We think that this book does live up to its title – so many of this type of read are either quite mundane, inaccurate or both but the elements of Watching the English that we have read really do ring true. This publication is of the type into which you can ‘dip’ – you can flick open a random page and read a paragraph without needing to worry about not having read those that precede it. Indeed, reading the whole book from cover to cover appears quite daunting, this probably being why we haven’t done it. There are sections upon conversation and behaviour codes, humour and food rules and plenty more but the writing style is relaxed and informal, making for a lighter read that can be picked up and put down at leisure, for five minutes at a time or fifty. As a foreigner, you may well discover that Watching the English will unravel at least some of the mysteries of English attitudes and behaviour; as a native, you will probably find yourself agreeing with many of the observations therein. Whether you have just arrived in the U.K., have been living here for years or are English through and through, this book could well be for you.

RRP £8.99, ISBN 978-0-340-81886-2.

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