England: A Class of Its Own: An Outsider's View
A wry, affectionate and amusing take on English class and customs from an outsider's perspective.

For years German lawyer and author Detlev Piltz has been observing England, its life, customs and above all its classes. He argues that whenever an English person meets another, they will immediately try and place the individual they are talking to in a class by their speech, deportment, clothing, address and general aura. Why might this be, and does the English class system still exist in the twenty-first century? This book argues that it is very much still alive.

Piltz examines the 'hard' and 'soft' class markers that permeate English society, from where Britons go on holiday to what they wear, eat, drive and what they name their pets. He explains how the way you pronounce the word 'garage' indicates your class, and asks whether it makes sense still to talk of the English Gentleman, a species of human being so often admired in continental Europe yet parodied and satirized ad infinitum.

England: A Class of Its Own is based on an incredible amount of research and riddled with amusing quotations. In the same vein as Jilly Cooper's Class, this is a book that will give pleasure and amusement to many.

1139824230
England: A Class of Its Own: An Outsider's View
A wry, affectionate and amusing take on English class and customs from an outsider's perspective.

For years German lawyer and author Detlev Piltz has been observing England, its life, customs and above all its classes. He argues that whenever an English person meets another, they will immediately try and place the individual they are talking to in a class by their speech, deportment, clothing, address and general aura. Why might this be, and does the English class system still exist in the twenty-first century? This book argues that it is very much still alive.

Piltz examines the 'hard' and 'soft' class markers that permeate English society, from where Britons go on holiday to what they wear, eat, drive and what they name their pets. He explains how the way you pronounce the word 'garage' indicates your class, and asks whether it makes sense still to talk of the English Gentleman, a species of human being so often admired in continental Europe yet parodied and satirized ad infinitum.

England: A Class of Its Own is based on an incredible amount of research and riddled with amusing quotations. In the same vein as Jilly Cooper's Class, this is a book that will give pleasure and amusement to many.

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England: A Class of Its Own: An Outsider's View

England: A Class of Its Own: An Outsider's View

by Detlev Piltz
England: A Class of Its Own: An Outsider's View

England: A Class of Its Own: An Outsider's View

by Detlev Piltz

Hardcover

$28.00 
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Overview

A wry, affectionate and amusing take on English class and customs from an outsider's perspective.

For years German lawyer and author Detlev Piltz has been observing England, its life, customs and above all its classes. He argues that whenever an English person meets another, they will immediately try and place the individual they are talking to in a class by their speech, deportment, clothing, address and general aura. Why might this be, and does the English class system still exist in the twenty-first century? This book argues that it is very much still alive.

Piltz examines the 'hard' and 'soft' class markers that permeate English society, from where Britons go on holiday to what they wear, eat, drive and what they name their pets. He explains how the way you pronounce the word 'garage' indicates your class, and asks whether it makes sense still to talk of the English Gentleman, a species of human being so often admired in continental Europe yet parodied and satirized ad infinitum.

England: A Class of Its Own is based on an incredible amount of research and riddled with amusing quotations. In the same vein as Jilly Cooper's Class, this is a book that will give pleasure and amusement to many.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781472993045
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication date: 06/14/2022
Pages: 432
Product dimensions: 6.40(w) x 9.55(h) x 1.55(d)

About the Author

Detlev Piltz is a senior partner in the German law firm of Flick Gocke und Schaumburg. He has published a number of highly regarded law books in German and since 1992 has been an honorary professor of the University of Mannheim.

Table of Contents

Foreword and Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part I About Class
1 'It depends on your class'
2 Equality and Meritocracy
3 What is Class?
4 Hard Class Markers
5 Working, Upper, Middle, Under
6 Class Matters
7 Class Denial
8 Class and Politics

Part II Soft class markers (then and now)
9 Rules, Soft and Silent
10 Appearance
11 Clothing and Dress
12 Greeting, Introduction, Addressing People
13 What's in a Name?
14 Accent and Pronunciation
15 Vocabulary and Language
16 Conversation
17 Stances and Behaviour
18 Cars
19 Table Manners
20 Food and Drink
21 Shopping
22 House
23 Gardens
24 Animals
25 Sport
26 Holidays and Travel
27 The Arts
28 Etcetera

Part III Always and Forever?
29 A classless Society
30 Class-free Zones
31 Class of Origin
32 Change of Class
33 Breaking the Rules
34 Foreigners

Part IV Beyond Class
35 This Happy Breed of Men

Bibliography and Further Reading
Notes
Index

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