Leslie Banker – the lovely author of Britannia in Brief has put together a short video featuring their tips on How to Offend the British.

It’s pretty freaking hilarious.

Check it out:

If you’re interested in Britannia in Brief – check out the Britannia in Brief Week archives here or buy the book from the Anglotopia store here.

Britannia in Brief: How To Offend the British is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Well, it was a very exciting week at Anglotopia as we hosted the authors of the fabulous book Britannia in Brief. In case you missed it, here’s a rundown of the stories featured this week:

Britannia in Brief Review – Our exclusive first look at Britannia in Brief results in a pretty positive review of the book. It’s perfect for Anglophiles, hungry for knowledge about Britain.

Interview with Co-Author Leslie Banker – Leslie was kind enough to sit down and answer our questions about Britain and the book.

Britannia in Brief Week: Brilliant British Movies – A guest post by Britannia in Brief Co-Author Leslie Banker about her pick of 5 great British movies.

Interview with Co-Author William Mullins – Brit out of Water William Mullins sits down with Anglotopia for an exclusive interview about life in the US and being married to an American.

Don’t Be a Pillock in the Pub – Do’s and Don’t's of British Pub Etiquette – A list of pub guidelines from someone who is an expert – William Mullins guest post.

Last but not least – it’s time to announce the winner of the free copy of Britannia in Brief!

3…2..1…

And the Winner is: Spencie1

Spencie1 has this great comment about Britain:

One of my favorite things about the UK is how intelligent and well-informed the taxi drivers are. Never in NY would you be able to have a challenging discussion about world politics on the way to the airport.

That is so true! The cab drivers really are awesome in London. We’ve actually had one guest post at Anglotopia – check out his post the Top London Attractions You MUST see from a London Cabbie.

I hope you all enjoyed Britannia in Brief week – it was a lot of fun. I got to learn some great stuff about Britain and meet some wonderful people.

Don’t forget – Britannia in Brief is on sale now and you can buy it on Amazon.com! Click here to buy Britannia in Brief.

Britannia in Brief Week Wrap-up is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The final post in our Britannia in Brief series is a fantastic article from co-author William Mullins about how to behave in a British pub. I’m glad he decided to write about this as I’ve experienced the confusion of being a pub for the first time. Be sure to check out the rest of the posts for Britannia in Brief Week.

It should be straightforward – I mean, you’ve got bars here in the US – but I’ve always been struck by the trepidation that fills visitors to Britain the first time they have to step up to the bar at the pub and navigate the strange ritual of British pub etiquette. Quite understandably, no one wants to make a public fool of themselves in that inner sanctum of British culture, the public house.

In our book Britannia in Brief my wife Leslie, who blogged here on Anglotopia on Tuesday, and I explain the different kinds of pubs you’ll encounter, what they’ll serve in different parts of the country and how to navigate the culture. Following are a few tips which will help maximize your own pub-roving travels!

Do’s

• Go to the bar to order drinks. Only very smart establishments, (i.e. not pubs,) will have table service.
• Order beer by the pint (men) or half-pint (women); never by the bottle.
• Pay for your drinks when you’re served, and expect to pay in cash.
• Offer to buy drinks for all your party rather than just slipping off to bar on the quiet. The British tend to drink in rounds - etiquette of rounds can get complicated,) so if your offer is taken up, don’t be alarmed – you’re off the hook until everyone’s had a turn. (Though if you want a glass of water or a packet of crisps, or some such, as well as a drink go get that yourself.

Don’ts

• Tipping will cause confusion. If you must, offer to buy the bartender drink which they may chalk up for later, but most Brits would only go to this extreme if the publican had just single-handedly rescued him and his family from a burning car.
• Don’t be afraid to bring a child to the pub during the day, especially in the country. Unlike America, this won’t have social services coming to take your child away!
• The pub is not the place to order frou-frou drinks. No self-respecting publican will serve Long Island Ice Tea, Buttery Nipple shots or Espresso Martinis. This isn’t to say there aren’t pubs that will serve these, it’s just that they’re not the sort of pubs any self-respecting tippler should frequent.
• Don’t ask for or expect the bar staff to pour you a particuarly large measure of liquor. Though prices vary between pubs, measures do not and are strictly regulated by law. For spirits the standard serving is 25ml, the EU having done away with the wonderful old measures: 1/6th of a gill in England and 1/4th of a gill in Scotland.
• Be a little more reticent about drumming up conversation than you would be at home. It’s not that people don’t want to talk to you, it’s just that they’re a little taken aback when someone they’d never laid eyes five minutes before suddenly sticks out their hand and introduces themselves as Tim from Topeka. To the Brits this sort of bumptiousness is annoying and plays to all their stereotypes of the loud American. Break the stereotype, be yourself, be patient, don’t try to hard, go with the flow and you’ll find yourself welcomed and appreciated by the natives!

Britiannia in Brief – The Scoop on All Things British – was written by Leslie Banker and William Mullins. It’s the ultimate guide to Britain for Anglophiles! To purchase Britannia in Brief: The Scoop on All Things British – click here. And be sure to check out their great blog here.

Britannia in Brief Week: Don’t Be a Pillock in the Pub – Do’s and Don’t's of British Pub Etiquette is a post from: Anglotopia.net

To celebrate the forth day of Britannia in Brief week here at Anglotopia we have an exclusive interview with co-author Willaim Mullins. William is a displaced Brit living life in America with wife Leslie. You could say he’s a Brit out of water and his interview provides an exciting insight into how a Brit perceives Americans – and Anglophiles. Be sure to check out the rest of the posts from Britannia in Brief Week!

1. How did you and Leslie meet? (I’m asking you both the same question)

Our mothers were friends forever and Leslie’s mom would come stay with my parents sometimes in London, so I knew her but not Leslie. Leslie heard I’d just moved over to the US and invited me to her 30th birthday party on a whim. Sparks flew!

2. What’s your favorite London Neighborhood? Why?

As a born and bred west Londoner it might be heresy to pick a neighborhood in north London but I have to admit, I love Primrose Hill. I lived there for a few months some years ago and really enjoyed the village-like atmosphere. Regent’s Park Road, the main shopping street has everything you could want: a couple of great restaurants, covering different budgets, a fabulous bookstore, a serviceable pub and a nearby tube station, and then of course there’s the hill itself, with absolutely fabulous views down across the city.

3. What’s your favorite London Tube Stop? Why?

Interesting question! Growing up, pulling into Notting Hill Gate station always meant home, so that would have to be my favourite for sentimental reasons.

When I was young I was always taken by the tiny pub that used to be on the westbound platform at Sloane Square – I did manage to nip in once for a grossly-underaged drink before it finally closed in 1985. I remember someone once describing it as the only pub in London where it was acceptable for a man to order a half pint rather than a whole.

4. What do you think of Anglophiles? How are they perceived in Britain?

What’s not to love? America’s one of the last bastions of Anglophilia in the world. I mean, there was a revolution and that little matter of the Brits burning Washington to the ground, but America’s been spared the rampaging football hooligans and drunken package holiday types, (well, Florida’s not been entirely spared these,) who’ve done so much damage to the British brand in Europe and Asia.

Using the term in its broadest sense – Britannophiles, if there be such a word – the Scots, the Welsh, the Irish and even the northern English warmly welcome outsiders’ enthusiasm in their culture and country. The English are a bit different: they tend to be so down on their own country that they get suspicious of anyone else’s enthusiasm for it. Just give them time.

5. What advice would you have for British men who’d be interested in dating an American woman?

This is actually a remarkably challenging endeavour for the average British male. There really isn’t such a ritualized dating process in the UK as here. Sure, men and women will ask each other for out dinner – British men are generally much less forward than their American brethren – but there’s none of the road-mapped path through first, second, third date and so on. British courtship tends to involve a couple becoming good friends over ages, then getting drunk at a party and snogging followed, shortly after, by the two of them moving in together.

6. You’re standing in a train station in London and you can go anywhere in Britain, where would you go?

I remember as a child going to Caernarfon Castle in north west Wales and thinking it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen, but also a bit frightening, and also sort of fascinating as here I was in Britain surrounded by people talking a language other than English (Welsh). I’ve always wanted to revisit it.

Caernarfon Castle is best known as the site of Prince Charles’ investure as Prince of Wales back in 1969, though back in the 13th century Edward I’s son, the first Prince of Wales, was born here.

7. What do you miss the most about Britain?

You’re going to laugh at me, but I miss the weather. Leslie and I live in New England now, which has many similarities to old England – for example street plans here generally follow the British tradition of being laid out along meandering old cow paths rather than the usual American strict grid – but also big differences. The extremes in weather here, and throughout most of the states, are vast in comparison to the jet-stream warmed British Isles, and the places with a steady temperature, like Los Angeles, are by and large too hot. San Francisco is the only place with a suitably damp and mild year round temperature that I’ve experienced, (but then I’ve not visited Seattle or Portland which strike me as likely contenders.)

8. What’s the most maddening difference between America and Britain you’ve experienced living here.

Easy one that: having people I’ve never met before start calling me “Bill”.

9. Is there anything you wish you could have included in the book?

The book could have been three times as long! Fortunately our editor at Random House offered an unbiased and Anglophilic eye and helped us trim the book down to its current length. The inspiration for our blog was to provide an outlet for this overflow and the occasional “Darn, we should have included that” things that pop up.

10. I really enjoyed the section of the book on British Newspapers – something we’ve covered in the past – so, I must ask the question – Which British Newspaper do you read?

The wonder of the internet is that you can pick bits from all the different papers. I’ve long been an Independent reader, following it through its up and downs, but now I really only read the hilarious Mark Steel and the insightful Robert Fisk. The Guardian’s become a great paper, a lot more cosmopolitan than in the past. When I’m in London, there’s nothing better than an afternoon pint in the pub with the Evening Standard.

Thanks for some great answers William!

Britiannia in Brief – The Scoop on All Things British – was written by Leslie Banker and William Mullins. It’s the ultimate guide to Britain for Anglophiles! To purchase Britannia in Brief: The Scoop on All Things British – click here. And be sure to check out their great blog here.

Britannia in Brief Week: Interview with Co-Author William Mullins is a post from: Anglotopia.net

As part of Britannia in Brief Week here at Anglotopia we’re happy to be hosting one of the author’s – Leslie Banker –  for a guest post. Here’s her rundown of top 5 favorite British movies. Be sure to check out the rest of Britannia in Brief week! Check back later in the week for an interview and a post from her other half and co-author – William Mullins.

Much of the material in our book, Britannia in Brief, comes from the questions I had while reading English newspapers and watching British television and movies. In the name of research, William and I filled our Netflix queue with British movies that we watched with pen and paper in hand to make note of the cultural references I (the native New Yorker) didn’t catch—from cockney rhyming slang to political jokes to class-based jokes that were completely lost on me—and that we’d need to consider for inclusion. Here are my top five favorite British movies:

Hot Fuzz (2007). From the makers of Shaun of the Dead (2004), this is a hilarious spoof on the traditional cop movie. Overeager London copper gets transferred to a small town in the country, gets saddled with a not-so-sharp partner, and uncovers very strange happenings behind the hedgerows.

Withnail & I (1987). A British cult classic. As I understand, people in the UK are not allowed to graduate from University unless they can quote large tracts of the script from memory. The film doesn’t have much of a plot but is filled with great dialogue. It centers around two unemployed actors, Withnail and Marwood, who flee London for the countryside where they are stuck with Withnail’s Uncle Monty who keeps trying—unsuccessfully–to seduce Marwood.

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). Before Madonna was in the picture, Guy Ritchie made this great fast-paced movie about a high stakes card game gone awry. The East End (of London) gangsters all have great names like “Hatchet Harry.” I’m looking forward to Guy Ritchie’s upcoming movie about Sherlock Holmes!

Bend it like Beckham (2002). The daughter of orthodox Sikhs wants to play women’s football (soccer) but her parents disapprove. Culture clash ensues. The movie follows her as she struggles between the sport she’s really good at and her family’s traditions. It’s kind of a chick flick, but guys will appreciate that Keira Knightley‘s in it.

24 Hour Party People (2002). Let’s start by saying that Steve Coogan is a comic genius. Coogan plays Tony Wilson in the re-telling of the true story of the rise and fall of the “Madchester” music scene, featuring bands such as The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays, in Manchester with the famous Hacienda Club at its epicenter.

What are your favorite Brit Movies?

Britiannia in Brief – The Scoop on All Things British – was written by Leslie Banker and William Mullins. It’s the ultimate guide to Britain for Anglophiles! To purchase Britannia in Brief: The Scoop on All Things British – click here. And be sure to check out their great blog here.

Britannia in Brief Week: Brilliant British Movies by Leslie Banker is a post from: Anglotopia.net

 Our Second article in our week long Britannia in Brief Series is an interview with one of it’s authors, Leslie Banker. Leslie is married to her co-author William Mullins (interview Thursday!) and they decided to write Britannia in Brief due to the the culture shock of what it’s like being married to a Brit. Below are our questions for Leslie and her wonderful answers. In the interview she reveals that, initially, she was more of a Francophile than an Anglophile (shock!), her living in London fantasy and her favorite places to visit in Britain.

1. How did you and William meet?

It’s kind of an arranged marriage. Our mothers have been friends since they were young. William and I didn’t really know each other when we growing up because he was in London and I was in the New York. The first and only time I met William as a kid was July, 1978 when my parents and I went to London and stayed with his family. I was 8-years-old at the time and William was about 9.

I remember the date because something deeply embarrassing happened. Our parents left me, William, and his sister in the den watching TV. Since there were only about 3 TV stations at that time we ended up watching the BBC news where all the headline reports were about the first test tube baby being born. I remember wondering aloud “How do they do that?” and getting from William an answer that was much more than I bargained for starting with: “Well, the man pulls down his pants.” I still cringe thinking about it.

Then, in his late 20s he moved to the US and a couple years later I invited him to my 30th birthday party and that was that.

2. What’s your favorite London Neighborhood? Why?

I love Notting Hill. In my moving-to-London-day-dream we live in Notting Hill (or possibly Primrose Hill in North London). It’s certainly not out of the way, or a best kept secret, but it’s got great restaurants, shops, and is within walking distance to Kensington Gardens and Holland Park, two of my favorite London parks.

3. What’s your favorite London Tube Stop? Why?

They all are because, unlike in New York, they tell you the time remaining until the next train arrives. This eliminates so much stress. The Tube stations seem generally cleaner than the New York subway stations though I’m fascinated that the seats on many (all?) of the Tube trains are covered in fabric. While it does make the trains cozier, I wonder if and how they ever clean the fabric.

4. Were you/are you an Anglophile? What got you interested in Britain?
What’s your Anglophile story?

True confession: Up until a few years ago, I would have said I was more of a Francophile than an Anglophile. In the last few years though we’ve visited the UK a bunch of times and, between that and writing Britannia in Brief, I’ve come to love the UK. We went to Cornwall to visit William’s cousins and it was just so beautiful there. I love how London is such a big international multi-cultural city. Because of William, I actually like Marmite now and become almost as bent out of shape as he does when we run out.

5. What advice would you have for women who are interested in dating a
British Guy?

Bait your trap with Twiglets and Malteasers. I think a major advantage that I had in the early dating days with William was that I lived one block away from Carry On Tea and Sympathy on Greenwich Avenue in New York where they sell all manner of British candies and crisps.

Also, I’d suggest reading Britannia in Brief! Part of why we wrote the book was because I didn’t know what William was talking about when, for example, he’d say a house that looks small from the outside but is spacious on the inside was like a TARDIS. A what?! The idea is the book will give you the info to catch these sorts of references that your British Guy will be making.

6. You’re standing in a train station in London and you can go anywhere in Britain, where would you go?

Edinburgh. William went to university there and loved it, so this has made me want to get to know the city. Also, I have this Scottish Highlands fantasy where we rent a house with a bunch of friends and go on long walks in the morning, spend afternoons at the local pub, then sit in front of the fire in the evening.

7. Whose idea was it to write this book?

I think it was both of our ideas. When we were engaged we went to London for a friend of William’s wedding. During this visit we ended up at a few dinner parties where at times I didn’t know what the other guests were talking about. On that visit, which was now four years ago, we started a list of all my questions and things I wished I’d known. I still have the list, it starts with: “ASBO?”

8. Is there anything you wish you could have included in the book?

We had to cut out a bunch of television programs as there just wasn’t enough space. Also, I would have loved to delve deeper into regional histories and characteristics but again we just didn’t have the space.

9. Would you consider writing a sequel?

We’d love to.

10. I really enjoyed the section of the book on British Newspapers – something we’ve covered in the past – so, I must ask the question –  Which British Newspaper do you read?

Well, for quite a while I was addicted to the Daily Mail, which caused some tension in our household. (When Jade Goody was sick I checked it daily for updates). William, who aspires to be more highbrow, has insisted that I stop peppering our blog with so many links to the right-wing Daily Mail. So, I’ve branched out. The Daily Mirror is great for a tabloid fix and the Guardian is a terrific real-news read. Also, I greatly enjoy some of the blogs that the Guardian runs.

Britiannia in Brief – The Scoop on All Things British – was written by Leslie Banker and William Mullins. It’s the ultimate guide to Britain for Anglophiles! To purchase Britannia in Brief: The Scoop on All Things British – click here. And be sure to check out their great blog here.

Britannia in Brief Week: Interview With Author Leslie Banker is a post from: Anglotopia.net

My only complaint is that this is the book about Britain that I’ve always wanted to write and they’ve gotten to it first!

Britannia in Brief is simply an encyclopedia of facts about the UK. It was written by couple Leslie Banker and William Mullins. Leslie is an American while William is the Brit. One thing she realized was that most Americans have no idea how life is in the UK and decided that it was time there was a guide.

And it’s a great guide at that. The book is broken up into chapters related to Geography, Society, Culture, Politics, Language, food and much more. Each chapter is easy to read and the facts are fascinating. I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable on the subject and I still learned quite a bit about the UK that I didn’t know before.

This book is a must read for anyone considering moving to the UK. This book will help make the transition to life in the UK much smoother as it will kill many of the common misconceptions Americans have about Britain as well as inform you on things that you may not have even thought of. For example, did you know you have to pay a tax to watch TV? Or what the Man Booker Prize is?

It also parses down some complicated facts into very easy to understand tables. Once you read the section on the British Class system, you’ll know very clearly what exactly a Baron, Marquess, Duke, Sir, etc are and which one is the most important (the Duke, btw). There is also an excellent breakdown of all the Kings and Queens throughout Britain’s History, so you can get a good overview.

My favorite bit of the book are the parts where they advise on what not to talk about with the British. For example, it’s wise to not talk about America ‘saving their asses’ in the war or talk about how much money you make. The book also clears up exactly what the Church of England is, how Parliament works and why Football is so important to the Brits (they invented it).

I give this book 5 out of 5 Union Jacks for insightful and informative briefs on life in the UK.

Britiannia in Brief – The Scoop on All Things British – was written by Leslie Banker and William Mullins. It’s the ultimate guide to Britain for Anglophiles! To purchase Britannia in Brief: The Scoop on All Things British – click here. And be sure to check out their great blog here.

Anglophile Reviews: Britannia in Brief Review is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Exciting news for Anglotopia!

There’s a fab new book coming out this week for Anglophiles called Britannia in Brief. It’s an A to Z guide of everything British – perfect for the knowledge hungry Anglophile.

To celebrate the release of this fantastic book, Anglotopia is going to publish an exclusive review of the book, have interviews with the authors and the authors themselves will guest post on Anglotopia this week!

Also, Anglotopia will be holding a contest this week for a free copy of Britannia in Brief! To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite nugget of info about the UK. The winner will be randomly chosen on Friday, May 22nd, 2009.

So, stayed tuned, there’s going to be a lot of exciting stuff on Anglotopia this week!

Britiannia in Brief – The Scoop on All Things British – was written by Leslie Banker and William Mullins. It’s the ultimate guide to Britain for Anglophiles! To purchase Britannia in Brief: The Scoop on All Things British – click here. And be sure to check out their great blog here.

This Week is Britannia in Brief Week! is a post from: Anglotopia.net