Anglia

An enormously entertaining and original history of England from Simon Winder, the bestselling author of Germania and Lotharingia. Traversing England from the industrial shipyards of Barrow-in-Furness, to the wind-whipped shores of Great Yarmouth, and the smoky jazz clubs of 1940s Soho, Winder reveals a place irrevocably shaped by its imperial past, and by all of those who, for better or worse, have called it home. Winder leads us expertly through the country's modern history, beginning with the bizarre quirks of the Victorian era (warning: rats), through the crucible of two world wars, to the bright lights and mammoth change of the 1980s. Anglia is no dry history of monarchs, governments or battles, but a hugely entertaining, personal romp through the nation’s lesser-known back catalogue - and a testament to the fact that any place can be interesting if you are willing to take a closer look. PRAISE FOR SIMON WINDER **'Winder never forgets that history is meant to be fun' - Dominic Sandbrook '[His books] are an idiosyncratic, often funny fusion of history writing, travel writing and disrespect' - Sir Tom Stoppard** **‘Informative and always entertaining . . . [Winder] has a very personal approach to history’ - The Irish Times 'A master of the art of making history both funny and fun, with never any loss of seriousness' - Simon Jenkins** 'Winder is a puppyishly enthusiastic companion: funny, erudite . . . and never for a moment boring' - Financial Times **'Funny and yet also fantastically informative' - Observer 'It's not so much history, as a long cultural tour, led by a brilliantly witty guide' - The New York Review of Books**