A Cultural History of British Euroscepticism

Britain is the cradle of Euroscepticism. The term is a British invention, reflecting the strong sentiments against continued membership of the European institutions. Instead of providing yet another overview of the politics of the troubled relationship, this book lays bare the root cause, which is that the British are literally Euro-sceptic. The sense of Euro-alienation is not just sparked by dictates from Brussels, but mostly stems from a deep-seated idea that across the Channel live 'Europeans' whose collective customs are different, and often worse, than those of the British. Even modern historians at times appear conditioned to regard Europe as a unit outside Britain. There is good Europe (as manifested in the arts) and bad Europe (undemocratic, dictatorial), but Britain has no part of either. The Anglo-European cultural divide and the British invention of Europe are traced from their beginnings in the 16th century to the present day, exploring various, sources including political speeches, academic writings, novels and the media.