"One day I hope to meet Kamal Ahmed and explain to him how, as I reached the end of this book, I realised a complete stranger had become a friend. I hope it does the same for you. I recommend it."
The name Kamal Ahmed wasn’t familiar to me when I was first introduced to this book. It should have been. In my defence, I would argue that, as I watch little television, I may be forgiven. The case against me, however, would certainly point out that since one of my favourite programmes is BBC News – where Kamal has, since 2016, regularly appeared in his role as Economics Editor – I really ought to have recognised him. Hopefully, I will be forgiven.
Kamal Ahmed is a first generation descendent of a Sudanese immigrant father. I am third generation, through my grandmother’s family who come from South Africa – they were Xhosa and, I learned many years ago, from the same tribe as Nelson Mandela. And so, it was with an ever-increasing sense of déjà vu that I became absorbed by this book.
Through a series of personal anecdotes, political comment and astute observations, The Life and Times of a Very British Man makes a compelling case for a new debate about what is it to be British, what makes us who we are and how we view those we consider to be ‘others’.
I don’t use the word ‘absorbed’ lightly. Kamal is a talented writer, something apparent from the very first pages. He uses language skilfully, not so much to impress, but to present his arguments logically and passionately. He is perceptive, reasoning and persuasive. And he is absolutely right as he asks the reader to consider what it is that makes us British?
Kamal Ahmed. Not a terribly British name is it? That antithesis is, perhaps, something that makes the title of this work so germane. What is it to be British? To quote the author, he likes National Trust Houses, the Specials, Victoria sponge cake and double-cooked chips. What is it that makes us feel British?
At times disturbing, at times amusing, The Life and Times of a Very British Man asks searching questions about us, our country and our attitude to change.
One day I hope to meet Kamal Ahmed and explain to him how, as I reached the end of this book, I realised a complete stranger had become a friend. I hope it does the same for you. I recommend it.
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
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This is a wonderful heartfelt read, one that will make the reader laugh out loud, and question the way that we as a nation (well some of us) haven't changed, How sad is that?
Every now and again, a book comes along that makes you question the way you think, and The Life and Times of a Very British Man by Kamal Ahmed is one of them.
Kamal is a well know face on the BBC, born in Ealing, he is of mixed race, and had a very British childhood, played the same games you or I did, though only difference is that Kamal was born in the 1960s and he as he puts it is "brown" or as it was then called half-caste.
As a child, he knows first hand of the stigma his mother must have had to endure, the vile names that were branded about, and the way people crossed the street.
The racial prejudice in the 1960s is something we as a nation should re-look at.... Read Full Review
A thought-provoking examination of what it means to be a British and accepted in the UK today.
Kamal Ahmed is a well-known face on British TV, as Economics Editor at the BBC. This book tells the story of his upbringing in 1970s London as the son of a Sudanese doctor and a white female school teacher from Yorkshire. The book is ultimately an examination of race and acceptance in Britain, informed by Ahmed’s experience as a child of a mixed-race couple and by political analysis from a number of sources, including an essay on Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech.
I learnt from and sympathised with much of Ahmed’s experiences and views. I knew of Powell’s speech but this taught me much more. Perhaps I was surprised by Ahmed’s very ordinary “Britishness” and appreciation of much of the British way of life.... Read Full Review
A well informed and entertaining look at life for immigrants in Britain over the years, and the changes made.
What sounded like a rather dry read turned into one of the most interesting and informative books about modern times.
Having seen Kamal Ahmed on television news, doing an efficient job, I had not given much thought to his background, or those of various people brought up in Britain in similar circumstances. But this book is not all about him, more about the changes regarding foreigners that have been brought about over the years by many factors. Events involving race and attitudes mostly from the 70s are covered in a different way. Achievements expected then would not be tolerated today, nor the language used. Historic events involving many people and countries have contributed to changes. Some areas of Britain were very accepting of ethnic minorities whatever their colour and background, others were not. Now even forms have been changed to suit all ethnic backgrounds.... Read Full Review
