1

Strong Speech

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson traced a common thread running throughout English literature.

2

Thus Was the Empire Born

By Rudyard Kipling

According to Kipling, the British Empire was the last resort of Englishmen who could not stand conditions at home.

3

An Invasion of Privacy

By Dorothy L. Sayers

Perhaps European harmonisation would make life easier, but that would be only the beginning.

4

Unsuitable for Export

By Mandell Creighton

Our peculiar brand of democracy and liberty is a noble thing, but we should be wary of recommending it to other countries.

5

The Tale of Robert Tomson

By Mandell Creighton

Robert Tomson was a typical Englishman and it nearly killed him, but it also made him a fortune and won him a bride.

6

A Nation of Shopkeepers

By Napoleon Bonaparte And Barry Edward O’Meara

The great French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte protested that in calling England ‘a nation of shopkeepers’ he had paid us a compliment.