England

Pure centrist erotica. This myth-busting chronicle of bad-tempered, Brexit-riven England aims to provide Keir Starmer with the grand narrative he needs -- Will Lloyd * Sunday Times * The book is cast as a travelogue, from Runnymede to Surrey, site of the signing of the Magna Carta and from where the idea that the English invented liberty is examined, to the seafaring buccaneers of Plymouth, working-class Blackpool and supposedly anti-immigrant Wolverhampton, to the cosy establishment elite of Oxford . . . Enjoyable . . . Compelling * Financial Times * Challenging, forensic, compelling -- Sathnam Sanghera, author of 'Empireland' England, with great insight, humour and compassion, punctures the shared myths and simplistic narratives of a complex country and its ever-surprising people. It entertainingly trawls through our long past in order to imagine a more hopeful future. And with a cast of characters to die for. A deeply human, unpretentious and evocative new look at an old country -- James Graham, playwright, 'Dear England' This iconoclastic masterpiece is well argued and beautifully written. A thoroughly entertaining read -- Alan Johnson, author of 'This Boy' Wonderfully evocative descriptions of English places, English identities and the myths that cling to them. Too honest, too nuanced and too deep for any party manifesto -- Matthew Parris A fascinating journey exploration of England and the English. Stears and Baldwin have thought deeply about who we were, who we are, and where we are going. Filled with colourful places and eccentric people, their tale of England told through a tour of its towns and cities gives a fresh perspective on the culture and history of a much-misunderstood nation. Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the deep currents which have shaped England today, both what divides us and what we share -- Robert Ford, author of 'Brexitland' A beautiful and detailed parsing of the eccentricities and contradictions at the heart of English identity -- Josie Rourke, theatre and film director