''Britain has a long history, full of great and not so great things, one of the things that defines this country are the great British men of the past and present, whether they are explorers, actors, military supremo's they all have a place in the great beating heart of Britain.

Here are some of what I consider to be some of the greatest British men past and present, they have graced us with there impeccable dress, loyalty to the state, there professionalism, down right cheekiness, outstanding resilience, business acumen, there love of all things tweed and moustaches that would make a grown man cry. Enjoy.

Lord Kitchener

Lord Kitchener is mostly recognised as the man on the 'your country needs you' posters that adorned Britain during the first world war. He is probably as British as they come, a very strong military background, he held the highest British Army rank of 'field marshall'. Kitchener was a diplomat and a statesman, he was incredibly determined and resilient. He was one of the leaders that decimated the Guerillas in the 'Boer war'. Kitchener was also one of the key members of state in advising the government in strategic manoeuvres for the first world war, and many believe that the war could have played out in the Germans favour if it had not have been for Kitchener's impeccable military knowledge. A gentleman, statesman and exceptionally well mannered man, Kitchener was a great British man and his legacy will never be forgotten.

Terry Thomas

Terry Thomas was one of the finest actors of his generation, he was famous for portraying disreputable members of the upper class in his quirky, cheeky and caddish way. His real name was Thomas Stevens, was born 14th July 1911 and was raised in Finchley north London. His filmography is immense, starring in films from 1935 right up until his last role in 'hound of the baskervilles' in 1978. His persona is synonymous as being the quintessential British cad, a lovable rogue that never failed to charm.

Jude Law

Jude Law is a modern day Terry Thomas in my view, he has shown the world that great British acting is a still as great as it always was, he puts passion and fury into his acting. His film roles are in-depth well developed characters that inspire a generation. Of course he has been a bit of a cad with the ladies, he has mucked Sienna Miller around a bit, but he tries desperately to keep his affairs private no matter how bad things get. Jude law will always come up trumps, simply because he is well dressed, smart, slick, cheeky and will have his wicked way with your wife given half a chance, and you would let him, because he is the irrepressible English bastard who is utterly brilliant.

Sir Alan Sugar

Sir Alan Sugar represents everything that is great about British business. Too many people want 'get rich quick' schemes or want to earn their fortune by doing bugger all, but not Alan. Right from when he was at school Alan had a keen eye for business, selling boiled beetroot from a stall. After leaving school he worked briefly as a civil servant, he then started to sell car aerials and electricals from the back of his van which he bought for £100 out of his savings.

Alan has recently been made a member of parliament, which I am glad about, our government can learn a lot from a man that started life with fuck all, lived in a council flat with his mum and dad and built his £830million fortune up from nothing, which is more than can be said for the likes of David Cameron and his over privileged cronies. Alan's direct and forceful manner has crafted him into a well respected businessman.

Sir Ernest Shackleton

Shackleton was and still is regarded as one of the most influential explorers in history, films have been made about him and is regarded as a hero of the time. Ernest Shackleton got his first taste of exploration when he joined the merchant navy, and was Captain Scott's first officer on the 'discovery expedition' 1901-04, he was sent home early on health grounds, for which he considered a personal failure. Shackleton wanted recompense for his failings, and so began his own exploration aboard the 'Nimrod' in 1909. He and his team marched 190km across the south pole, a feat that was unsurpassed at the time. Later Shackleton wanted to take things even further by crossing the entire antarctic continent from sea to sea, a feat never attempted before.

Shackleton lead the 'Imperial trans-antarctic expedition' from 1914-17. Disaster struck when their ship was stranded and stuck in pack ice, isolated from civilization and unable to call for help, it would be easy for the whole team to have died. But Shackleton led the team to safety with no loss of life, which ultimately assured his heroic status. He died of a heart attack in 1922 before his next expedition. A true chap, a scholar, gentleman and a man devoted to discovery.

I hope you enjoyed this post, do you have any other great British men suggestions? tell us all about them by leaving a comment.

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