Tom Baldwin and Marc Stears explore how powerful national myths have shaped English identity and political culture. They visit seven symbolic locations: Runnymede, Plymouth, Hull, Wolverhampton, Greenwich, Blackpool, and Oxford. At these sites, the authors examine stories of liberty, empire, moral leadership, isolation, modernism, decline, and elite dominance. They argue that while these myths contain elements of truth, they have been distorted and weaponised, especially in recent political discourse, to promote division and nostalgia.
Rather than calling for the rejection of these myths, Baldwin and Stears advocate reinterpreting them through the lens of ordinary people’s lives and everyday experiences. They highlight grassroots initiatives, multicultural communities, and local resilience as a truer reflection of England today. The book ultimately calls for a more grounded, inclusive, and hopeful national narrative that is rooted not in grandiose tales of the past, but in the shared reality of modern life. It is a call to rediscover England through truth, complexity, and common purpose, encouraging a more nuanced, honest national conversation.