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    English: A Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather
    English: A Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather
    English: A Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather
    Audiobook9 hours

    English: A Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather

    Written by Ben Fogle

    Narrated by Rupert Farley

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    What makes the English English? Is it their eccentricity, their passionate love (or, indeed, hatred) of Marmite – or is it something less easily defined?

    Beginning at the top of a muddy Gloucestershire slope at the Coopers Hill cheese-rolling contest and traversing a landscape of lawns and queues, coastlines and sporting arenas, Ben Fogle takes us on a journey through the peculiarly English: a country of wax jackets, cricket, boat races and jellied eels, by way of national treasures such as the shipping forecast, fish and chips and the Wellington boot. Not to mention the Dunkirk spirit of relentless optimism in the face of adversity, be it the heroic failure of Captain Scott’s doomed Antarctic expedition, or simply the perennial hope for better weather.

    The archetypal Englishman – lover of labradors and Land Rovers yet holder of two passports – Ben applauds all things quintessentially English while also paying tribute to the history, culture and ideas adopted with such gusto that they have become part of the fabric of the country. Written with Ben’s trademark warmth and wit, this is a light-hearted yet touching tribute to all things English.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateOct 5, 2017
    ISBN9780008222277
    English: A Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather
    Author

    Ben Fogle

    Ben Fogle is the author of several books including The Accidental Adventurer, The Crossing and Race to the Pole. He has presented numerous television programs, including the BBC's Animal Park, Countryfile and Extreme Dreams. Ben's sporting achievements include completing the gruelling 160-mile 'Marathon Des Sables' through the Sahara, and rowing across the Atlantic with double Olympic Gold Medallist James Cracknell, OBE.

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    Reviews for English

    3.5/5

    3 ratings1 review

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    • 3/5
      An introductory text made up of essays by various writers. It would probably be considerable more useful (and interesting) in a course context than it is to the general reader. The multiple authorship creates a scattershot impression, and the frequent pauses for "activities" reminds one (as does the rather plodding prose) that this belongs in a classroom. There are several more engaging and better-written books on the topic. This does, however, have lots of useful information if you are determined to dig it out, so enthusiasts may want to look through it.