This Sovereign Isle: Britain In and Out of Europe
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- Create Date：2021-04-27 10:53:00
- Update Date：2025-09-14
- Status：finish
- Author：Robert Tombs
- ISBN：0241480388
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Summary
THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
The author of the celebrated bestseller The English and Their History puts Brexit in its historical context
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 twentieth 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。
The author of the celebrated bestseller The English and Their History puts Brexit in its historical context
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 twentieth 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。
Reviews
Moses
，
A quick look at "Britain in and out of Europe" that is at least as much devoted to a critical history （read: teardown） of the European project。 For Brexit sympathizers across the channel， this will be a fun read。However， there is a reason that historians like Tombs usually wait a few more years before writing a book like this。 The effects of Brexit have barely begun to be felt。 This book went to press as COVID had taken hold in the UK， but before the roll-out of vaccines。 This type of developmen A quick look at "Britain in and out of Europe" that is at least as much devoted to a critical history （read: teardown） of the European project。 For Brexit sympathizers across the channel， this will be a fun read。However， there is a reason that historians like Tombs usually wait a few more years before writing a book like this。 The effects of Brexit have barely begun to be felt。 This book went to press as COVID had taken hold in the UK， but before the roll-out of vaccines。 This type of development might have changed Tombs's book。In summary， let journalists write the story of the recent past， and let historians pick up the pieces as the years pass by。 。。。more
Robin
，
Not what I expected。 Was hoping for an informed historical approach to Brexit。 But instead it was the usual， same old retread of the Leave argument on the whole。 Some interesting aspects。
Lukas Lovas
，
Quite interesting。 It's great to see the reasoning around brexit away from popular media and with a bit of a perspective。 I must admit， the reasoning here is much different from what I remember hearing at the time， and this was a nice sum-up。 Worth a read。 It did not change my mind， as I have some personal reasons to want to go the other way， but it definitely explained the opposing point of view in a reasonable way。 Quite interesting。 It's great to see the reasoning around brexit away from popular media and with a bit of a perspective。 I must admit， the reasoning here is much different from what I remember hearing at the time， and this was a nice sum-up。 Worth a read。 It did not change my mind， as I have some personal reasons to want to go the other way， but it definitely explained the opposing point of view in a reasonable way。 。。。more
Kirk Mayer
，
Entertaining， at times witty， demands thought， outstanding。 The tragedy is that those who ought most to read it never will。
Matt
，
I really enjoined Tombs’ “The English and Their History” but found this much less compelling。 It certainly grapples with Remain arguments more seriously than other pieces I’ve seen， but it extends far more credulity to Leave claims than they likely deserve。
Grant
，
In what is just a long form opinion piece that doesn't add much to the conversation， TSI imposes quite a lot of assumptions and anecdotal evidence。 It reads like a centrists guide to covering political issues or a better educated Joe Hildebrand take。 In what is just a long form opinion piece that doesn't add much to the conversation， TSI imposes quite a lot of assumptions and anecdotal evidence。 It reads like a centrists guide to covering political issues or a better educated Joe Hildebrand take。 。。。more
Colin
，
A Marmite book！ "This Sovereign Isle" reads more like an extended address than a considered piece of historical analysis - which is unusual for this author。 People who support Brexit will broadly agree with the book's main arguments about the claimed aberration of British membership of the EEC/EU; those who do not， will challenge these。 The problems of British membership are accurately described， as are the deteriorating circumstances of the EU。 It is， of course， far too soon to assess the impac A Marmite book！ "This Sovereign Isle" reads more like an extended address than a considered piece of historical analysis - which is unusual for this author。 People who support Brexit will broadly agree with the book's main arguments about the claimed aberration of British membership of the EEC/EU; those who do not， will challenge these。 The problems of British membership are accurately described， as are the deteriorating circumstances of the EU。 It is， of course， far too soon to assess the impact and consequences， for the UK and the EU， of Brexit， so it would be interesting to revisit this book in a few years。In the meantime， a challenging， informative and provocative book which is recommended， regardless of one's position on the substantive issue。 。。。more
Feyi Fawehinmi
，
Good short summary of Britain’s entry and exit from the EU
Ben
，
Interesting view and， as a remainer， left me feeling more upbeat about brexit。
Michelle Styles
，
Excellent postscript to Tombs highly readable The English and Their History， looking at the whys and wherefores of BREXIT。 Because of when the book was written， it naturally does not include the EU's misstep with the triggering of Article 16 at the end of Jan 2021。 However， I do not think Tombs would have been shocked by the behaviour and the subsequent events。Well worth a read。 Excellent postscript to Tombs highly readable The English and Their History， looking at the whys and wherefores of BREXIT。 Because of when the book was written， it naturally does not include the EU's misstep with the triggering of Article 16 at the end of Jan 2021。 However， I do not think Tombs would have been shocked by the behaviour and the subsequent events。Well worth a read。 。。。more
Darren
，
Robert Tombs is always a joy to read - in many ways this is a postscript to the excellent 'English and Their History'。 A well-told analysis of Brexit， how it happened， and what it might mean。 Thought-provoking and challenging。 Robert Tombs is always a joy to read - in many ways this is a postscript to the excellent 'English and Their History'。 A well-told analysis of Brexit， how it happened， and what it might mean。 Thought-provoking and challenging。 。。。more
Jimmy Budge
，
An easy and enjoyable read （if you are a believer in Britain）。 Points out many issues that the EU have， particularly since the euro。 Also the fact that many people including Tony Blair etc。 who are free to speak because they live in a democracy tried to reverse the democratic decision of the people。
David Mottershead
，