The Country Formerly Known as Great Britain

Description: The Country Formerly Known as Great Britain Jack, Ian Product Overview 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 ruinsthe 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 Britainnational 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 stationmen 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. Read more Details Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House UK (September 1, 2009) Language ‏ : ‎ English Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0224087355 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 53 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.2 x 9.5 inches Best Sellers Rank: #8,663,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1,446 in Welsh History #4,812 in Scotland History #7,102 in British & Irish Literature #1,446 in Welsh History #4,812 in Scotland History Stock Photos Please Note: All of our book listings use stock photos unless otherwise stated. Please read our descriptions for accurate conditions and editions, don't use the photos! Free Shipping We ship worldwide. We have multiple warehouses around the world, so please note the extended handling time on certain listings.

Price: 32.17 USD

Location: Williamsburg, Virginia

End Time: 2025-01-10T05:39:52.000Z

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