I've worked on the land all my life, and the least I've ever earned is four and six a week and the most is twenty nine shillings. A bucolic work, hovering uneasily between sentimentalism and satire, it insists that the real England is that of the shires (and particularly country cricket). It closes with a sentimental chapter set at Winchester, where the author (but not his character) went to school, in which one of the boys (or "men," as they're known at Winchester; this particular man is about 12 years old) explains that a piece of terminology used at the school is based on something that used to happen "until quite recently," and when pressed clarifies that by this he means 70 or 80 years ago. Finally, the Kindle edition I had had all manner of typos and odd grammar in the intro, which nearly put me off reading the whole thing. I was left with the impression that Donald thinks that the English are kind largely because he is kind.

Minor issues present such as mild cracking, inscriptions, inserts, light foxing, tanning and thumb marking. If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society. I can't even remember where this was mentioned or recommended now, but it has stood the test of time well and was readable on its own merits and not just as an insight into inter-war England.All round the cricket field small parties of villagers were patiently waiting for the great match to begin—a match against gentlemen from London is an event in a village—and some of them looked as if they had been waiting for a good long time. Reprint Society edition hardback; good, lightly aged to page edges, name on fep dated 1941; no dj; UK dealer, immediate dispatch. OK - it pokes fun at the English from a Scottish point of view which ought to be edifying for those of us on this side of the pond.

The village cricket match is the most celebrated episode in the novel, and a reason cited for its enduring appeal. England, Their England by Archibald Gordon Macdonell is included among The 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read https://www. G. Macdonell and you will usually get a blank look, though occasionally you get the response: ‘Oh yes, I’ve heard of England, Their England. Given that Winchester was founded in 1382, 70 or 80 years does count as recent in terms of its history. There are chapters that focus on a single aspect of English life including The Dinner Party, The Cricket Match, The Golf Club, Parliament, Theatre, The Hunt, The Pub for example.Billed as social satire, this book is more like an extended love letter to the idea of Olde England, although there are one or two chapters, notably the one on fox hunting, that I would count as actual satire. Chapters on cricket, the Geneva of the League of Nations, fox-hunting, golf, country-house parties, politics and so on are described by appealing young Scottish war veteran Donald Cameron.

As a device to examine his subjects it worked, but the best books combine the observational humour with a good narrative too and tend not to end so abruptly. But very, very much 'of its time' (quite entertainingly racist at points), dated and just, well, tiresome. I somehow came across it mentioned as a pointed Scottish 'take' on the English, but it's really an affectionate and unfalteringly loyal letter of love. Ostensibly about a scotsman coming to London to observe the English in preparation for writing a book about them, it is actually a lovely selection of glimpses into a bygone lifestyle of ill prepared diplomats, country house weekends and sport in its various guises amongst other things. It has already faded a lot in the six weeks since I read it, but the one large thing I am taking away from it is an introduction to the work of J.I was reminded of Wodehouse's Psmith in the City, where the viewpoint character visits Wodehouse's old school (which is not the character's old school).