The Building of England: How the History of England has Shaped our Buildings

by Simon Thurley

From awe-inspiring Norman castles, to the homes we live in, Simon Thurley explores how the architecture of England influenced the world. The Building of England puts into context the significance of a country’s architectural history and unearths how it is inextricably linked to the cultural past – and present.

Saxon, Tudor, Georgian, Regency, even Victorian and Edwardian are all well-recognised architectural styles, displaying the influence of the events that mark each period. Thurley looks at how the architecture of England has evolved over a thousand years, uncovering the beliefs, ideas and aspirations of the people who commissioned them, built them and lived in them. He tells the fascinating story of the development of architecture and the advancements in both structural performance and aesthetic effect.

Richly illustrated with over 500 drawings, photographs and maps, Simon Thurley traces the history and contemplates the future of the buildings that have made England.

Genres: History, Architecture, Nonfiction, British Literature, Art

544 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2013

Reviews

[Helene Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review - I thought this book had a lot of potential and probably would have been more interesting reading had I known more about architecture and building terms. I still don't know what a loggia is off-hand, and had to look up several terms, but the history of the buildings and the development of England's fabric in architecture is intriguing, and I would love to delve into this more in future. Thurley's book is obviously well-researched and you can tell he has been to the places he talks about and discusses, and has seen the little details himself.

General Subject/s? - History / Architecture / Buildings / England

Recommend? – Yes

Rating - 16/20

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited to start reading this book, but over time, I grew tired and disillusioned with it. Although it contains loads of pictures, quite often the further fate of the buildings in question is not mentioned (were they destroyed? do they still exist? were they converted/rebuilt?). Also, it seemed like the author assumes that the reader has got a very broad knowledge about certain facts - quite often stating a fact, then jumping to conclusions, without any explanation.

[David Bisset · Rating 5 out of 5]

A major work of architectural history based on the thesis that architecture is intrinsically linked with social and economic history.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abandoned 2/5 of the way through. Dull if you want a book to read from start to finish.