds brooding under dark hills”. But Maconie argues that this view in Liverpool of itself having a separate identity from the rest of Lancashire is a relatively new phenomenon. He seems to suggest that Liverpool exceptionalism really begins to take shape with the emergence of The Beatles in the 1960s. Many Scouse friends of mine think that’s nonsense and attribute it to Maconie coming from Wigan and having no idea! Perhaps because he saw them in concert when he was three, this is not the only time he makes great claims for The Beatles. He calls them the most important cultural force of the late twentieth century, and suggests that they had a role in the downfall of Communism in eastern Europe. I have to admit I am a big Beatles fan, and I think that popular music would be very different now, if they had never existed, but even I would say that Maconie might be going too far.
It's a jolly and amusing book. But will we still be reading Maconie’s book in 90 years? I doubt it. The sub-title to the book, on the front cover reads, “A Journey in Search of a Country and Its People”, but it does not give us a window into the current state of the nation, in the way that Priestley’s book did. There is a lot of bitterness and anger in England today, alongside poverty. And I don’t think you would glean that from Maconie’s travels. The closest he comes is perhaps in Boston (the Lincolnshire one!), where he does recount some of the tensions caused by immigration. However, it is one of the book’s great failings that he never digs deeply enough. He doesn’t spend enough time talking to people about their concerns and views. Most of his conversations are overheard in bars and curry houses. Without more meaningful discussions in the places he visits, the impact of this book is always going to be superficial and ephemeral.
He does make some attempt in the final chapter to give his views on England today. But it’s mostly a critique of our class-based society and the royal family. And while much of it is fair, I am not sure it had anything to do with the journey that he had undertaken.
The book has grand ambitions. Maconie wants to follow in the footsteps of JB Priestley, who wrote a travel book about England that was published in 1934. Maconie is a huge fan of Priestley’s “English Journey”. On the cover of the latest edition, Maconie is quoted, “The finest book ever written about England and the English”. I read the Priestley book before the Maconie one. And I must say I thought it was overly long, bigoted and racist. Moreover, the bigotry can’t be justified by just saying it was a different age. However, Priestley’s book does give us some interesting insights into the state of the nation in the early 1930s. England was a country beset by economic gloom, caused by a worldwide depression that had closed many businesses and thrown people out of work. But also a long-term structural decline was being felt in some of the northern textile towns, as cheaper competitors had sprung up in other parts of the world. The people that Priestley described seem without hope, and to have no or little idea about how they might change things.
Priestley’s book followed an odd path, starting in Southampton, before heading off to Bristol, the Cotswolds and Swindon. Then he heads up through the Midlands, with the majority of the book being about the North of England. The book ends with a trip down the east coast, ending rather abruptly in Norwich. This is the path the Maconie follows.
The basic structure of the book is that Maconie goes to a town or city, visits a few places of interest, has a beer and usually a curry. He also weaves in a huge amount of research that he has undertaken into the history of the places he visits. There is an interesting story, for example, of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, who Maconie calls a “complete arsehole”. Londonderry was a terrible 19th century employer in County Durham, brutal even by the standards of the time. Even though all this historical research is interesting, it unbalances the book, as Maconie doesn’t spend enough time describing what is happening now.
He follows Priestley’s lead in describing Liverpool at the beginning of his chapter on Lancashire. Maconie admits that modern Liverpudlians would not see themselves as part of that county, which “Scousers view as a damp rolling upland of cotton towns and slow troll minds brooding under dark hills”. But Maconie argues that this view in Liverpool of itself having a separate identity from the rest of Lancashire is a relatively new phenomenon. He seems to suggest that Liverpool exceptionalism really begins to take shape with the emergence of The Beatles in the 1960s. Many Scouse friends of mine think that’s nonsense and attribute it to Maconie coming from Wigan and having no idea! Perhaps because he saw them in concert when he was three, this is not the only time he makes great claims for The Beatles. He calls them the most important cultural force of the late twentieth century, and suggests that they had a role in the downfall of Communism in eastern Europe. I have to admit I am a big Beatles fan, and I think that popular music would be very different now, if they had never existed, but even I would say that Maconie might be going too far.
It's a jolly and amusing book. But will we still be reading Maconie’s book in 90 years? I doubt it. The sub-title to the book, on the front cover reads, “A Journey in Search of a Country and Its People”, but it does not give us a window into the current state of the nation, in the way that Priestley’s book did. There is a lot of bitterness and anger in England today, alongside poverty. And I don’t think you would glean that from Maconie’s travels. The closest he comes is perhaps in Boston (the Lincolnshire one!), where he does recount some of the tensions caused by immigration. However, it is one of the book’s great failings that he never digs deeply enough. He doesn’t spend enough time talking to people about their concerns and views. Most of his conversations are overheard in bars and curry houses. Without more meaningful discussions in the places he visits, the impact of this book is always going to be superficial and ephemeral.
He does make some attempt in the final chapter to give his views on England today. But it’s mostly a critique of our class-based society and the royal family. And while much of it is fair, I am not sure it had anything to do with the journey that he had undertaken.
May 3, 2023
In Stuart Maconie’s latest travelogue, “The Full English”, the Wigan-born broadcaster and journalist retraces the route that the famed novelist J.B. Priestley took in 1933 for his book “English Journey”. Just as Priestley traversed an inter-war England ravaged by economic depression, mass unemployment, and post-WWI trauma, Maconie navigates an England seemingly “whirling down a plughole of mayhem”; a nation fractured by Brexit, Covid, and generations of neglect. In a sense “The Full English” is Maconie’s attempt to understand an England sourly looking back on a once great (or perhaps mythical) past, and to try to work out where the roots of a progressive future for Albion might lie.
The main criticism I have of “The Full English” is that Maconie doesn’t just recreate the itinerary from Priestley’s 1930s journey; he rethreads a lot of old ground from his own books. Not only does Maconie revisit many of the places he surveyed in his earlier titles like “Pies and Prejudice” – whether they be Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle among others – he also repeats many of the opinions he expressed about them from his previous travel books. For those familiar with Stuart Maconie’s earlier travelogues (including his last book “The Nanny State We’re In), this can occasionally feel like he is running - or rambling - through his greatest hits.
Maconie is much more sure-footed and insightful in “The Full English” (perhaps paradoxically) when he leaves behind his native terrain of Northern England (what an unkind critic might describe as his ‘comfort zone’). Where “The Full English” comes alive is when Maconie tours unglamorous, oft overlooked, and unfairly maligned regions like the Midlands and The Potteries. These areas are regularly dismissed as post-industrial wastelands – the now-notorious ‘Red Wall - or as Maconie describes them, “places that used to make things”. But far from the expected doom, gloom, and dilapidation, in places like Coventry, Leicester, Hull and Southampton Maconie finds cities reinventing themselves, vibrant with multiculturalism and a new-found confidence, repurposing post-industrial derelict spaces into cultural hubs. On this latter point, culture appears to offer England one of its few escape routes out of its post-Brexit morass; Maconie evidences this through how Birmingham has rejuvenated its city centre (at least partly) through the support of classical music venues.
While England’s cities are attempting to revitalise themselves, by contrast “The Full English” finds the nation’s towns struggling. England’s towns are frequently reviled as symbols of a broken country (often labelled as the driving force behind Brexit and the rise of the populist right), but Stuart Maconie is commendably fair-minded and sympathetic towards them. This is especially true of an excellent chapter on Boston, Lincolnshire (regularly labelled as “England’s most divided town”) where Maconie is perceptive about the tensions that can arise in a town on the economic slide that also has to cope with a sudden wave of untrammelled immigration.
As his years advance, Maconie can be a touch smug and cranky (he has little tolerance for any ideology even a smidgen to the left or the right of his own watery Blairite politics). But when “The Full English” is at its best – and when Maconie isn’t repeating himself – it is an effective clarion call for greater decency and a new progressive patriotism for England.
The main criticism I have of “The Full English” is that Maconie doesn’t just recreate the itinerary from Priestley’s 1930s journey; he rethreads a lot of old ground from his own books. Not only does Maconie revisit many of the places he surveyed in his earlier titles like “Pies and Prejudice” – whether they be Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle among others – he also repeats many of the opinions he expressed about them from his previous travel books. For those familiar with Stuart Maconie’s earlier travelogues (including his last book “The Nanny State We’re In), this can occasionally feel like he is running - or rambling - through his greatest hits.
Maconie is much more sure-footed and insightful in “The Full English” (perhaps paradoxically) when he leaves behind his native terrain of Northern England (what an unkind critic might describe as his ‘comfort zone’). Where “The Full English” comes alive is when Maconie tours unglamorous, oft overlooked, and unfairly maligned regions like the Midlands and The Potteries. These areas are regularly dismissed as post-industrial wastelands – the now-notorious ‘Red Wall - or as Maconie describes them, “places that used to make things”. But far from the expected doom, gloom, and dilapidation, in places like Coventry, Leicester, Hull and Southampton Maconie finds cities reinventing themselves, vibrant with multiculturalism and a new-found confidence, repurposing post-industrial derelict spaces into cultural hubs. On this latter point, culture appears to offer England one of its few escape routes out of its post-Brexit morass; Maconie evidences this through how Birmingham has rejuvenated its city centre (at least partly) through the support of classical music venues.
While England’s cities are attempting to revitalise themselves, by contrast “The Full English” finds the nation’s towns struggling. England’s towns are frequently reviled as symbols of a broken country (often labelled as the driving force behind Brexit and the rise of the populist right), but Stuart Maconie is commendably fair-minded and sympathetic towards them. This is especially true of an excellent chapter on Boston, Lincolnshire (regularly labelled as “England’s most divided town”) where Maconie is perceptive about the tensions that can arise in a town on the economic slide that also has to cope with a sudden wave of untrammelled immigration.
As his years advance, Maconie can be a touch smug and cranky (he has little tolerance for any ideology even a smidgen to the left or the right of his own watery Blairite politics). But when “The Full English” is at its best – and when Maconie isn’t repeating himself – it is an effective clarion call for greater decency and a new progressive patriotism for England.
May 31, 2023
I don't think I've ever read a book before where I was struck by such an immediate sense of deja vu - because the chapter headings in Stuart Maconie's The Full English were the same as the ones in a book I'd read only the week before. I had bought J. B. Priestley's English Journey (inspired by a reference to it in another book) in the same batch of shopping as Maconie's latest English socio-travel title without realising that Priestley's book was the inspiration for Maconie's. It's not necessary to read Priestley first... but I did really gain something by doing so.
The book retraces Priestley's journey of 1933/4. Maconie is, without doubt, the perfect writer to do this. Like Priestley, he is a northerner who has moved down south. Like Priestley, he has a balance of socialist principles and liking a bit of the good life. And he's a big fan of Priestley's original. But, strangely, there are some problems with the format. It's limiting: Maconie visits places he's written about before and sometimes doesn't really do much while he's in any particular location. The oddest failing is that one of the most interesting bits of the 1930s predecessor was Priestley's descriptions of his visits to various factories, but Maconie doesn't do this at all. That was a real shame.
This doesn't make this a bad book - it's not. It was really interesting to see Maconie struggling with the less pleasant and politically acceptable aspects of English Journey - a bit of a case of never meet, or in this case re-trace the journey of, your hero. And unlike Priestley, who didn't even make much of an effort on his visit, Maconie quite likes Swindon, for which I will forgive him a lot. We also get some of Maconie's excellent interactions with and overhearing of random people in the locations he visits, plus his often enticing descriptions of the food he eats on his travels. (To be fair, he has a huge advantage here over Priestley, as the food is so much better in England than it was in 90 years ago. Apart from one hotel, the places Maconie stays are far better too.)
The best part by far is towards the end, when he reaches Lincolnshire and Norfolk. Here Maconie is more on form, particularly on Skegness - even though neither he nor Priestley visits, he passes through on the train and reminisces about his childhood visits to various Butlins holiday camps - and Boston which must be one of the strangest towns in England for reasons he describes well. He's also excellent in Norwich, though he does sing the praises of UEA's brutalist Lasdun Wall without pointing out that it is a maintenance nightmare and falling apart.
I honestly expected Maconie's version of this trip round an eccentric English itinerary to be better than Priestley's, and in some ways it is. I prefer Maconie's writing style and (after all) he is from Lancashire rather than Yorkshire. The best of Maconie shines through when he tears apart the terrible mine owners of the Victorian North East (and suggests very reasonably that statues of these 'noble' buffoons should be torn down). But, for me, this is the weakest of all Maconie's socio-travel books. It feels like something that seemed like a good idea when it was commissioned, but that proved hard to make work in practice.
I'm still a big fan of Maconie's writing. I'll be pre-ordering his next book without a qualm. But this one was a bit of a let-down.
The book retraces Priestley's journey of 1933/4. Maconie is, without doubt, the perfect writer to do this. Like Priestley, he is a northerner who has moved down south. Like Priestley, he has a balance of socialist principles and liking a bit of the good life. And he's a big fan of Priestley's original. But, strangely, there are some problems with the format. It's limiting: Maconie visits places he's written about before and sometimes doesn't really do much while he's in any particular location. The oddest failing is that one of the most interesting bits of the 1930s predecessor was Priestley's descriptions of his visits to various factories, but Maconie doesn't do this at all. That was a real shame.
This doesn't make this a bad book - it's not. It was really interesting to see Maconie struggling with the less pleasant and politically acceptable aspects of English Journey - a bit of a case of never meet, or in this case re-trace the journey of, your hero. And unlike Priestley, who didn't even make much of an effort on his visit, Maconie quite likes Swindon, for which I will forgive him a lot. We also get some of Maconie's excellent interactions with and overhearing of random people in the locations he visits, plus his often enticing descriptions of the food he eats on his travels. (To be fair, he has a huge advantage here over Priestley, as the food is so much better in England than it was in 90 years ago. Apart from one hotel, the places Maconie stays are far better too.)
The best part by far is towards the end, when he reaches Lincolnshire and Norfolk. Here Maconie is more on form, particularly on Skegness - even though neither he nor Priestley visits, he passes through on the train and reminisces about his childhood visits to various Butlins holiday camps - and Boston which must be one of the strangest towns in England for reasons he describes well. He's also excellent in Norwich, though he does sing the praises of UEA's brutalist Lasdun Wall without pointing out that it is a maintenance nightmare and falling apart.
I honestly expected Maconie's version of this trip round an eccentric English itinerary to be better than Priestley's, and in some ways it is. I prefer Maconie's writing style and (after all) he is from Lancashire rather than Yorkshire. The best of Maconie shines through when he tears apart the terrible mine owners of the Victorian North East (and suggests very reasonably that statues of these 'noble' buffoons should be torn down). But, for me, this is the weakest of all Maconie's socio-travel books. It feels like something that seemed like a good idea when it was commissioned, but that proved hard to make work in practice.
I'm still a big fan of Maconie's writing. I'll be pre-ordering his next book without a qualm. But this one was a bit of a let-down.
May 30, 2023
I liked parts of this book, while others seemed to blend in with earlier sections, and I wasn't quite sure what the ultimate aim of the trip was. Obviously, he was retracing JB Priestley, but there were political elements and comparisons with the past, and reflections on the attitudes of residents, as well as a general retreat to places and things he liked - which is fine, but if you are offering your thoughts on places and people, I think you have to experience more of them.
The first places he visited were most familiar to me, and were useful as I could compare his judgements to mine - he has a better opinion of Coventry station, and the artier areas of Bristol, but is equally dismissive of the posher bits of the Cotswolds, where the more affluent bits appear to be a kind of stone themed Centre Parcs rather than places to live.
However, once he went further north, I found it harder to distinguish between the places he was visiting. I wondered if that was a lack of familiarity on my part, but I'm not convinced by that as Harry Pearson manages to convey different characters of different towns and cities of the north. Maconie also makes up fewer lines from passers-by, but I was always glad to see an observation on a media figure or musician as he was more descriptive than entertaining as he walked around assorted settlements.
These asides did give it some personality, and it's always helpful if you agree with them (I don't see the appeal of drag artists as entertainment either), but they weren't always based in fact - Nottingham's 5 stations were opened as private ventures and the 4 former ones closed before privatisation of British Rail. However it was clear what sort of pub Maconie likes, which sort of restaurant, and which bits of history get him excited (unpretentious) because he did similar activities in multiple towns. I got a rough feel for the places he visited, but not to the extent of other writers, and I much preferred reading about his travels in his Nanny State book where he had a clear theme to explore and go off on tangents about.
It was still worth reading, and it did offer new insights on political topics and places I've been to before. But it wasn't a warts and all account and for a state of the nation type of trip I felt that was necessary - instead Maconie celebrates everyday Britons and avoids the bigots, poseurs and unsavoury folk, which makes for a more pleasant experience but seemed a bit too safe for an observation travel book.
The first places he visited were most familiar to me, and were useful as I could compare his judgements to mine - he has a better opinion of Coventry station, and the artier areas of Bristol, but is equally dismissive of the posher bits of the Cotswolds, where the more affluent bits appear to be a kind of stone themed Centre Parcs rather than places to live.
However, once he went further north, I found it harder to distinguish between the places he was visiting. I wondered if that was a lack of familiarity on my part, but I'm not convinced by that as Harry Pearson manages to convey different characters of different towns and cities of the north. Maconie also makes up fewer lines from passers-by, but I was always glad to see an observation on a media figure or musician as he was more descriptive than entertaining as he walked around assorted settlements.
These asides did give it some personality, and it's always helpful if you agree with them (I don't see the appeal of drag artists as entertainment either), but they weren't always based in fact - Nottingham's 5 stations were opened as private ventures and the 4 former ones closed before privatisation of British Rail. However it was clear what sort of pub Maconie likes, which sort of restaurant, and which bits of history get him excited (unpretentious) because he did similar activities in multiple towns. I got a rough feel for the places he visited, but not to the extent of other writers, and I much preferred reading about his travels in his Nanny State book where he had a clear theme to explore and go off on tangents about.
It was still worth reading, and it did offer new insights on political topics and places I've been to before. But it wasn't a warts and all account and for a state of the nation type of trip I felt that was necessary - instead Maconie celebrates everyday Britons and avoids the bigots, poseurs and unsavoury folk, which makes for a more pleasant experience but seemed a bit too safe for an observation travel book.
June 17, 2024
Stuart Maconie - a marmite man, presenter and writer. I often find myself entertained and then infuriated. Often on the same page or same discussion. He is rather condescending, even if he is often correct.
This book seems rather lazy. A rehash of JB Priestley English Journey, where in 1934, an author traveled the country and reported back on his findings.
Maconie does it again - following the route faithfully. Rather than a chauffeur driven Daimler, this is by megabus and train. Good Man.
The reason I think it lazy - its already been done once in the 1980s and often quoted throughout this narrative.
This does work well as a state of the nation book - as we are in Covid and post Covid as the book is written and with the Cost Of living crisis and Ukraine, certainly living in interesting time.
It plods along as he drinks and eats in Southampton, The Midlands (West and East), the North and then East Anglia. Cultural references and I liked the way he got his recommendations from Twitter.
Where the book works best is when he really makes it personal. If more of it was like the final chapters, when he eviscerates Boris's partygate actions, whilst reflecting on his parents deaths within in a year during covid, it would be a much better book.
And he might be right about Jeremy Clarkson (a just as easy target as Boris) but he is completely wrong about Clarkson's Farm. He says he would put his boot through the TV if he chanced on it. However, it is a very informative, important and interesting show.
Lots of interesting inspiration to work through.... not least seeing if there is an online list of the 60 pubs where Paul Heaton put a tab behind the bar for his 60th birthday.
This book seems rather lazy. A rehash of JB Priestley English Journey, where in 1934, an author traveled the country and reported back on his findings.
Maconie does it again - following the route faithfully. Rather than a chauffeur driven Daimler, this is by megabus and train. Good Man.
The reason I think it lazy - its already been done once in the 1980s and often quoted throughout this narrative.
This does work well as a state of the nation book - as we are in Covid and post Covid as the book is written and with the Cost Of living crisis and Ukraine, certainly living in interesting time.
It plods along as he drinks and eats in Southampton, The Midlands (West and East), the North and then East Anglia. Cultural references and I liked the way he got his recommendations from Twitter.
Where the book works best is when he really makes it personal. If more of it was like the final chapters, when he eviscerates Boris's partygate actions, whilst reflecting on his parents deaths within in a year during covid, it would be a much better book.
And he might be right about Jeremy Clarkson (a just as easy target as Boris) but he is completely wrong about Clarkson's Farm. He says he would put his boot through the TV if he chanced on it. However, it is a very informative, important and interesting show.
Lots of interesting inspiration to work through.... not least seeing if there is an online list of the 60 pubs where Paul Heaton put a tab behind the bar for his 60th birthday.
May 18, 2025
I was a fan of Stuart Maconie’s , articles and reviews back in his NME days, and have become reacquainted with him ,through listening to his weekend shows , with Mark Radcliffe on the radio , in recent years
I really enjoyed his book, where he followed in the footsteps of the famous Jarrow march , from Tyneside to London , comparing and contrasting life for ordinary , working class Britons , then and now
In a similar vein, Stuart recreates playwright , JB Priestley’s 1933 tour round England , taking the geographical, and social temperature of the country, stretching from Southampton to Newcastle , as well as many points , middle, east and west
Priestly examined how ( mainly) working class towns and cities were coping/ recovering post WW1 , economically, and culturally, whilst comparing their fortunes, with the middle class, and wealthier members of society
Stuart does exactly the same, using his wit and self deprecating sense of humour, as well as entertainingly dropping, familiar pop culture references, while observing where England stands, post Brexit , and Covid, with particular respect to ‘ Red Wall ‘ towns and cities , who voted Conservative in 2019 , for the first time ever
There’s some lovely descriptions and appreciations of some of the most beautiful cities, towns ,countryside landscapes , and architecture , as well as many recollections, of interactions with interesting, ordinary people throughout the land
I really enjoyed this brilliantly written book , by a great guy , and I ended up being, thoroughly entertained , as well feeling better informed , about the current life and times, of our southern neighbours , in the UK ( me being from Scotland and all )
I really enjoyed his book, where he followed in the footsteps of the famous Jarrow march , from Tyneside to London , comparing and contrasting life for ordinary , working class Britons , then and now
In a similar vein, Stuart recreates playwright , JB Priestley’s 1933 tour round England , taking the geographical, and social temperature of the country, stretching from Southampton to Newcastle , as well as many points , middle, east and west
Priestly examined how ( mainly) working class towns and cities were coping/ recovering post WW1 , economically, and culturally, whilst comparing their fortunes, with the middle class, and wealthier members of society
Stuart does exactly the same, using his wit and self deprecating sense of humour, as well as entertainingly dropping, familiar pop culture references, while observing where England stands, post Brexit , and Covid, with particular respect to ‘ Red Wall ‘ towns and cities , who voted Conservative in 2019 , for the first time ever
There’s some lovely descriptions and appreciations of some of the most beautiful cities, towns ,countryside landscapes , and architecture , as well as many recollections, of interactions with interesting, ordinary people throughout the land
I really enjoyed this brilliantly written book , by a great guy , and I ended up being, thoroughly entertained , as well feeling better informed , about the current life and times, of our southern neighbours , in the UK ( me being from Scotland and all )
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