Publisher's Synopsis
This book is recommended for all lovers of England. In this book, the author examines some of the weird things that make England different, beginning with English and concepts like sports, the spirits and English fond of eccentricity-like the sportsman who rode his horse naked.
As well as strange people, the book looks at strange places. Some traditions have not lasted into modern times, such as wife selling, which was once fairly common and strangely, often with the consent of the wife herself.
The book takes a more serious turn when it examines the witch-hunting epidemic of the 17th century. Lightening the mood are the chapters on the so-called Hellfire Club and a look at English dragons. Did they exist?
From Robin Hood to highwaymen and smugglers, English folk tales take some very ruthless people and turn them into heroes that they most certainly were not. We also look at the Morris Dancers and the famous tale of Spring Heeled Jack - who or whatever he may have been.
Finally, there's a cheerful chapter that looks at pubs, which figure prominently in many English tales and are a part of modern culture all over the world today.
