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  • This Sovereign Isle

  • Britain in and out of Europe
  • By: Robert Tombs
  • Narrated by: Mark Elstob
  • Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins

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This Sovereign Isle

By: Robert Tombs
Narrated by: Mark Elstob
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Publisher's Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Geography comes before history. Islands cannot have the same history as continental plains. The United Kingdom is a European country, but not the same kind of European country as Germany, Poland or Hungary. For most of the 150 centuries during which Britain has been inhabited it has been on the edge, culturally and literally, of mainland Europe. 

In this succinct book, Tombs shows that the decision to leave the EU is historically explicable - though not made historically inevitable - by Britain's very different historical experience, especially in the 20th century and because of our more extensive and deeper ties outside Europe. He challenges the orthodox view that Brexit was due solely to British or English exceptionalism: in choosing to leave the EU, the British, he argues, were in many ways voting as typical Europeans. 

©2021 Robert Tombs (P)2021 Penguin Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.