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True Brits

UK Publisher: Arrow

When J. R. Daeschner first heard about ‘shin kicking’ he was intrigued. As an American who had lived in Britain for some time, he thought he knew a thing or two about the country. But he’d never come across this centuries-old ‘sport’, which had to be one of the most painful and infuriating ever invented. J. R. had to find out more, and soon discovered that Britain has dozens, if not hundreds, of similar acts of lunacy enshrined as traditions; strange-named events such as cheese rolling, gurning, bog snorkelling.

True Brits is a funny and fascinating trek around Britain, following J. R. as he meets some of the great British eccentrics who involve themselves in a host of bizarre pastimes which include hurling themselves down a grassy cliff in pursuit of a cheese, coating themselves in prickly green burrs, hanging toast on trees and prancing around with reindeer antlers on their heads. In an attempt to understand why seemingly ordinary people do such extraordinarily strange things, J. R. talks to countless characters, watches them in action, and even participates in many of the events himself – encountering plenty of occupational hazards along the way.

www.truebrits.tv

Praise for True Brits:

Independent On Sunday ****

Daily Express Books of the Week

‘Immensely funny’ – Observer, Paperback of the Week

‘Eye-wateringly funny account of British tradition in all its lunacy’ – The Good Book Guide

‘Captivating reading… An insightful narrative in the tradition of Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island’ – Library Journal

‘[An] obsessive, down-and-dirty travelogue’ – Time Magazine