The Progressive Patriot is one of those books that’s going to defy categorisation in bookshops and libraries. It’s part autobiography, part history and part social history.
Bragg takes us on something of a personal journey to understand his roots. We travel this journey, partly by way of his East End/Essex born family, but dip in and out of the history of Britain, and England in particular.
We also learn something of Bragg’s musical heritage, from his early love of Simon and Garfunkel to his discovering of punk, properly in the guise of The Clash.
It’s a good book, and I didn’t read it because I’m particularly a fan of Bragg. I guess I admire his work more than love it. But he’s an excellent story teller, and I always listen out for radio or television interviews.
I do have some issues with his slightly too accommodating views on ID Cards towards the end – but then you’d be surprised if I didn’t. And sometimes, he still has to hammer home his politics a little more than is necessary, especially when it sometimes feels that today’s Tories are actually to the left of some Labour policies.