The people of England, the cradle of Shakespeare, Newton, Brunel and Dickens, are dismissed today as 'overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts'.
The new 'Rough Guide to England' - published around the world - suggests England would be among the last destinations on any traveller's wish list.
The English are 'overweight, binge drinking, reality TV addicts', says new Rough Guide | the Daily Mail
The Rough Guide continues: "It's a nation that prides itself on its patriotism - yet has a Scottish prime minister, an Italian football coach and a Greek royal consort."
It lampoons the national obsession with the weather and questions whether increased personal wealth has created a happier nation.
"A two-day cold snap is discussed as if it were the onset of a new Ice Age and a week above 25 degrees starts rumours of a drought," it states.
"The English have become obedient consumers rather than active citizens, with brand loyalty the nearest thing to religious/spiritual belief.