Book description
Most of us know a bit about what passes for good manners - holding
doors open, sending thank-you notes, no elbows on the table. We
certainly know bad manners when we see them. But where has this
patchwork of beliefs and behaviours come from? How did manners develop?
How do they change? And why do they matter so much to us? In examining
our manners, Henry Hitchings delves into the English character and
investigates our notions of Englishness.
Sorry! presents an amusing, illuminating and quirky audit of
English manners. From basic table manners to appropriate sexual
conduct, via hospitality, chivalry, faux pas and online etiquette,
Hitchings traces the history of our country's customs and courtesies.
Putting under the microscope some of our most astute observers of
humanity, including Jane Austen and Samuel Pepys, he uses their lives
and writings to pry open the often downright peculiar secrets of the
English character. Hitchings' blend of history, anthropology and
personal journey helps us understand our bizarre and contested
cultural baggage - and ourselves.
'An extraordinary amount of reading has clearly gone in to the
Language Wars'
Henry Hitchings was born in 1974. He has contributed to many
newspapers and magazines, and is theatre critic for the Evening
Standard.
