Building of England
Product details
- ISBN 9780008743246
- Weight: 270g
- Dimensions: 129 x 198mm
- Publication Date: 18 Jun 2026
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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From awe-inspiring Norman castles, to the homes we live in, Simon Thurley explores how the architecture of this small island 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.
From humble Saxon huts, to soaring gothic cathedrals, through feats of Victorian engineering to the homes we live in today, Simon Thurley tells the story of England through the places and people that built it.
The Building of England challenges us to think differently about English history. Through the lens of architecture Thurley shows how a thousand years of economic, social and cultural change made England the place it is today. People built for defence, power, profit, farming, manufacture, travel, religion and entertainment. The story of England is embedded in all our buildings. This book brings the buildings, their designers, builders, owners and users vividly to life to show that they are a profound reflection of our history.
In this fully updated and expanded edtion of his 2013 classic, The Building of England brings the story completely up to date: now ending in 2020. It places English architecture full square in its historical context.
Simon Thurley is a leading historian of English architecture, the Provost of Gresham College, Chair of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research. For 13 years he was chief executive of English Heritage, responsible for heritage protection and for the National Heritage Collection of 420 sites and monuments including Stonehenge. Before that he was director of the Museum of London and Curator of Historic Royal Palaces. He has written 12 books and made many television programmes about historic buildings.
