The Story of the Country House, Clive Aslet
The Story of the Country House, Clive Aslet
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Story of the Country House
A History of Places and People

Author: Clive Aslet

Narrator: Simon Vance

Unabridged: 8 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 11/30/2021


Synopsis

The fascinating story of the evolution of the country house in Britain, from its Roman precursors to the present

The Story of the Country House is an authoritative and vivid account of the British country house, exploring how they have evolved with the changing political and economic landscape. Clive Aslet reveals the captivating stories behind individual houses, their architects, and occupants, and paints a vivid picture of the wider context in which the country house in Britain flourished and subsequently fell into decline before enjoying a renaissance in the twenty-first century. The genesis, style, and purpose of architectural masterpieces such as Hardwick Hall, Hatfield House, and Chatsworth are explored, alongside the numerous country houses lost to war and economic decline. We also meet a cavalcade of characters, owners with all their dynastic obsessions and diverse sources of wealth, and architects such as Inigo Jones, Sir John Vanbrugh, Robert Adam, Sir John Soane and A. W. N. Pugin, who dazzled or in some cases outraged their contemporaries. The Story of the Country House takes a fresh look at this enduringly popular building type, exploring why it continues to hold such fascination for us today.

About Clive Aslet

Clive Aslet is a writer, commentator, historian, editor, and academic. He has written around twenty books on architecture and history and was editor of Country Life magazine from 1993 to 2006.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sarah on September 29, 2021

I'll admit that I was first drawn to The Story of the Country House: A History of Places and People by it's gorgeous naïf-style cover (although I haven't as yet been able to discern the identity of the designer). I'm pleased to report that the contents live up to the promise of the packaging! Clive A......more

Goodreads review by Lady Clementina on October 26, 2021

My thanks to Yale University Press and NetGalley for a review copy of this interesting and informative read. [Country houses] are a document on which is written their owners’ changing lives, tastes and sources of income. In The Story of the Country House: A History of Places and People, architectu......more

Goodreads review by Pooja on November 23, 2021

In this book we move through the unexpectedly fascinating history of the country house, following it from the medieval era to the modern day. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, but I certainly got what was on the tin - the story of the country house. We go over its many facets, from it......more