ENGLAND: (Past & Present)

By El Mouatamid Ben Rochd

THIS BOOK is a summary of England (read British Isles); its past history and present culture essentially. The past consists of five chapters on the Celts, Richard Lion's Heart, Henry VIII, Queen Victoria and Prime Minister Winston Churchil.
The present consists of five chapters dealing with British Democrasy, Education, Religion, free-time and the Irish Problem.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Books on Demand
• Release date: Apr 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9782322182152

El Mouatamid Ben Rochd

THE AUTHOR Dr. El Mouatamid Ben Rochd graduated from Fez University in 1978 (BA in American Civilization), obtained his Masters from York University in 1982 (MA in French Syntax) and his Doctorate in 1990 from the National University of Ireland (PhD in Theoretical Linguistics and the Structure of Arabic). He spent one year as Visiting Professor at the University of Washington. He is currently a freelance scholar of languages, cultures and philosophy.

Book preview

ENGLAND

Pages de titre

ENGLAND

INTRODUCTION

1. PAST

2) PRESENT

Key’s historical outline

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Copyright

El Mouatamid Ben Rochd

England

(Past & Present)

To Snoussi & Cat Stevens

ENGLAND

Sad is England when we see disheveled PM Boris Johnson, corona virus confinement, plus the Brexit.

But more brilliant images of England are kept in mind: its traditional black taxi cabs, red double-decker buses, also its too tall football player Jackie Charlton (world cup 1966), its magician George Best & its vogue music of the 60’s with the Beatles, Procol Harum, and Cat Stevens amongst others.

As for its language, the top been Queen’s English (with historical and regional dialects). It is the magnificent language of Shakespeare, Chaucer, George Orwell, T.S. Eliot...

Some moments of English frights exist also with Jack the Ripper & more recently with the Yorkshire Ripper.

In imperial politics the English Lions are proud of their might and power with queen Victoria on whose empire the sun never set", PM Winston Churchill with his big cigar and the tribulations of Maradon’s Malvias or English Falklands.

Remember also its Union Jack, Hyde Park Speakers corner, Sherlock Holmes and «eternal queen Elizabeth II.

Contents

Introduction

PAST

The Celts

Richard lion heart

Henry VIII

Queen Victoria

World wars

PRESENT

Politics

Education

Religion

Free time

The Irish conflict

CONCLUSION

Key’s Historical Outline

Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

The study of Great Britain (GB) – or British civilization – is a tricky subject. The appellation Great Britain is already a problem. It is the only country in the world, that has great as a modifier to its name. All the other countries seem smaller and excluded by this adjective USA, USSR, France, China are simply called USA, USSR, France, China.

The reason for this peculiar name can perhaps be explained by referring to the English famous proverb: niggers start at Calais. Calais being the first French city, the Englishman comes across when he has crossed the English Channel (another tricky adjective) while traveling southward. It means that the lower races (vs. the English) include all the southern nations including the French. So this appellation GREAT can entail that the English are proud of their civilization, which is unequalled anywhere in the world.

The reason could also be that England is not simply a country but an empire –the British empire- on which the sun never set it stretches from Australia and new Zealand to north America including Malaysia, the middle east, and some African countries like Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya etc …

The English also refer to their cities as London and greater London, Manchester and greater Manchester …respectively the inner city and the city plus the suburbs.

It is a problem also because one does not know whether he has to say England, Great Britain or the British Isles. It is tricky because politically, it is referred to as one country with a flag – the Union Jack- one capital – London but on other occasions it consists of four countries, in the world cup for instance: Scotland, capital: Edinburgh, Northern Ireland, capital: Belfast, Wales, capital: Cardiff and finally England, capital: London ().

There is still a problem left. It is Southern Ireland is it part of Great Britain? The answer is NO, as it is a Republic, capital: Dublin whereas Great Britain is a kingdom; hence another of its names: the United Kingdom (UK)

To talk about British civilization is to talk about the people of Britain, which includes the British but may also include the Irish and will indeed include them as it has always done in the past and the present.

Generally speaking, civilization is defined as the human achievements in terms of culture, intellectual