Description

How do we define patriotism in a diverse society?
What divides us and what brings us together?
Why do we feel uncomfortable celebrating our country’s history?
How to be a Patriot offers a new way of understanding our collective identity in a country wracked by division and brimming with markers of selfhood – faith, race, gender, age, sexuality.

Sunder Katwala himself grew up with some questions to work through. As a half-Indian, Irish Catholic child of the NHS, the chequered history of post-imperial Britain seemed very personal to him, but he realised that with that background he could hardly be anything but British, and proud of it too.

His timely and clear-eyed analysis seeks to navigate the many crises of this increasingly disunited kingdom: extremism and integration after 7/7; fear of immigration and the deep divides of Brexit; the resurgence of online racism; and the debate over our cultural heritage. Equipped with a nuanced understanding of the subject and a wealth of supporting data, he sets out to foster a more open and tolerant society: one that welcomes alternative ideas and cultures rather than shutting them out.

Ultimately, How to be a Patriot is a rousing story of lives lived together and shared values. Far from being divisive, it concludes, an inclusive and confident patriotism is a reminder that our differences need not define us.

Publisher Review

'Sunder Katwala has helped to lead the public conversation on national identity. British Future have shown how we can confidently hold difficult and overdue conversations about our past and future, always looking to bridge and find our common ground.' David Lammy MP 'Ever my go-to guy when trying to make sense of this ferociously polarised issue.' Tom Holland, historian 'I regard Sunder Katwala as one of the most important voices on our emerging national identity. He does three things. The first is that he describes the weather. There are few better judges of the state of the national debate. The second is that he makes the weather. He influences what others do and say. And finally he forecasts the weather. He has an acute sense of what is going to happen next. When something important happens on national identity questions - the publication of the recent report into racial disparities for instance - Sunder is the first person I turn to in order to understand what the rights and wrongs are. I try not to make up my mind before I've read him. I'm never disappointed, because he understands nuance without losing impact. If he writes a book on this topic it will be a landmark in the debate and I will be sure not to miss it.' Daniel Finkelstein