We British

‘This book includes some of the greatest of our poetry. I hope that it adds up to a new way of thinking about who we have been, and who we are now.’

We British is much more than an anthology. This is a veritable history of Britain, told through the verse of its greatest poets. With the entertaining and enlightening Andrew Marr as our guide, we travel from Saxon settlements to medieval courts, from Shakespeare’s Globe to the battlefields of the Somme, ending up here in the present day.

On the way we will meet Middle English ploughmen, Tudor drunks, Scottish farmers, West Country priests, a Warwickshire actor, and many more bards and balladeers from across the British Isles, each adding their own distinct voice to the chorus. From Caedmon to Zephaniah, the poets we meet will paint a powerful portrait of what it means to be British.

Reviews

‘Andrew Marr’s triumphant We British: The Poetry of a People is not just an anthology but a history of Great Britain seen through the lens of poetry. It begins in the year 657 with the Northumbrian poet Caedmon, and takes us up to the present day. This book is a labour of love, written from the heart, but also discerning and well-judged. Every school kid in the country should be given a free copy of this book’ PAULA BYRNE

‘This is the story of Britain told through the country’s verse. Chatty, personable and unafraid of the canon’ New Statesman

‘Impressive, brilliantly exploring the nation’s fascinating poetic landscape. Showcasing a diverse range of great English poetry, from Anglo-Saxon times to the present, he allows our past to speak for itself, creating a new national epic out of the great tradition of verse’ Cambridge News

‘A big, brave project’ Sunday Times

About the author

Andrew Marr is a former editor of the Independent and BBC Political Editor. He currently hosts BBC 1’s Andrew Marr Show, and presented Radio 4’s Start the Week from 2005 to 2012. His acclaimed television documentary series include Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain and Andrew Marr’s The Making of Modern Britain. He is also a hugely successful non-fiction author.