Anglo-Saxon Manner HB

Out Of Print ... The English Contribution to Civilization. What is it that makes the English-speaking peoples of the world uniqueHow was it possible for the inhabitants of a tiny island to become the Establishment of the world, to form themselves into a gentlemans club with branches all over the globe. For the English are the most insular of nations, even if paradoxically the most widely travelled. How could a ruling class with such petty obsessionsport 'after' dinner; rolls shall be crumbled, not cutdominate a large proportion of the world, keeping a stiff upper lip all the while and gaining a reputation for justice and humanity Was it all just at matter of Manner The Anglo-Saxon Manner and the Image that fostered it, before Empire-made maturity was reached, was a process of centuries of development. Trade and the media spread the Image abroad and made it fashionable; literature reflected its maturity, with self-confident portraits of Anglo-Saxon society; the Image became personified in the heroes of the thriller, the revealing entertainment literature of the culture. Language was the key which opened doors to even greater influence. The Manner developed bluff, thus solving the problem of establishing the air of power without continual exertion. Deportment was all, enabling defeats like the Charge of the Light Brigade and the retreat from Dunkirk to be remembered more fondly than victories. The Anglo-Saxon Manner thrived on the export business, and maintained its economic and moral ascendancy. What then went wrong Our world is in a tantrum, and the amoral destroyers seem the only ones among us with the courage of their convictions. The Image has been badly battered, now that the English-speaking nations are the butts of the worlds criticism. Has the Anglo-Saxon Manner become an anachronism Edith Simon writes with wit and perception about the position of the Anglo- Saxon world and society today, and their development through the ages. This is a provocative and timely assessment of the English role in history, and the English contribution to civilization, an ingenious critical analysis which leads to a positive message.