THIS LITTLE BRITAIN

For the British, ′Who are we?′ is an oddly difficult question.Although self-assessment usually notes a number of good points (we′reinventive, tolerant and at least we′re not French), it lists atorrent of bad ones too. Our society is fragmented and degenerate. Ourkids are thugs, our workers ill-educated, our public services abysmal. Wedrink too much. Our house prices are crazy, our politicians sleazy, ourroads jammed, our football team rubbish. Is there really nothing to beproud of? British inventors have been responsible for myriad marvels we nowtake for granted, from the steam engine to the world wide web. Britishmedical and public health innovations - vaccination, integrated mainssewerage, antiseptic surgery - have saved far more lives than all othermedical innovations put together. And why stop there? The British empirecovered a quarter of the earth′s surface but used an army smallerthan that of Switzerland to exert its rule. The world speaks our language.Our scientists have won vast numbers of Nobel Prizes. Our parliamentarydemocracy has been hugely influential in spreading ideals of liberty andrepresentative government round the world. If the modern world isricher, freer, more peaceful, more democratic and healthier than it was,then Britain has played a leading role in that transformation. This bookis about just that. Taking a particular interest in the many things thatwe did first, or best, or most, or were the only ones ever to do, thisbook focuses especially on those of our oddities that spread across theworld - everything from football to the rule of law.