Product Description

An iconic London landmark of Gothic dream palace and futuristic train shed - built in the 1860s for the new Midland Railway line into London, St. Pancras is soon to be reincarnated as the main international gateway from London to the Continent. In 1866, the ancient churchyard of St. Pancras was excavated for the new Midlands Railway line into London. Both the train shed and the Midland Grand hotel, the constituent parts of the new station, are outstanding structures: the train shed for its structural daring and drama, the hotel for its heroic attempt to adapt Gothic architecture for the requirements of modernity. In 2002, more of the churchyard was excavated as part of the station's transformation for the Channel Tunnel terminus. The work, to be finished in 2007, will reinvent St. Pancras as the main hub for rail travellers between the UK and Europe. In the years between, the station has flourished, but has also come close to being demolished. Simon Bradley examines this fascinating story of changes in taste and of our understanding of the past. It is a reminder of the revolutionary effects of the railway and of how the innovations of the Industrial Revolution have weathered subsequent technological change. St. Pancras demands to be understood for the continuing thrall in which great urban monuments can hold us.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #244668 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Review
A.N. Wilson, Daily Telegraph - 'A marvellous piece of social, aesthetic and technological history...It is impossible to praise Bradley's book too highly.' Sunday Telegraph - 'Brilliantly and with deft hand, Simon Bradley makes sense of it all...Fabulous.' Spectator - 'There is nothing in this book that I am not happy to know; much more of it is valuable to know; all of it is a pleasure to know.'

Sunday Telegraph
'Brilliantly and with deft hand, Simon Bradley makes sense of it
all... Fabulous'

Hilary Spurling, Observer
'perceptive, entertaining and instructive book'

Customer Reviews

Architecturally Interesting but Not as Good as Eulogies on Cover
The first third of the book is given over to a scholarly treatment of the derivation of the particular Italian gothic style employed by George Gilbert Scott to build the Midland Grand Hotel, the magnificent frontage to St. Pancras Station. The philosophical roles of Pugin and Ruskin are examined and details provided of the life and the architectural activities of Scott; some might think this the long route towards talking about the station per se. The design and construction of the train shed by William Henry Barlow is described very well. The almost unique (at the time) single unsupported arch construction is explained and compared with that used on other major railway termini. Interesting facts such as the spacing of the cast iron pillars in the undercroft being related to beer barrel size are fascinating and just the sort of detail enthusiasts will be looking for. The interior and Victorian usage of the hotel are described well. There then follows brief notes on the Midland Railway and changes which the railways wrought in society, the latter being of dubious relevance. A perfunctory description of the station resurrection is provided. This is an interesting book but leaves the reader feeling short-changed with regard to a direct treatment of the station and its renovation. It does not quite live up to the eulogies printed on the cover; it is not a masterpiece nor fabulous. The black and white printed illustrations are of poor quality.

beautiful writing, impressive scope
This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. Most novel writers cannot use language this fluidly.

I think it a huge shame that mostly only people interested in architecture or railways will buy this book. I believe almost anyone would find this book interesting. The book provides a fascinating insight into the social and economic state of England in the middle of Victoria's reign and at the height of imperial grandeur.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is easily worth 6 stars!

A fascinating book
This is so much more than a book about a single railway station and its hotel. Architecture, engineering, and the synergy between the two, social history, railways throughout the UK, stations throughout the world. It's one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time!