The Full English Book Reviews

The Full English by Stuart Maconie Book Summary

A Sunday Times Book of the Week and Top 10 Bestseller

A Waterstones Travel Book of the Year 2023

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 he’s 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

A New Statesman nonfiction pick for 2023

A Bookseller One to Watch

‘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 Maconie’s writing lead us gently though what is actually a deep dive into this most mysterious of peoples.’ Jonathan Coe, The Guardian

‘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 Maconie’s best book yet. … What a treat to read such a clear-eyed but warm-hearted evocation of the country I live in as it really is today.’ 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

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