This Sovereign Isle: Britain In and Out of Europe

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Geography comes before history.
Islands cannot have the same history as continental plains. The United Kingdom is a European country, but not the same kind of European country as Germany, Poland, or Hungary. For most of the 150 centuries during which Britain has been inhabited, it has been on the edge—culturally and literally—of mainland Europe.

Key insights from this book:

• A historically explicable decision:
  Tombs demonstrates that the decision to leave the EU is rooted in Britain's unique historical experience, particularly in the twentieth century.
• Beyond European ties:
  Britain's more extensive and deeper connections outside Europe played a significant role.
• Challenging conventional views:
  The author disputes the orthodox belief that Brexit stemmed solely from British or English exceptionalism.
• Voting as typical Europeans:
  Tombs argues that, in choosing to leave the EU, the British were behaving in ways similar to other Europeans.

This succinct and thought-provoking book sheds light on Britain's distinct position in Europe and offers a compelling historical perspective on Brexit.