The Invention of Essex: The Making of an English County

"Before Essex was a punchline, it was a dream," writes Tim Burrows, and he shows you the hopes and humanity of a county more often the subject of lazy stereotype. Thoroughly researched yet deeply personal, this book takes in marsh and factory, William Morris and TOWIE - all delivered with a friendly panache. -- Aditya Chakrabortty

A love letter to a county whose variety and richness is so often overlooked because it fails to adhere to the dreary English ideal of picturesque gentility. Burrows digs deep. He meanders like a creek. Nothing is off limits. It's a stellar performance. The first picture caption sets the tone: 'Aerial view of mud' -- Jonathan Meades

An exceptional book by a lucid and sharp-eyed writer with a personal stake in his story. Burrows has a winning way of combining solidarity with critical distance, and an invigorating habit of cutting through the cliches with one sympathetic blast after another. This is Essex for the 21st century but it's also a book about England, and all the better for the fact that it absolutely refuses to be an elegy -- Patrick Wright, author ― The Sea View Has Me Again

Evocative and smart ... Essex is often a prism through which England is seen, whether in terms of housing, politics, art or land ... beautifully written, with intelligence and heart' -- Amy Liptrot, author ― The Outrun

Tim Burrows is one of the finest and most humane writers on these islands. In The Invention of Essex he makes the familiar seem strange, and vice versa, by digging deep into his own life to tell the story of his native Essex with eloquence and verve. I can't see how anyone could fail to be delighted and enthralled by this passionate, erudite journey into the soul of the English South-East -- Alex Niven, author ― The North Will Rise Again

Tim Burrows has written the most insightful, thorough, hilarious and at times poignant investigation of place, of people, of history and of belonging. I loved every page. The way Tim weaves his own family and experience into such a detailed and well-researched narrative of geography, sociology and history is masterful. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in identity, landscape, family and the concept of home. This book deserves to do brilliantly well and will launch Burrows into the public consciousness as one of our great living writers. -- Nell Frizzell, author ― Holding the Baby

A lively tour of a place everyone thinks they know, but seldom understand - and a great book about a built landscape of social mobility, both collective and individualistic - and how quickly one can curdle into the other before anyone has noticed -- Owen Hatherley, author ― Red Metropolis: Socialism and the Government of London

This is a book about Essex people and how they created one of Britain's best-known and most distinctive counties. Many have moved from London, but once in Essex they have stayed there. Tim Burrows' sympathetic and vivid investigation of Essex's unique social landscape reveals that its historical roots are ancient and very modern: both are equally important. It's an addictive read -- Francis Pryor, author ― The Fens: Discovering England's Ancient Depths

Burrows digs beneath the sensationalism and red-top headlines to paint a deeply sensitive and engaging portrait of a misunderstood county and its people -- 'The Books to Read in 2023' ― Financial Times

A roam around the history of England's most infamous county, which dispels lazy myths and reveals a fascinating array of smugglers, radicals and movements. [Tim Burrows] passionately argues that there is much more to Essex than meets the eye ― Bookseller

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