Most of us know a bit about what passes for good manners
- holding doors open sending thank-you notes no elbows on the table. We certainly know bad manners when we see them. But where has this patchwork of beliefs & behaviours come from? How did manners develop? How do they change? & why do they matter so much to us? In examining our manners Henry Hitchings delves into the English character & investigates our notions of Englishness. Sorry! presents an amusing illuminating & quirky audit of English manners. From basic table manners to appropriate sexual conduct via hospitality chivalry faux pas & online etiquette Hitchings traces the history of our country's customs & courtesies. Putting under the microscope some of our most astute observers of humanity including Jane Austen & Samuel Pepys he uses their lives & writings to pry open the often downright peculiar secrets of the English character. Hitchings' blend of history anthropology & personal journey helps us understand our bizarre & contested cultural baggage
- & ourselves.