The Full English: A Journey in Search of a Country and its People

(Paperback)

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A Sunday Times Book of the Week and Top 10 Bestseller

A Waterstones Travel Book of the Year

A Spectator Book of the Year
What kind of country is England today

What does it mean to be English

Are we hungry for change or seeking old certainties

Join Stuart Maconie on an enlightening, entertaining journey through England, from Bristol's Banksy to Durham's beaches, from Cotswolds corduroy to Stoke's oatcakes.

As his guide, Maconie walks in the footsteps of J.B. Priestley's classic travelogue, English Journey, to explore our national identity and how it has evolved over the last century. On his way, Stuart takes inspiration from the people he meets at bus stops and train stations, cafes and corner shops.

Travelling the length of the land, Maconie explores the differences between city and town, north and south, and examines our past and present with affection and insight. Whether hes passing the boutique hotels of Manchester, the moors of Ilkley or the grand houses of Tynemouth, looking out over misty fens or urban skylines, he shines a light on the people who make these places and asks what the future holds for them. Along the way, he uncovers local heroes and secret histories over early breakfasts and last orders.

Through his journey, he lets us see our homes and habits, hopes and eccentricities with fresh eyes. The Full English challenges us to embrace the messy, shifting and diverse nature of England, and to ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be.

Reviews

Maconie is a funny, astute writer, alert to the absurd. Sunday Times Book of the Week

Observant and witty. The Times

The deceptive lightness and accessibility of Maconies writing lead us gently through what is actually a deep dive into this most mysterious of peoples. Jonathan Coe

'Chatty and cheerful.' Graham Robb

Thoughtful and characteristically entertaining. Waterstones Books of the Year

Maconie catches the exhausted national mood beautifully. New Statesman

Takes the temperature of the English at this point in time. Hugo Rifkind

This might be Maconies best book yet. What a treat to read such a clear-eyed but warm-hearted evocation of the country. Daily Express

Praise for Stuart Maconie

As funny as Bryson and as wise as Orwell. The Observer

The best thing to come out of Wigan since the A58 to Bolton. Peter Kay

A fine writer: sharp, funny, tender and thoughtful. The Spectator

A funny, lyrical writer who prefers to persuade rather than browbeat. Mail on Sunday

Maconie's engaging, conversational prose is full of telling detail, jokes and deft quotation. The Telegraph

Author Bio

Stuart Maconie is a writer, broadcaster and journalist familiar to millions from his work in print, on radio and on TV. His previous bestsellers have included Cider with Roadies, Pies and Prejudice and Adventures on the High Teas. He hosts a show for BBC Radio 6 Music (with Mark Radcliffe) every weekend morning between 8 and 11am.Based in Birmingham and Manchester, he can also often be spotted on top of a mountain in the Lake District with a Thermos flask and individual pork pie. He is a champion ice skater and once shared a van with Napalm Death.