Product Description

This is the story of Britain told through its buildings and the people who built them. Join David Dimbleby on his colourful chronological journey through the nation's architectural landscape: to towering fortresses, timber-framed barns, magnificent palaces, railway viaducts, music halls, suburban homes and tower blocks. He climbs to the top of the light-flooded Ely Cathedral, a looming vision of Norman conquest and domination; he explores Harvington Hall in Worcestershire, riddled with hidden passages to conceal Catholic priests; he delves into Manchester's network of sewers, constructed to flush away the polluted waters of disease; and he takes a quizzical look at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, the symbol of devolution.Tying in with the hit BBC1 series and generously illustrated with specially commissioned colour photography and over 100 historic images, this book reveals how these structures originated in the experiences and beliefs of the British people, and how they hold the key to who we are.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29744 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Customer Reviews

Informative, Entertaining and Attractive (that's the book, not David Dimbleby!)
First things first: I haven't seen the TV series or the DVD, so my comments are restricted to the book itself!

This is a book for many different readers, and can therefore be enjoyed at a number of different levels.

It's an entertaining and personal account of David Dimbleby's travels to investigate some of the most important buildings and locations in the country, written in an educational but easy-to-read style.

It's an insight into the social background in which each of the book's subjects is placed, and covers the whole spectrum from magnificent fortresses and palaces to the everyday world of viaducts, barns, tower blocks and suburbia. (It's neatly divided into six subsections: Medieval Britain, Tudors and Stuarts, Scotland, The Georgians, The Victorians and Modern Britain)

It's a feast for the eyes with some wonderful specially commissioned photographs which perfectly complement the text.

On a purely practical and financial level: especially as books such as these tend to become heavily discounted as soon as the TV series has run, you can get hold of a copy (even on Amazon!!) for a fraction of its original price!

Go for it!