bollemanneke
New Member
Hello everyone.
I realise this is going to be a rather specific (or perhaps vague) topic), but my curiosity just got the better of me so I decided to ask advice here.
I have been an anglophile for years and want to find out as much about the English as possible. The problem is, I can't spend too much time reading books because I'm still studying a degree.
We just had to watch a documentary about the history of the English stiff upper lip, and there they mentioned the fact that English people in the 1400s were very exuberant and how they used to kiss random strangers when they left or arrived. I would love to find out more random facts like this about the English, but there doesn't seem to be any book that covers the history of England's society, customs or culture (not sure which term is appropriate here). I have had a quick look on Amazon.uk, but all they seem to have are books about very specific topics such as 'Private lives of the upper class in 20th century England'. Due to lack of time I can't afford to read books about such specific matters to find out one or two interesting things.
All I'm looking for is:
- books that tell the story of England's history from the ordinary people in the street's point of view without elaborating too much on anything
- how society lived and in particular, how people behaved
- how they reacted to new art forms, revolutions, music etc...
- what their habits were, for instance how they spent their daily lives, raised children...
I am not at all interested in reading about ministers or kings implementing laws with one or two lines about dissenters being executed. I am looking for books about the English (common) people's lives in the past till the present.
Has anyone ever heard of such books? If you have, please let me know. Thanks in advance!
I realise this is going to be a rather specific (or perhaps vague) topic), but my curiosity just got the better of me so I decided to ask advice here.
I have been an anglophile for years and want to find out as much about the English as possible. The problem is, I can't spend too much time reading books because I'm still studying a degree.
We just had to watch a documentary about the history of the English stiff upper lip, and there they mentioned the fact that English people in the 1400s were very exuberant and how they used to kiss random strangers when they left or arrived. I would love to find out more random facts like this about the English, but there doesn't seem to be any book that covers the history of England's society, customs or culture (not sure which term is appropriate here). I have had a quick look on Amazon.uk, but all they seem to have are books about very specific topics such as 'Private lives of the upper class in 20th century England'. Due to lack of time I can't afford to read books about such specific matters to find out one or two interesting things.
All I'm looking for is:
- books that tell the story of England's history from the ordinary people in the street's point of view without elaborating too much on anything
- how society lived and in particular, how people behaved
- how they reacted to new art forms, revolutions, music etc...
- what their habits were, for instance how they spent their daily lives, raised children...
I am not at all interested in reading about ministers or kings implementing laws with one or two lines about dissenters being executed. I am looking for books about the English (common) people's lives in the past till the present.
Has anyone ever heard of such books? If you have, please let me know. Thanks in advance!