Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of Theo Van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance by Ian Buruma |
by Ian Buruma
|
Dry Store Room No. 1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum by Richard Fortey |
by Graham Robb
|
by Katherine Swift
|
See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.
|
Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links(What is this?) |
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Ian Buruma's wonderful book on Europe's fascination with England takes its title from a remark made by Voltaire in the mid-18th century: wasn't it possible for England's love of law and liberty to be planted, like the seeds of coconut trees, throughout Europe? Voltaire was the ultimate Anglophile: liberal, humorous, enlightened and ultimately humane, not unlike Buruma himself, whose delightful Voltaire's Coconuts weaves a compelling story, from Voltaire onward, of the ways in which European exiles and emigrés have fallen under the spell of the intangible mix of snobbery, liberalism, xenophobia and tolerance which make up what it means to be English.
Ian Buruma's wonderful book on Europe's fascination with England takes its title from a remark made by Voltaire in the mid-18th century: wasn't it possible for England's love of law and liberty to be planted, like the seeds of coconut trees, throughout Europe? Voltaire was the ultimate Anglophile: liberal, humorous, enlightened and ultimately humane, not unlike Buruma himself, whose delightful Voltaire's Coconuts weaves a compelling story, from Voltaire onward, of the ways in which European exiles and emigrés have fallen under the spell of the intangible mix of snobbery, liberalism, xenophobia and tolerance which make up what it means to be English.
Buruma's roll call of Anglophiles is impressive. Wonderful sections on Voltaire are followed by chapters on Goethe's Bardolatry, a marvellously vivid account of frustrated revolutionary exiles in Victorian London (including Marx and Mazzini), Theodor van Herzl's vision of a Jewish state based on his admiration of the English aristocracy. The book concludes with sketches of two of the most influential Anglophiles of 20th-century English culture: Nikolaus Pevsner and Isaiah Berlin. But as well as being an elegant and witty cultural history of European "Anglomania", Voltaire's Coconuts never loses sight of the darker side of national belonging, as Buruma interweaves his own complex family history into his narrative, as well as some subtle and perceptive accounts of the state of the nation as Buruma views it from the office of The Spectator and the Conservative Party Conference in post-Thatcherite Britain. A marvellous book about belonging and Englishness: witty, erudite, subtle and above all humane. --Jerry Brotton
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Buruma is a fine writer with an easy, conversational style, and he has the right origins for this book, being Dutch on one side and English on the other. This delightful, witty and learned study is an exploration of the extraordinary fantasies, misperceptions and ill-judged adoration which have marked the continental view of England over the past two centuries. The coconuts of the title come from a remark which the founding father of continental Anglomania, Voltaire, made in response to the objection that English liberties could no more be transplanted to Europe than coconuts could be made to grow in England. There was no reason, Voltaire replied, why the tree of English liberty couldn't flourish everywhere, even in Bosnia. This passion for things English, Buruma shows, can be found in figures as diverse as Herzl, the founder of Zionism, and Baron Coubertin, the founder of the Olympic movement. You won't read a more entertaining study of England's complex relationship with Europe. Review by MICHAEL IGNATIEFF Editor's note: Michael Ignatieff is the author of Isaiah Berlin: A Life and The Warrior's Honour. (Kirkus UK)
See all Product Description
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
|||||
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Customer Discussions
Beta (What's this?)|
This product's forum
(0 discussions)
Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Active discussions in related forums
|
Related forums
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
The Body Shop |
More From Ian Buruma
Occidentalism: A Short History of... 'Occidentalism' is an investigation into the hostile stereotypes of...
Read more
|
Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers |
Treat Someone
With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is). |
|||||||
| |||||
Your Recent History
(What's this?)|
You have no recently viewed items or searches.
After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session. |
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
| ||||
Amazon Home | |
| International Sites: United States | Germany | France | Japan | Canada | China | |
| Business Programs: Sell on Amazon | Fulfilment by Amazon | Join Associates | Join Advantage | |
| Customer Service | Help | View Basket | Your Account | |
| About Amazon.co.uk | Careers at Amazon | |
| Conditions of Use & Sale | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates |