First published 2019
Fintan O'Toole traces England's contemporary political turmoil back to World War II and the collapse of the British empire. The acclaimed Irish critic argues that Brexit and rising nationalism cannot be understood through recent European Union politics alone. Instead, he locates the roots of English discontent in imperial decline and wartime nostalgia. O'Toole presents a nation that fantasizes about German invasion for excitement and manufactures outrage over trivial food regulations like prawn-flavored crisps restrictions. He observes England with both sympathy and sharp criticism, documenting how a powerful country chose deliberate self-destruction. The book explores why England embraced policies that damaged its own interests and standing.
Genres: history, political-science, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: gritty, unreliable-narrator
Setting: England, Europe, United Kingdom
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
256 pages · Hardcover · Liveright