Many articles and books have been written about the image of the UK and its constituent parts. As many different ideas have been proposed on how the image might be improved. Some people think that you cannot change the image of a country at all and that the principles of brand marketing cannot be applied to the promotion of a country. Others argue that globalisation makes identity almost irrelevant.

Research

The most comprehensive pieces of research in the last few years are the two reports entitled Through Other Eyes produced by the British Council. These exercises looked into the attitudes of young people in 28 (13 in 1999 and 15 in 2000) countries. Copies of the summary reports are available on the British Council web site. There are also individual reports for the 30 countries surveyed.

Articles

Articles have a habit of ending up as speeches (see separate page) or in books but some stand on their own:

• The Rise of the Brand State by Peter van Ham for Foreign Affairs September/October 2001 charts the postmodern politics of image and reputation. 'Image and reputation have become essential parts of a state's strategic capital. Like branded products, branded states depend on trust and customer satisfaction.'

Specific books

The most notable current writer is Mark Leonard, now of the Foreign Policy Centre. He has written two thought-provoking books about public diplomacy:

• Britain^TM which set out some of the themes of contemporary Britain which were referred to again in the Panel 2000 discussions. Published by Demos in 1997 (ISBN 1-89830-978-7).
• Going Public which looked at diplomacy in the information age and argued that easy access to information and the use of English is producing communities of interests which recognise no physical or national boundaries. This was published by the Foreign Policy Centre in 2000 and is available from +44 (0)20 8986 5488.

General books

A range of commentators have commented on the problems of self-identity of the people of the United Kingdom. These include:

• The English by Jeremy Paxman. An overview of the characteristics of the English.
• England, England by Julian Barnes. A sharp-edged, humorous satire on a view of the country seen through heritage-tinted spectacles.
• Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson. Although primarily a travel book, this has witty insights into the English character. The best of the bunch.

• Britons: Forging the Nation by Linda Colley. A historical view of the way in which the British nation was invented in the wake of the 1707 Act of Union.
• The Isles - A History by Norman Davies. A historical view of the peoples of Great Britain and Ireland.

• The End of Foreign Policy? by Peter Hain. A pamphlet (by the then Minister of State at the Foreign Office) arguing the need for a new approach to foreign policy for a world in which there is 'no longer any such place as abroad'.

  No list would be complete without the great historical works:

• Noblesse Oblige: An Enquiry into the Identifiable Characteristics of the English Aristocracy by Nancy Mitford, written in the 30's.
• England their England by A.G. Macdonell which almost explains the English fascination with cricket.