Thursday 10 February 2011

ENGLAND'S THOUSAND BEST HOUSES Book review


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Title: ENGLAND'S THOUSAND BEST HOUSES
Author: SIMON JENKINS
From Bedfordshire to Yorkshire West, in alphabetical order, this volume, written by a heritage enthusiast, is organised county by county for complete ease of use. The author regards England's houses as, collectively, nothing less than one of the wonders of the world, and his lively text reflects that. The 'houses' of course include famous stately homes and palaces, such as the weird and wonderful combination of Medieval and Art Nouveau that is Eltham Palace in Kent and Raby Castle in Durham with its amazing nine towers. But they also encompass humble cottages and huts like the Labourer's Cottage and the Shipwright's Cottage, both at Buckler's Hard in Hampshire, which provide moving testimony as to how poor people lived in times gone by. This unique living record of the nation's history does not forget either the ordinary people living in quite ordinary dwellings, who later became famous, such as Jane Austen. The book features a ratings system for each house and runs to a massive 1,046 paperback pages with maps, colour plates, glossary, list of abbreviations, section on the principal periods of English domestic architecture, index of names as well as places and what are considered to be the top hundred houses.  
Published Price: £12.99
BIBLIOPHILE PRICE: £6

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