The Country Formerly Known as Great Britain [Import] [Hardcover]

Ian Jack (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 2009

In this selection from over twenty years of reporting and writing, Ian Jack takes us to a place of which there are now only memories and ruins—the Great Britain that gave us the Industrial Revolution, a nation that led the world in feats of engineering, a Britain of empire, a place of vital cities, each with their own unique identity, and a country whose residual presence can still be found in the strangest corners of the world. These pieces set out to deal with contemporary Britain—national disasters, football matches, obesity, etc.—but are drawn back in time, vexed by the question of what came before. In "Women and Children First," watching the film Titanic leads to an investigation into the legend of Wallace Henry Hartley, the famous band leader of the doomed liner, and a journey into the Lancashire mill towns of the early twentieth century; "The 12:10 to Leeds," a magnificent report on the Hatfield rail crash, begins its hunt for clues in the eighteenth century in the search for those responsible. We travel further afield, finding vestiges of a vanished Britain in the Indian Subcontinent. Here we meet characters like the maverick English missionary, scientist and linguist William Carey, credited with importing India's first steam engine, or Mr. Goonawardene, a wise lunatic who spends his days at Colombo railway station—men whose stories are only possible because of the British empire. This wonderful collection brings together Ian Jack's most important and brilliant pieces. Full of the style, knowledge, and intimacy that make his work so special, they are the perfect introduction to the work of one of the country's finest writers, as well as the country that gave him his voice.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ian Jack was a co-founder of the Independent on Sunday and worked at the Sunday Times as a reporter, editor, feature writer, and foreign correspondent, as well as writing regularly for the Guardian. He is the author of Before the Oil Ran Out: Britain 1977-86 and The Crash That Stopped Britain.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Random House UK (October 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0224087355
• ISBN-13: 978-0224087353
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.2 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,768,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good reporting - excellent writing., November 24, 2009

By 

George W. Rankine (Maine) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Country Formerly Known as Great Britain (Hardcover)

An exremely well writen book of essays previously published in various newspaper articles.
The one on the Hatfield railway disaster much better that simple reporting.
The Indian pieces also superb.