Wars, wars, wars': reading up on the region I came across one moment when quintessential Englishness had in fact intersected with this darkling plain. In 1906 Winston Churchill, then the minister responsible for British colonies, had been honored by an invitation from Kaiser Wilhelm II to attend the annual maneuvers of the Imperial German Army, held at Breslau. The Kaiser was 'resplendent in the uniform of the White Silesian Cuirassiers' and his massed and regimented infantry...Strange to find Winston Churchill and Sylvia Plath both choosing the word 'roller,' in both its juggernaut and wavelike declensions, for that scene.

~ Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens 1906 British Empire British Overseas Territories Cars Cavalry Churchill Englishness German Army German Empire Germany Infantry Kaiser Kaiser Wilhelm Ii Poetry Silesia Sylvia Plath Upper Silesia War Wroclaw

It often horrified the English community that she spent her time with local farmers and horse traders, eccentrics and mystics, but she valued expertise over convention and had long believed if you were going to make discoveries in the world you must first quit your Englishness and open your eyes.

~ Sara Sheridan

Sara Sheridan Adventure British Determination Englishness Exploration Gentility Manners Strong Female Characters

Suddenly, she employed those very English weapons: devious good manners and a rapid change of subject.

~ Patricia Duncker

Patricia Duncker Englishness Humor Irony