Englishness is an idea, a consciousness and a proto-nationalism. There is no English state within the United Kingdom, no English passport, Parliament or currency, nor any immediate prospect of any. That does not mean that England lacks an identity, although English nationalism, or at least a distinctive nationalism, has been partly forced upon the English by the development in the British Isles of strident nationalisms that have contested Britishness, and with much success. So what is happening to the United Kingdom, and, within that, to England? Jeremy Black looks to the past in order to understand the historical identity of England, and what it means for English nationalism today, in a post-Brexit world. The extent to which English nationalism has a 'deep history' is a matter of controversy, although he seeks to demonstrate that it exists, from 'the Old English State' onwards, predating the Norman invasion He also questions whether the standard modern critique of politically partisan, or un-British, Englishness as 'extreme' is merited? Indeed, is hostility to 'England,' whatever that is supposed to mean, the principal driver of resurgent English nationalism? The Brexit referendum of 2016 appeared to have cancelled out Scottish and other nationalisms as an issue, but, in practice, it made Englishness a topic of particular interest and urgency, as set out in this short history of its origins and evolution.
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'This pithy history argues that England’s tolerant brand of nationalism has been a force for good.'

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781849049856
Publisert
2018-06-07
Utgiver
Vendor
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Høyde
192 mm
Bredde
132 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
192

Forfatter

Biographical note

Jeremy Black is Professor of History at the University of Exeter, UK, and one of Britain's most published academics. His interests include military history, British politics, newspaper and cartographic history, and international relations. Among his many books are Maps and History, War and the World, and A Short History of Britain.