Anglomania - by Ian Buruma (Paperback)

About the Book

In this lively and diverting social history, noted author Ian Burman, himself the son of Dutch immigrants to England, provides an incisive look at anglophilia--and anglophobia--over the last two centuries.

Book Synopsis

"Imaginative, original--wittily written."--The Washington Post Book World

To some, England has long represented tolerance, reason, and political moderation. To others, it is a moribund bastion of snobbery and outdated tradition. In this lively and diverting social history, noted author Ian Buruma, himself the son of Dutch immigrants to England, provides an incisive look at anglophilia--and anglophobia--over the last two centuries.

From passionate enthusiasts like Voltaire and Goethe, to exiles like Garibaldi and Herzen, to colorful England-bashers like Napoleon, Marx, and Kaiser Wilhelm II, Anglomania gives a sharply satirical account of Europe's sometimes comical, sometimes deadly prejudices, and explains why England's individuality and her relationship with Europe is still vitally important as we enter the twenty-first century.

From the Back Cover

To some, England has long represented tolerance, reason, liberty, and political moderation. To others it is a bastion of snobbery and outdated tradition. In this original and diverting history. Ian Buruma, whose own family emigrated to England from Holland and became passionate admirers of their adopted country, provides an illuminating account of anglophilia -- and anglophobia -- over the course of the last two hundred years.

From England's most vociferous fans, Voltaire and Goethe, to grateful political exiles like Herzen and Garibaldi, to notable England-bashers like Napoleon, Marx, and Kaiser Wilhelm II, Anglomania gives a sharply satirical look at Europe's sometimes comical, sometimes deadly prejudices. And as England, at the close of the twentieth century, yokes its political and economic future to that of the Continent, Anglomania's themes -- what makes England different from Europe, and what they have in common -- remain as vital as ever.

Review Quotes

"Mr. Buruma's fluency--the ease and erudition with which he mixes anecdote, personal reminiscence and reportage--should not disguise the seriousness of his book--. Readable and intelligent."--The Economist

"[Buruma's] own and his family's story is artfully woven through the various tales of Anglomania, making this both a memoir and a work of intellectual history."--The New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Ian Buruma is a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Institute for the Humanities in Washington, D.C.