English Journey

“The finest book ever written about England and the English” – Stuart Maconie
“J. B. Priestley is one of our literary icons of the 20th Century and it is time that we all became re-acquainted with his genius.” – Dame Judi Dench

Three years before George Orwell embarked on his expedition to the far and frozen North in The Road to Wigan Pier, celebrated writer and broadcaster J.B. Priestley cast his net wider. His book, subtitled “a Rambling but Truthful Account of What One Man Saw and Heard and Felt and Thought During a Journey Through England During the Autumn of the Year 1933”, first appeared in 1934 and was met with huge and immediate success. Today, it still stands as a timeless classic: warm-hearted, intensely patriotic, and profound.

A Journey Through England

Priestley’s English Journey recounts his travels through England, visiting places such as:

• Southampton
• The Black Country
• The North East and Newcastle
• Norwich
• Home

The book is both funny and tender, offering a forensic reading of a changing England. It serves as a passionate call to arms, rivaling the intensity of Orwell’s bleak masterpiece. Priestley’s observations captured the essence of an English landscape and its people, many of whom had been previously unseen. His writing scathingly critiques vested interests while underlining the dignity of working people.

A Catalyst for Change

English Journey not only reflected the public mood of its time but also influenced the thinking and attitudes of an entire generation. Priestley’s work helped formulate a public consensus for change, playing a pivotal role in the events that led to the birth of the welfare state.

Prophetic and Relevant

Nearly ninety years after its publication, English Journey remains as prophetic and relevant today as ever. It is an elegant, readable love letter to a country Priestley finds unfathomable.