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Product Description

THE OBSERVER newspaper
‘Immensely funny... best described as Bill Bryson meets Tony Hawks.' Paperback of the Week.

Time magazine, April 12, 2004
‘An obsessive, down-and-dirty travelogue.'

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

3.4 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever about Gurning, 16 Aug 2005

By	Tim O'Reilly (Liverpool) - See all my reviews

And Shin Kicking. And Bog Snorkelling. And Cheese Rolling. And any other number of Great British traditions. I come from the home of one of these events, and I can vouch for the author's accuracy, revealing both the funny and serious side of our venerable local tradition. Daeschner may be American, but I daresay he knows Britain better than most Londoners who deign to write about 'rural customs'. If at times he seems shocked by what he finds, that's hardly surprising. I was surprised to read that there are Protestant Orange services held in the Home Counties and a church in the Midlands where the lady of the manor still sits apart from the rest of the congregation. And I won't get into 'Pope burning' or 'Darkie Day'. I wish the book had more photos, but that's a minor quibble about an otherwise great read.

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17 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lively , highly enjoyable read, 5 April 2004

By	andrew davies (Kent) - See all my reviews

Excellent. I wasn't really sure what to expect with this one, as I've never heard of the guy that writes it. But being interested in all things wacky and British I thought I'd give it a try and was glad I did. The author is an American who has lived in the UK for many years and his book basically details his journey around the UK, visiting weird and wonderful events that some of us Brits get up to such as shin kicking, cheese rolling and bog snorkeling to name but a few. It's extremely well written and is filled with witty observations and anecdotes about the people that the author met on his travels. The book also cleverly interweaves the history behind these traditions and provides an interesting and lively insight into the lives and attitudes of the men and women that organise and participate in these wacky events.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a Yank who gets it, 12 April 2006

By	Sid Gee (East London) - See all my reviews

I was a bit wary of this one at first, as I thought the author might be a typical American who would spend all his time taking the mickey out of the Brits and their oh-so-funny ways. But I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed by his take on Britain past and present. Daeschner is often the first to poke fun at himself, realising that he's as ridiculous as anything he's writing about (particularly when he tries to match Scotland's Burry Man drink for drink!). He also shows a lot of empathy with the characters he meets, so that although he may find it difficult to understand them completely, at least he presents them fairly and without patronising them. In doing so, he's produced one of the best books I've read about Britain in a long time.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Patronising drivel
As I'm interested in British customs I was looking forward to reading this but it turns out to be patronising drivel - an American saying 'Oooh aren't the Brits funny! Read more

Published on 8 Aug 2005 by Channer

5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite book of the new year
You can open this book up just about anywhere and find something funny and fascinating on each page. Read more

Published on 3 Feb 2005 by patflynn62

2.0 out of 5 stars Expecting a feast, received a snack
I was expecting side-splitting, informative, rich tales of eccentric British festivals and general craziness. To be honest I was a little disappointed. Read more

Published on 13 Jan 2005 by carts11

5.0 out of 5 stars Travel writing like it should be
Have to admit I was a bit sceptical about this one to begin with, thinking that the author was going to be a typical American taking the mickey out of Britain. Read more

Published on 22 Nov 2004 by tcarthy26

1.0 out of 5 stars dreadful
Looked great, sounded great from the blurb, but was possibly the worst book I have read this decade. Read more

Published on 4 Nov 2004 by kevpayne

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes you proud to be British
I thought this book was a fantastic even before I saw the glowing media reviews that it quite rightly deserved. Read more

Published on 21 May 2004 by Rachel Hill

5.0 out of 5 stars Hats off to JR Daeschner
Among all the lengthy, beard-stroking tracts about what it means to be British, English or Scottish in recent years, True Brits is like a breath of fresh air. Read more

Published on 10 May 2004 by Charlie Connelly

2.0 out of 5 stars boring
I have to disagree with the previous reviewer when they say that it is very well written, I don't think it is. It is really badly planned and very repetitive. Read more

Published on 9 May 2004

1.0 out of 5 stars Bryson not quaking in boots.
I bought this with the same hopeful flourish that caused me to openBryson's Notes From a Small Island. Read more

Published on 27 April 2004

2.0 out of 5 stars mildly amusing
a midly amusing look at half a dozen odd,wacky pursuits.The problem isthat the American author then takes said wacky pursuits, which about 150Brits in total must take part in and... Read more

Published on 23 April 2004 by chris spring

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True Brits (Paperback)

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