The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles
There is no shortage of guides to British Culture on the market these days and we've pretty much read them all as I love learning about every aspect of British Culture. So, I was rather dubious to the idea of yet another British Culture Guide coming on the market. I was wrong to be so negative! The British: An Awfully Useful Guide by Toby … [Read more...]
Honey and Preserves by Fortnum & Mason, a British institution since 1707 and the purveyors of fantastically wonderful jellies, jams, preserves, marmalades and honeys is a slim book, but packed with more information than the reader might suspect. The opening pages discuss the differences between jams and jellies, marmalades and chutneys, and … [Read more...]
As a kid, I never liked mysteries much, and later, I would get a bit miffed when a book I was reading turned out to be a mystery when not advertised as such. But now… well, they’ve kind of grown on me… especially when they take place in Britain. And involve fascinating figures of British history. Much like Mr. Churchill’s Secretary: A Novel … [Read more...]
Based on Helen Castors’ history book She Wolves: The Woman Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth, the DVD She-Wolves: Early Queens of England by Athena, recounts the struggles, triumphs, intrigue and tragedies surrounding the early Queens of England. The three-episode set, hosted and narrated by Castors, briefly tells the story of these … [Read more...]
Do you need a Downton Abbey fix? You might want to read They Also Serve: The Real Life Story of My Lifetime in Service as a Butler by Bob Sharpe. Set mostly in the decades between the 1920s and the 1950s, Bob chronicles his more than thirty years in service, rising from hall boy to the highest position in service—the butler. … [Read more...]
There are thousands of books on Churchill so it can be a considerable challenge to write something completely new. Barry Singer is the owner of Chartwell Books in New York City, a bookstore famous for its focus on the works of Winston Churchill (and works about him). As a huge Churchill buff, he decided to write a book that focuses on an aspect of … [Read more...]
Nancy Jackman was born into poverty in England in 1907. At the age of 12 she left school to help provide for her family. For the next 30 years she worked as a cook for a number of wealthy British families. The Cook’s Tale: Life Below Stairs as it Really Was is her autobiography. Nancy Jackman’s childhood was spent in the Norfolk … [Read more...]
I’ve never been much of a reader of mysteries or police procedurals or any of those types of books, though I sort of like watching them on TV – especially when the characters are good. That said, I have just finished reading The Witness by Naomi Kryske, and am looking forward to more! It follows Jenny, a young American woman from Texas, … [Read more...]
I’m just going to come right out and say it – what a beautiful book! Beautiful… yet quite melancholy, too. The story of an unwilling German au pair joining a troubled family in London in 1960, this novel covers a point in England’s history that I have not given much thought to. So much is written about London during World War II, and … [Read more...]
The story of Winston Churchill is generally well-known - the courageous leader that led Britain through the dark days of World War II to victory. But what many people don't realize is that this was but a blip in his life and in actually he considered himself a professional writer for most of his life. That's the subject of Mr. Churchill's … [Read more...]
For many, reading is an escape into another world, shutting out the reader's physical environment. Sometimes, though, a place can so perfectly fit a book that reading in that spot intrudes on and enhances the experience. Cambridge, England is a university town that has inspired authors for more than 800 years. Here are ten books and their … [Read more...]
As with the previous book we reviewed from Francis Lincoln (Great House of London), this is a giant weighty tome. But it's basically, for lack of a better way of putting is, Anglophile porn. The Edwardian Country House: A Social and Architectural History by Clive Aslet is a new coffee table sized book offering up a detail exploration of an … [Read more...]
As we all know, 2012 was a big year for the UK and for the Queen in particular as she celebrated 60 years on the throne. We had the good fortune to be in the UK during the major celebrations and it was a wonderful experience. So, I was delighted when this book arrived in the post. The People's Jubilee by Victoria Murphy is a pictorial guide to … [Read more...]
It’s rare that my library world and reviewer world collide, but I’ve been dying to read Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn, since I saw it advertised while perusing one of the many publisher’s catalogs that seem to multiply daily on my desk at work. I was still on the waiting list for the book when my Anglotopia package arrived with a … [Read more...]
My of my favorite aspects of Anglophilia is studying British history and I already have a pretty comprehensive library of British history books, so it's always a pleasure to add another. So, I was delighted to receive A Place in History: Britain's Headline News Stories Remembered by Colin Philpott to review. It's an information history book … [Read more...]
Downton Abbey returns to our screens this weekend and will take us through the next few years of drama at Downton Abbey. If you love Downton like we do, perhaps you'd like to consider reading some books about the time period. We've gathered up a list of books that are suitable reading if you're interested in the Edwardian era or life in service … [Read more...]
I love British things – that’s why I’m writing this. Music, movies, literature, people, accents, history… and cars. I love looking at them anyway. The ideal me drives a Jaguar and my nearly ideal me drives a Mini Cooper. They’re just sweet, aren’t they? Apparently some people’s fascination with British automobiles goes … [Read more...]
Foodies, history buffs, and all-around Anglophiles will enjoy this delectable eBook about the evolution of English cuisine. The author has done her research - with the use of historical references and her own taste buds. Each section focuses on a pivotal era in English history, detailing what sort of food was consumed based on resources that … [Read more...]
Let me get this off my chest right away, I’ve never really given up wanting to be a Royal. I’m a happily married woman, but I have that royal wave perfectly practiced just in case. Granted, the last American to bag a Royal didn’t exactly get welcomed with open arms, but it’s the 21st Century and things have … [Read more...]
It’s impossible to think of Jane Austen and her novels without the all important social events and elaborate balls. Just as Jane Austen herself enjoyed dressing up for a night of music and gossip, the characters in each of Austen’s novels also experienced the grandeur and occasional frivolity of the many dances of the time. Indeed, the ballroom … [Read more...]
Harry Potter fans are eagerly anticipating the latest book from writing phenomenon JK Rowling. Rowling's first adult book is being released on Thursday, September 27th and has already hit the number one spot on Amazon's best sellers list in pre-sales. 2 million copies of Casual Vacancy (Little Brown & Co.) are about to hit the shelves all … [Read more...]
If I am being honest, I must admit that I am not a big fan of non-fiction. Reading has always been about escapism for me, so when my husband brought home Call the Midwife as well as a fiction paperback for me last week, I picked Call the Midwife first to "get it out of the way" before I got my hands on the paperback. However, once I picked up … [Read more...]
I was asked to read and review The Jarrow Lass by Janet MacLeod Trotter. This novel takes place in Durham in the 1860’s. It focuses on Rose McConnell. The author does a masterful describing the grinding poverty and despair that affected the poor in that time. Perhaps my imagination is too good – one could swear you could smell the odors around … [Read more...]
In my teen years, as now, I loved to read Arthurian fantasy and Tolkien… along with my fair share of bodice-rippers. Yes, even then, I was an Anglophile. By contrast, the literature we were assigned to read in school was awfully grim. We read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, and … [Read more...]
England is as famous for its stately homes as it is for its sometimes eccentric population. From hoarders to gamblers, misanthropes to humanitarians, inventors to statesman, titled nobility to self-made millionaires, author David Long, in English Country House Eccentrics, briefly touches on the lives of some of England’s most notoriously quirky … [Read more...]
Don't let the child-friendly drawings and simple explanations fool you. The Bumper Book of London is a serious book about London filled with a massive amount of information that you will digest with glee if you have any interest in Britain's largest city. The Bumper Book of London has it all - fun facts, historical background, interesting … [Read more...]
The divorce of Henry VIII from Catherine of Aragon was, without a doubt, a pivotal event in history – for England and the entire Western world. We can watch the play-by-play on The Tudors, or read about it in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, and countless other literary and academic sources. Sources generally focus on the main players – the King, … [Read more...]
I was asked to read and review Cooper and the Queen by Don Hunter. This was a great book. The characters are believable and very well written. The plot involves several stories and is woven together in a way that keeps one guessing until the end. I did want to know more about Sergeant Quinsam but perhaps that is planned for another book. The … [Read more...]
Challiss of Uppham is a sweeping novel of the Challiss family, a Victorian upper-class family struggling with the economic downturn that occurred in the 1830s. Continuing the saga found in J.A. Noble’s book The Lime Walk, the Challiss family faces hardships and changes all while trying to maintain their proper place in Norfolk society. Family … [Read more...]
I’ll admit, the current trend in fiction where horror novels and classic novels collide is not my cup of tea, but I was willing to try, try again. I timidly sunk my teeth into Oliver Twisted by JD Sharpe & Charles Dickens and I was pleasantly surprised at the overall result. Sharpe does a fair job of maintaining the … [Read more...]
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia is now our full time jobs and we spend our time working on the site and planning our yearly trips to Britain. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
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