How to Be a Patriot: Why Love of Country Can End Our Very British Culture War (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780008553890)

How do we define patriotism in a diverse society?What divides us and what brings us together?Why do we feel uncomfortable celebrating our country's history?

How to be a Patriot offers a new way of understanding our collective identity in a country wracked by division and brimming with markers of selfhood - faith, race, gender, age, sexuality.

Sunder Katwala himself grew up with some questions to work through. As a half-Indian, Irish Catholic child of the NHS, the chequered history of post-imperial Britain seemed very personal to him, but he realised that with that background he could hardly be anything but British, and proud of it too.

His timely and clear-eyed analysis seeks to navigate the many crises of this increasingly disunited kingdom: extremism and integration after 7/7; fear of immigration and the deep divides of Brexit; the resurgence of online racism; and the debate over our cultural heritage. Equipped with a nuanced understanding of the subject and a wealth of supporting data, he sets out to foster a more open and tolerant society: one that welcomes alternative ideas and cultures rather than shutting them out.

Ultimately, How to be a Patriot is a rousing story of lives lived together and shared values. Far from being divisive, it concludes, an inclusive and confident patriotism is a reminder that our differences need not define us.

Author: Sunder Katwala
ISBN-10: 0008553890
ISBN-13: 9780008553890
Publisher: Harpernorth
Language: English
Published: 08/20/2024
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.44lbs
Size: 7.70h x 5.10w x 0.90d