Visions of England : or why we still dream of a place in the country

Overview: For centuries, Englishness was synonymous with Britishness, informed first by the political dominance of the English monarchs over the British isles -- reaching its apogee in the rule of Elizabeth I -- and later by the island's imperial might and expansion. But alongside that tradition, reaching back to medieval times, there has also been a vision of England as the rural arcadia celebrated by painters and poets. While the mythology of empire lingers on in the national psyche, Roy Strong argues that it is the rural tradition -- combing aestheticism, pastoralism and patriotism --that offers an answer to the present crisis of English identity. Why do we still get misty-eyed about England's green and pleasant land? Celebrating our literature, music, art, gardening and drama, Strong identifies those icons and traditions that still speak to us - it is a vision of England that is inclusive and relevant for everybody living in the country today. Free from nationalism, chauvinism and political bias, Roy Strong offers a vision of England that is inclusive and relevant for everybody living in the country - an appreciation of the beauty of the English countryside, a love of nature and gardening, and a celebration of the dramas of Shakespeare