Seven books to show the differences between Brits and Americans

Kathleen Burk’s newest book is The Lion and the Eagle: The Interaction of the British and American Empires 1783-1972. At the Guardian she tagged seven books to understand differences between Brits and Americans, including:

The British both admire and distrust the Americans, while the Americans feel both respect and contempt for the British. Why? They are shackled by history but separated by political and social cultures. Explanations should possibly come in pairs.

Take foreign affairs: I suggest two autobiographies. The first is Over Here by Raymond Seitz, US ambassador to Britain 1991-94, a profoundly interesting book in which he goes far beyond public affairs and assesses the whole relationship. The second is DC Confidential by Christopher Meyer, the British ambassador to the US 1997-2003. It is equally riveting – it was a challenging period. He also probes deeply, but the focus is mainly on the political and diplomatic relationship. He tells us how it works and where it fails. I would love to read a book in which the current ambassadors detail how they are coping with the Trumpian upending of their, and our, worlds.

Read about another book on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue