A highly-critical cultural analysis of the political ideas behind Brexit, and how they led to a disaster.

The Brexit saga has inundated British public life for years.

Since the initial outbreak of COVID-19, Brexit has been largely pushed out of the news, but that does not mean it has gone away.

The U.K. now faces a labor shortage crisis, and many businesses are struggling to import and export goods.

It remains to be seen what the long-term consequences of Brexit are.

Fintan O'Toole is a highly-regarded Irish polemicist, columnist, and author of numerous books. He has written for the Irish Times since 1988.

Published in 2019 before the EU-U.K. Withdrawal Agreement was finalized, this book is not a study of the economic or political causes of Brexit.

Instead, O'Toole tries to uncover the deeply ingrained aspects of English culture that allowed the 'self-harm' of Brexit to take place.