Britannia in Brief - The Scoop on All Things British

Zusatztext “A witty! irreverent crash course ‘101’ that all Anglophiles will love. Leslie Banker and William Mullins have bridged the great divide between two countries separated by a common language. A bloody good read!”—Anita Naughton! author of Tea and Sympathy “ Britannia in Brief is an indispensable guide. Better than Fromer' s! shorter than the Encyclopedia Britannica ! it is hilarious! clever! and spot-on. This book is perfect for every foreigner who wishes to talk local! and for every local who doesn't get out enough.”—Amanda Foreman! author of The Duchess Informationen zum Autor Leslie Banker is co-author of The Pocket Decorator and The Pocket Renovator both published by Universe. She has written freelance articles for Interior Design magazine, Edible Rhody, and a regular column for Realtor Magazine On-Line. William Mullins is a financial software developer and has written freelance pieces for salon.com and The Boston Book Review . Before moving to the US he was an assistant editor at Debrett's in London. Klappentext When it comes to Britain! most Americans don't know (Union) Jack. Fortunately! now an Anglo-American husband-and-wife team are here to help with a smart! funny! and handy guide that minds the gap between fact and fiction. From Whigs and Windsors to wankers and Wales! this spit-spot-on reference covers all manner of British history! society! culture! language! and everyday life! including • the class system! title envy! and a thumbnail sketch of British dynasties • highlights of the social season (yes! they have a social season) • Parliament! prime ministers! and a wild variety of political parties • British sports 101! including football (by which we mean soccer)! cricket! rugby! snooker! and darts • answers to the pressing question: What's on the telly? • British culinary delights! from Marmite to late-night tikka masala • odd pronunciations (e.g.! how "St. John” becomes "Sin Jun”) • cockney slang! or why you should never get caught "telling porkies on the dog” • Londoners' pride in the Tube and the truth about trainspotting So whether you're traveling to England on business or for pleasure! dating a Brit! hoping to comfort a homesick Londoner (whip up a treacle tart! recipe included)! or simply curious about life across the pond! Britannia in Brief is the perfect companion. Chapter One So Where Are We Anyway? England? Britain? UK? What’s the Difference? First things first: England, Great Britain, UK? All the same thing? These terms, which are so often used interchangeably, actually refer to distinct geographical and, frequently, political entities. Should you still think these distinctions are inconsequential after reading these pages, we invite you to visit, let’s say, a bar in Scotland and inform the boys just how cute their English pub is. By the time your bruises and scars have healed, you will have had ample time to mull over the weightiness of these distinctions. Scotland, England, and Wales are three separate nations all inhabiting the island of Britain. What do we mean by “nation”? It is not our intention to burden you with medieval history and constitutional arcana, so suffice it to say, at one point Scotland and Wales were separate kingdoms, which at different points in time, and with varying degrees of resistance, fell sway to English rule through “Acts of Union.” Lest you think this all sounds like a one-way transaction, it should be pointed out that such great “English” dynasties as the Stuarts and the Tudors had their roots in Scotland and Wales respectively. The United Kingdom, or UK, is officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain (the big island) and Northern Ireland (the predominantly Protestant northeast quarter of the island of Ireland, distinct from the predominantly Catholi...

Product details

• Authors: Leslie Banker, William Mullins
• Publisher: Ballantine
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 19.05.2009
• EAN: 9780345509994
• ISBN: 978-0-345-50999-4
• No. of pages: 238
• Dimensions: 132 mm x 203 mm x 13 mm
• Subject: Travel > Travelogues, traveller's tales