Rule Britannia: Brexit and the End of Empire - Couverture souple

Things fall apart when empires crumble. This time, we think, things will be different. They are not. This time, we are told, we will become great again. We will not.

In Rule Britannia, Danny Dorling and Sally Tomlinson argue that the vote to leave the EU was the last gasp of the old empire working its way out of the British psyche. Fuelled by a misplaced nostalgia, the result was driven by a lack of knowledge of Britain s imperial history, by a profound anxiety about Britain's status today, and by a deeply unrealistic vision of our future.

Whatever happens next, Britain will be and has already been inevitably diminished by the Brexit vote. There is no welcoming group of countries ready to swiftly embrace new trading relationships with us.

And yet, there is hope. In this wide-ranging and thoughtful analysis, Dorling and Tomlinson argue that if Britain can reconcile itself to a new beginning, there is the chance to carve out a new identity. Rule Britannia is a call to leave behind the jingoistic ignorance of the past and build a fairer Britain, eradicating the inequality that blights our society and embracing our true strengths.

Essential reading for all trying to navigate the choppy waters of post-Brexit Britain. --Rupa Huq MP

A much-needed mirror through which Britain and what it means to be British is explored with razor-sharp nuance and detail. The book's contents should form the basis of the humanities curriculum at schools equipping our future generations with a more truthful and grounded understanding of what Britain really is. --Shaista Aziz, journalist, writer and stand-up comedian

Leaver or Remainer, if you think Brexit might affect you or your children or your children's children, read this book. --Peter Florence, director, Hay Literary Festivals

The single most important book about Brexit. Meticulously researched and clearly written, Rule Britannia exposes the racism, ideology and narrow self-interest behind the Brexit rhetoric. --Professor David Gillborn, director, Centre for Research in Race & Education, University of Birmingham

Absolutely brilliant. Extremely insightful and thought-provoking. -- --Dimitris Ballas, Professor of Economic Geography, University of Groningen