The Power and the Glory: Life in the English Country House Before the Great War

by Adrian Tinniswood

A spirited history of the English country house in its golden age  For generations, the great palaces of Britain were home to living histories, noble families that had reigned for centuries. But by the end of the nineteenth century, members of elite society found themselves, for the first time, in the company of arrivistes. Their new neighbors—from chorus girls to millionaire greengrocers to guano impresarios—lacked lineage and were unencumbered by the weight of tradition.    In The Power and the Glory, historian Adrian Tinniswood reconstructs life in the country house during its golden age before the Great War, when Britain ruled over a quarter of the earth’s population and its stately homes were at their most opulent. But change was on the the landed classes were being forced to grapple not only with new neighbors, but also with new social norms and expectations.     An exuberant story, The Power and the Glory offers a delicious, captivating, and often scandalous history of the British country house. 

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature

448 pages, Hardcover

Published November 12, 2024

About the author

Adrian John Tinniswood OBE FSA (born 11 October 1954) is an English writer and historian. He is currently Professor of English Social History at the University of Buckingham.

Tinniswood studied English and Philosophy at Southampton University and was awarded an MPhil at Leicester University.

Tinniswood has often acted as a consultant to the National Trust, and has lectured at several universities including the University of Oxford and the University of California, Berkeley.

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Reviews

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very enjoyable read but less enthralling than the other two country house history I've read from this author.

I found it a little more filled with facts and figures rather than gossip and details (does that make sense) and I found the houses detailed are often the same ones in each chapter where as before these books have opened up whole new country house names to me chapter after chapter.

It is still a wonderfully detailed account of life above and below stairs in Victorian Britain.

[Mariama Thorlu-Bangura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Power and Glory is described as being a book about life in the English country house prior to WWI. The old money families and the new upstarts coexisting together in what has traditionally been the domain of Britain's landed gentry/aristocracy. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? Unfortunately the interest lasts for only so long, before the book just seems like one extremely long gossip column. I got tired one third of the way through. I guess I finally have to accept this particular author just isn't my cup of tea.

Thanks to NetGalley and Basic Books for access to this arc, which I voluntarily read (or tried to). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book from this author

[Michelle Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a North American who’s fairly obsessed with history, European history has held my attention in an incomparable way. The “English Country House” wasn’t something I grew up learning about, but has become a topic of much interest to me. Therefore, I was thankful to receive a copy of The Power and the Glory: Life in the English Country House Before the Great War and was very impressed by Mr Tinniswood’s writing talent and ability to make nonfiction read more like fiction, and engaging fiction at that.

I enjoyed my reading of this and learned a lot - it was my second time reading the author’s work and I will definitely be reading more.

Recommended to readers of English history, royal history, and/or classics from the time.



Thank you to Basic Books and NetGalley for the DRC

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Power and the Glory by Adrian Tinniswood offers a fascinating glimpse into English country homes and the lives of the wealthy within. Before the Great War, old money and nouveau riche meant country homes and high society. At first country homes were primarily owned by the British but 1900 brought changes such as for sale advertisements pointedly appealing to Americans. Jewish bankers and Indian rinces were also permitted into this exclusive realm. But that didn't mean foreigners were accepted as readily as their money.

Not only are specific homes described but also land laws, gardens, moats, ghosts, burglary, the invention of lawn mowers, the importance of keeping up appearances and leading by example (including Christian worship and philanthropy), and the benefits of being a servant in a country home.

Though classified as Art & Photography, there were no photographs in my digital copy. I have had the pleasure of visiting many such homes on my travels so could easily envision them when reading but still enjoy ogling photographs of atmospheric homes and gardens. The book is wonderfully written and clearly thoroughly researched and will appeal to those like myself besotted with this era. Country homes appeal to my passion for history and curiosity with snippets of unattainable mystery and intrigue. Great fun!

My sincere thank you to Basic Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this captivating book.

[Carlton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gossipy, anecdotal and readable. Tinniswood is very good at evoking the character of the time, for example when writing about supposed haunted houses, he writes:
Supernatural sightings tapped into a strain in the late Victorian psyche which reacted against the rationalism of the age, which, hearing the melancholy, long, withdrawing roar of the sea of faith, reached for any evidence that death was not the end.
I love the referencing of Matthew Arnold’s Dover Beach.

Unfortunately the book suffers from jumping around from chapter to chapter, providing interesting details about country houses and their owners, but in a seemingly haphazard fashion. The reader is treated to chapters on the nouveau riche, Americans, Jews (and “others” who are equated with Jews as they were foreigners), Country Life magazine, haunted (“headless history”) houses and on & on. Very engaging and informative, but leaving me with the impression that I was reading a series of interesting magazine articles, rather than a book.

[Justin Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure what the audience for this is meant to be, but it's perfectly enjoyable reading--not too demanding, also not condescending. You'll note that some people complain that there isn't enough gossip, while others complain that it's mostly gossip. I thought there was a nice amount of gossip, as well as of architectural history and criticism, social history, and enjoyable little essays on everything from the adoption of the automobile to the Prince's peccadilloes.

[Emma Dargue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good introduction to how the country house set worked from regency times to just after the first World War. Interesting facts I had heard about some of the families and stories in this book but overall a very enjoyable and informative book.

[Susan Longo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great title -I think that this was very well researched with alot of material but not all was satisfying based on the way it was organized. I did learn alot about some Country Houses I had never heard of in the UK -

[Timc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched. The book provided me with a much better understanding of the mindset of the English autocracy continuing to this day.... along with an improved disdain.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Biggus · Rating 2 out of 5]

It doesn't work as a 'book'. It is like a series of Reader's Digest features. Interesting enough in themselves, but as a book, it just doesn't work.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting history lesson on the landed families coupled with "new money", this was a good book to read to expand previous knowledge on this topic as it delved into more nitty gritty details.