A fast and furiously funny journey through our national memory.

Thomas explains his thesis: "Patriotism is often the point where history and advertising intersect, and it was that brand of nationalism that Rees-Mogg and Johnson attempted to sell. It is a brand that can only hark backwards; a nostalgic nationalism built on half histories and wishes ... The kind of patriotism where the poetry of John Betjeman sits alongside blaming migrants for TB.

"But that is not our story. In fact, it is far from the narrative so many of us are a part of."

50 Things About Us is about money, history, songs, gongs, wigs, unicorns, guns, bungs, sods of soil and rich fuckers. From self-delusions about size and stature to deceptions around the living links between empire, slavery, money and power, this is Mark Thomas's quest to remind us of the true and shared greatness of modern Britain.

First published: Thursday 10th December 2020

• Paperback