The last wolf : the hidden springs of Englishness /

Includes bibliographical references and index.

It is often assumed that the national identity of England must be a matter of values and ideas. But in Robert Winder's brilliantly-written account it is a land built on a lucky set of natural ingredients: the island setting that made it maritime; the rain that fed the grass that nourished the sheep that provided the wool, and the wheat fields that provided its cakes and ale. Then came the seams of iron and coal that made it an industrial giant. Here, Robert Winder spins an English tale. Travelling the country, he looks for its hidden springs not in royal pageantry or politics, but in landscape and history.