Fantastic Kingdom : A Stranger's Notes on a Contrary Country

A respected historian of the British Empire closes the chasm between how the British see themselves and how they are actually seen abroad.

The United Kingdom is a country that evokes strong opinions but frequently escapes rigorous definition. Seen from the outside, it is a wildly contradictory place. One of the world''s strongest economies, where inequality is rampant. Famous for its pageantry and traditions, but selective about remembering its imperial past. Proud of its pragmatism, yet profoundly sentimental about its history and constitution. By diving into its many paradoxes, Helene von Bismarck reveals why the political debate in - and, internationally, about - the United Kingdom has for years been driven by people who talk past, rather than with, each other. Have the underlying dividing lines really gone away? What can be expected from the United Kingdom in the future?

Fantastic Kingdom explores and challenges the way the British see themselves, their political and constitutional system and their role in the world - encouraging readers to leave our echo chambers and look through new eyes at this complex and sometimes bewildering country.