'What does it mean to be English? To keep one eye on orders from above, like Nelson, or, like Wellington, to maintain composure and self-control under any circumstances? Is it a sentimental attachment to animals, a taste for disgusting boiled vegetables, a nostalgic loyalty to tradition, a love of monarchy, and a sympathy for losers? Perhaps all of the above,' says the author of this book, David Boyle, a renowned British writer and journalist who explores economics, history, and culture. 100 fascinating stories about the quirks and passions of the English, their history, and traditions await you. You will learn why the English and the French dislike each other, how Chinese tea became the British national drink, why a truly English umbrella is black, and what school memories bring tears to the eyes of adult Britons. The book's heroes include Alfred the Great and Punch, Dickens and Blake, coal miners and clerks in striped suits, Puritans and Anglicans, theater actors and ghosts... The Beatles and Big Ben, Guy Fawkes Night and Canterbury Cathedral, pubs and cardigans, English parks and Yorkshire pudding—a wealth of facts, nuances, and details allows you to deeply understand what the true 'British spirit' is.

Previously published in Russian under the title 'A Guide to the English.' This edition is supplemented with illustrated inserts.