Blenheim: Biography of a Palace

by Marian Fowler

A popular biography of the greatest English house from its conception and building in the opening decade of the eighteenth century to the burial of Winston Churchill in the early 1960s. Using the vast Blenheim papers (now in the British Museum) together with local Oxfordshire documents and archives Marian Fowler has been able to trace the history not just of its famous inhabitants but also of the building itself and the thousands of servants and workmen who have kept it functioning over the years. There will be four long core chapters each taking a specific event at Blenheim (the first is a theatrical performance of a Dryden play put on by his grandchildren for the almost senile first Duke of Marlborough) and moving out from that to general description of the place and its inhabitants at that time. The four events will each be separated by about 60 years.

Genres: Architecture, History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1990

About the author

Marian Fowler holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Toronto and was the recipient of the Canadian Biography Award. She has taught at York University and is the author of a number of books, including In a Gilded Cage, Below the Peacock Fan, The Embroidered Tent, Blenheim and The Way She Looks Tonight. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marian Fowler’s Blenheim: Biography of a Place, is a wonderful story of the people and times of this house that has stood in Oxfordshire for more than 300 years. The book was published in 1989 and the palace has seen two more dukes since then. It’s fun to read, not dull at all.

Building began in 1705 following the first duke’s success at the Battle of Blenheim during the
War of the Spanish Succession and was a gift to him from Queen Anne and the “grateful nation.” Fowler demonstrates that it was not a house to be lived in but a monument to the power of Great Britain. It is a shrine of shock and awe, to use a military term. Nonetheless it has been lived in since the mid-18th century on, usually uncomfortably and at great expense to the owner. Fowler’s book shows the grand, the silly, the obnoxious, the sad and all that came along with living in this monstrous building. Though not a duke here, Winston Churchill is strongly associated with the house. He was born there in a pokey bedroom that is an attraction to visitors today, came to visit regularly, did research for a number of his books here and is buried in a churchyard a stone’s throw away from Blenheim.

[Sarah Oakey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm hopefully going to visit Blenheim this winter so wanted a bit of background. This book was fantastic, more like a novel than a biography. It gave such a detailed description of all the people who have lived there, a real insight into their characters and lifestyles. IT will be so much more interesting seeing all the portraits and tapestries now knowing so much about all the subjects. The books made the Palace itself the main character, giving it real heart and soul. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every word.

[Kathy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a tad hard to slog through but it is doable and the history of Blenheim is quite fascinating. I read it a little at a time, while reading other books, and that was a better reading approach for me. There are also interesting pictures in the book and multiple chapters on the changes, the updates, the residents, the sheer size, outside and inside and historic references.