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.
Saxon, Tudor, Georgian, Regency, even Victorian and Edwardian are all well-recognised architectural styles, displaying the influence of the events that mark each period. Thurley looks at how the architecture of England has evolved over a thousand years, uncovering the beliefs, ideas and aspirations of the people who commissioned them, built them and lived in them. He tells the fascinating story of the development of architecture and the advancements in both structural performance and aesthetic effect.
Richly illustrated with over 500 drawings, photographs and maps, Simon Thurley traces the history and contemplates the future of the buildings that have made England.

The Building of England: How the History of England Has Shaped Our Buildings

History

Thurley, Simon

Europe

William Collins

Palaces of Revolution: Life, Death and Art at the Stuart Court

Arts & Photography

History & Criticism

Whitehall Palace was the principal residence of the British monarchy from 1529 to 1698, when fire destroyed the majority of the complex. As such, it holds a key place in the architectural, political, and social history of England. This book is the first to discuss the architecture and archaeology of this influential building. Simon Thurley traces the development of the palace from its origins, using previously unpublished archaeological evidence to establish that York Place, as it was then called, was already one of the largest and most important residences in London before it became a royal palace. Thurley reconstructs the various phases of the palace’s development, showing how successive kings and queens altered the vast sprawling mass of Whitehall to meet their individual needs. He also charts the plans of monarchs to replace the Tudor building with one that might have rivaled the great baroque palaces of Europe, and he reveals the reasons they failed to achieve this. Throughout, the book is illustrated with specially commissioned plans and diagrams of Whitehall as well as unique photographs taken while the palace was being excavated in the 1930s.

Whitehall Palace: An Architectural History of the Royal Apartments, 1240-1690 (Historic Royal Palaces)

Architecture

Yale University Press

This fully illustrated study of what is `probably Britain's most important secular historic building complex' is based on the premise that the architecture of Hampton Court cannot be understood without a consideration of the agendas of the remarkable people who built it. Soundly based on a multitude of sources, including many original plans and surveys as well as recent archaeological evidence, the book begins with the earliest Court built by Lord Daubeney in the 15th century; a structure that has almost entirely disappeared. Thurly goes on to examine the plans and structures of Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII and the Tudors, demonstrating how the `rapid and sometimes astonishing turns in Henry's private life' impacted on his building programme at Hampton Court. The book compares and contrasts the use of the Court by the Stuarts, who largely regarded it as a place for entertainment and hunting, before examining its transformation under William and Mary who saved it from a long decline. The evolution of the gardens, the embellishments of the Georgians, the destruction of the Victorians, the influx of tourists and the conservation efforts of today are all illustrated and authoritatively discussed by the Chief Executive of English Heritage.

Hampton Court: A Social and Architectural History

The Royal Palaces of Stuart England

Between 1900 and 1950 the British state amassed a huge collection of over 800 historic buildings, monuments, and sites and opened them to the public. This engaging book explains why the extraordinary collecting frenzy took place, locating it in the fragile and nostalgic atmosphere of the interwar years, dominated by neo-romanticism and cultural protectionism. The government’s activities were mirrored by the establishment of dozens of voluntary bodies, including the Council for the Protection of Rural England, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and the National Trust. Men from the Ministry sets all this activity, for the first time, in its political, economic and cultural contexts, painting a picture of a country traumatized by war, fearful of losing what was left of its history, and a government that actively set out to protect them. It dissects a government program that established a modern state on deep historical and rural roots.

Men from the Ministry: How Britain Saved Its Heritage

Between 1900 and 1950 the British state amassed a huge collection of over 800 historic buildings, monuments, and sites and opened them to the public.  This engaging book explains why the extraordinary collecting frenzy took place, locating it in the fragile and nostalgic atmosphere of the interwar years, dominated by neo-romanticism and cultural protectionism. The government’s activities were mirrored by the establishment of dozens of voluntary bodies, including the Council for the Protection of Rural England, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and the National Trust. Men from the Ministry sets all this activity, for the first time, in its political, economic and cultural contexts, painting a picture of a country traumatized by war, fearful of losing what was left of its history, and a government that actively set out to protect them. It dissects a government program that established a modern state on deep historical and rural roots.

The first modern history of St James’s Palace, shedding light on a remarkable building at the heart of the history of the British monarchy that remains by far the least known of the royal residences\nIn this first modern history of St James’s Palace, the authors shed new light on a remarkable building that, despite serving as the official residence of the British monarchy from 1698 to 1837, is by far the least known of the royal residences. The book explores the role of the palace as home to the heir to the throne before 1714, its impact on the development of London and the West end during the late Stuart period, and how, following the fire at the palace of Whitehall, St James’s became the principal seat of the British monarchy in 1698. The arrangement and display of the paintings and furnishings making up the Royal Collection at St James’s is chronicled as the book follows the fortunes of the palace through the Victorian and Edwardian periods up to the present day. Specially commissioned maps, phased plans, and digital reconstructions of the palace at key moments in its development accompany a rich array of historical drawings, watercolors, photographs, and plans. The book includes a foreword by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.\nPublished in association with Royal Collection Trust

St James's Palace: From Leper Hospital to Royal Court

Turner, Michael

Bird, Rufus

A wealth of colour illustrations and text focus on the extraordinary personality and career of the most flamboyant of the Tudor monarchs, Henry VIII.

Henry VIII: Images of a Tudor King

Hampton Court (Richmond upon Thames, London, England)

Lloyd,Christopher

Phaidon Inc Ltd

Hardcover in dust jacket. Very good condition, publication No. 153. Jacket has some light surface marks and minor wear at the edges. All content is bright and clear including plans in an envelope on the rear pastedown. FCO historian Negley Harte, his signature penned on the FEP. DP

Whitehall Palace Plan of 1670 (London Topographical Society publication)

London Topographical Society

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Thurley, Simon. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Thurley, Simon

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Thurley, Simon. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Building of England: How the History of England Has Shaped Our Buildings

Palaces of Revolution: Life, Death and Art at the Stuart Court

Whitehall Palace: An Architectural History of the Royal Apartments, 1240-1690 (Historic Royal Palaces)

Hampton Court: A Social and Architectural History

The Royal Palaces of Stuart England

Men from the Ministry: How Britain Saved Its Heritage

Men from the Ministry: How Britain Saved Its Heritage

St James's Palace: From Leper Hospital to Royal Court

Henry VIII: Images of a Tudor King

Whitehall Palace Plan of 1670 (London Topographical Society publication)