The Story of the Country House: A History of Places and People
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- Create Date：2021-10-03 05:21:10
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Clive Aslet
- ISBN：0300255055
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Summary
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。
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。
Reviews
Anja
，
The history of the British country house， its style， architects and occupants is what this book is about。 For my personal taste the author provides the reader with far too much gossip and unnecessary information about said occupants and their extended families etc。 At times I found it difficult to extract the parts that were actually about the houses themselves。 I did not need to learn so much about habits， mistresses etc， and would have preferred maps， construction overviews and more detailed p The history of the British country house， its style， architects and occupants is what this book is about。 For my personal taste the author provides the reader with far too much gossip and unnecessary information about said occupants and their extended families etc。 At times I found it difficult to extract the parts that were actually about the houses themselves。 I did not need to learn so much about habits， mistresses etc， and would have preferred maps， construction overviews and more detailed pictures。 The last 3rd of the book is better structured but overall this was a bit of a disappointment。 。。。more
Sarah
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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 Aslet explores the the concept of the"country house" as it has evolved over the past millennium （the prologue looks further back to Roman times）， in the context of prevailing social， political and econ 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 Aslet explores the the concept of the"country house" as it has evolved over the past millennium （the prologue looks further back to Roman times）， in the context of prevailing social， political and economic conditions in Britain and in the wider world。 Not only does he detail the architectural history of various well-known example properties， but the extraordinarily fascinating interplay between the actual or intended use of the structure and its， often fluid， physical form over time。 He also delves into the influence of international architectural fashions and historical architectural theory。 He relates entertaining anecdotes concerning owners， residents and events that took place at particular country estates and the reader will discover many fascinating details。 Ever wonder why some country seats use the descriptor Abbey （as I have since watching a certain popular television series）？ The answer is contained within。Properties Aslet describes include: Standsted Park， West Sussex; Penshurst Place， Kent; East Barsham Manor， Norfolk; Knole Park， Kent; Burghey House， Lincolnshire; Bolsover Castle， Derbyshire; Chatsworth House， Derbyshire; Kinross House， Kinross-shire， Scotland; Blenheim Palace， Oxfordshire; Chiswick House， London; Hopetoun House， South Queensferry， Scotland; Strawberry Hill， Twickenham; Fonthill Abbey， Wiltshire; Balmoral Castle， Aberdeenshire， Scotland; Kelmscott Manor， Gloucestershire; Fort Belvedere in Windsor Great Park; and a modernist example in The New House， Wadhurst， Sussex。 Aslet also describes several important gardens associated with country properties， such as that designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown at Blenheim Palace， Oxfordshire。While not a photography-dominated "coffee table" volume， The Story of the Country House is liberally illustrated with photographs and other illustrations throughout。 Nevertheless， so intrigued was I with Aslet's text that I frequently found myself using Google Earth and Wikipedia to find pictures and aerial images of the numerous featured properties。In this time of lockdown， The Story of the Country House provided tantalising fodder for planning future overseas jaunts， as I've seen only a few of these buildings "in the flesh" and would love the opportunity to visit more in the future。 I'd highly recommend the book to any reader interested in social and domestic history， British architecture generally， or the fascinating stories and personalities behind many of Britain's well-known landmarks。My thanks to the author， Clive Aslet， publisher Yale University Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this fascinating and entertaining title。 。。。more
Ashley
，
As an unapologetic Anglophile， I was interested in the premise of this book。 I am a fan of manor houses， castles and stately homes。 If I lived in England I would definitely have a National Trust pass。 This book was right up my alley，The book covers country houses from medieval times to just after the world wars。 The book has the usual suspects， Hardwicke Hall， Chatsworth， Blenheim， but other houses that I have not heard of such as Lytes Cary and Hopetoun House。 The beautiful architecture of the As an unapologetic Anglophile， I was interested in the premise of this book。 I am a fan of manor houses， castles and stately homes。 If I lived in England I would definitely have a National Trust pass。 This book was right up my alley，The book covers country houses from medieval times to just after the world wars。 The book has the usual suspects， Hardwicke Hall， Chatsworth， Blenheim， but other houses that I have not heard of such as Lytes Cary and Hopetoun House。 The beautiful architecture of the Adams’ in Georgian times， the Regency， Victorian and Edwardian eras where more modern amenities were incorporated into the houses。 The book was broken up into eras which made it easy to see the changes that happened over the centuries within the British Isles， There were some very interesting tidbits about individual houses with accompanying pictures。 I would defiitely recommend this book to anyone interested in architecture or British history。 Thanks to Netgalley， Yale University Press and the author Clive Aslet for the chance to read and review this book。 。。。more
Rachael Billson
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As an ex-archaeologist who still retains an interest in old buildings and their prior lives I loved the insight this little gem of a book offers。 The style and tone of the writing strike the difficult balance often found in non fiction between the conversational and academic and it is very readable。What I loved about the book was learning of the evolution of the styles for new country house projects through the generations。 Not just the architectural influences but the wider cultural influences As an ex-archaeologist who still retains an interest in old buildings and their prior lives I loved the insight this little gem of a book offers。 The style and tone of the writing strike the difficult balance often found in non fiction between the conversational and academic and it is very readable。What I loved about the book was learning of the evolution of the styles for new country house projects through the generations。 Not just the architectural influences but the wider cultural influences too。 The changing attitudes to country houses too。 The small side notes on some of the colourful characters constructing these stately homes。 If I have one criticism it is that the evolution of existing structures were more passing references。 Few country houses are snapshots of a single period preserved in as they were initially conceived。 That said I enjoyed this book and would like to NetGallery for the advanced copy of the book in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Briana
，
I was given this eARC by NetGalley for an honest review。 Overall， this is a beautiful history of the country house。 It starts from the beginnings （Medieval） and ends in the now。 Using drawings and photographs， we are able to see some of the houses from the certain period they were built。 This book will have a very niche audience， mainly those interested in architecture and history。
Clarisa Butler
，
What an interesting， entertaining， didactic book this is。 I enjoyed it thoroughly and will be buying a paper copy for this Christmas。 Definitely， a book which has many uses， and it is not just to be read once and forgotten， but I feel that I will come back to it again and again。On the one hand this is exactly what the title says: a story of the English country house， ie a narrative that traces the birth and evolution of the typology from the Middle Ages to our days （one of the buildings consider What an interesting， entertaining， didactic book this is。 I enjoyed it thoroughly and will be buying a paper copy for this Christmas。 Definitely， a book which has many uses， and it is not just to be read once and forgotten， but I feel that I will come back to it again and again。On the one hand this is exactly what the title says: a story of the English country house， ie a narrative that traces the birth and evolution of the typology from the Middle Ages to our days （one of the buildings considered was finished in 2019） and does so from an architectural， historical and personal point of view。 Not only do we learn about the changing spacial arrangements of the house and the reasons behind them （political， social， aesthetic， economic）， but we also get an intelligent， never patronising， introduction to architectural terms （be them enfilades or different approaches to dealing with columns）， and the all important human element of the story （owners， builders， architects， monarchs。。。） is dealt with great anecdotes （eg poor Pugin collapsing at 15 in Notre Dame of drawing exhaustion or the vagaries of ）， and succinct but revealing portraits （eg the 1st Duke of Devonshire "a fiery and dissolute man who fought several duels and gambled heavily non the races and cockfights at Newmarket"）。The illustrations which accompany the text are relatively sparse but always making a point， and they do whet the appetite to either visit the place if at all possible， or to read further on the topic - and there is a well-thought-out bibliography/further-reading section， and a full index。I would have loved to have the names of the houses in bold throughout the text， and/or an appendix arranged by the capitular historic headings with the names of those houses。 Equally， a county section with the houses described。。。 because I feel that in its masterful succinctness this is a proper companion guide （to keep and refer to） to many hours of enjoyment actually visiting many of the places mentioned or looking and reading at home。 The great beauty of this book， a tour-de-force of compression yet detailed knowledge， is to remind us， to make us see the houses considered in a proper continuum， not in isolation， as we often see them， but as a network to be thought about in relation to each other， to their past and present times。 Scholarly yet very accessible， this story actually democratises this most class-ridden of buildings， and somehow shows them for what they are: artefacts of projection and not only private but also communal endeavour。Many thanks to Yale University Press via NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this great book。 。。。more
Veronica
，
*I received this book （Via eArc by Netgalley） for free from the Publisher （ Yale University Press） in exchange for an honest review* I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this book。 I'm a huge fan of history and for me this was the perfect book to read as I am also reading at the same time the Philippa Gregory's plantagenet and tudor novels and I think they pair perfectly with this nonfiction because you are reading of these historical characters in these palaces and country houses and then you s *I received this book （Via eArc by Netgalley） for free from the Publisher （ Yale University Press） in exchange for an honest review* I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this book。 I'm a huge fan of history and for me this was the perfect book to read as I am also reading at the same time the Philippa Gregory's plantagenet and tudor novels and I think they pair perfectly with this nonfiction because you are reading of these historical characters in these palaces and country houses and then you see the historical and archeological history of the palace or house itself。 I believe it to be a super elevated experience。 I really think that I will get a physical copy because there were moments in which I truly wanted to annotate the sections and make notes in the margins because it was super cool and I am a history buff so any aspect is very fascinating to me。 Aslet truly knows to be super detail oriented when it came to the background and some times it could have been a bit jarring but it always drew me back in。 I can totally see this author doing a lot more than just the history of houses。 I think he would be the perfect person to write about cathedrals and Armenian architecture because he is so into the history of houses and architecture， Armenian architecture is very rich in history and is very unique in style and design。 Anyways， this was a fun book to read and very informative about both architecture and the time period it was from。 *Thanks again to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc* 。。。more
Debbie
，
"The Story of the Country House" talked about the changes in the British country house （as found throughout the United Kingdom） from the Roman villa and Medieval manor house to modern times。 The author broke the subject into time periods and talked about the social customs and developing technologies that influenced the layout and look of the houses。 He talked about the people who built country houses （the owners and the architects） and about specific houses （including a picture， usually of the "The Story of the Country House" talked about the changes in the British country house （as found throughout the United Kingdom） from the Roman villa and Medieval manor house to modern times。 The author broke the subject into time periods and talked about the social customs and developing technologies that influenced the layout and look of the houses。 He talked about the people who built country houses （the owners and the architects） and about specific houses （including a picture， usually of the outside）。 He also talked about the different architectural styles and briefly about trends in landscaping styles， location selection， house size， etc。 I'd recommend this book to those interested in the people who built and wider social context of British country houses。I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Dana
，
This book looks like a huge undertaking。 Aslet has authored several books about country houses since 1982。 This reader has not read any of his previous work。 I am unclear who is the intended audience for this book， but I tell you what I think at the end of the review。 It covers a lot of territory: nobility， architecture， architects， English history， world history as it pertains to the British Empire， art， design。 If you don’t know much about those subjects， you’re likely to be lost。 It is not wr This book looks like a huge undertaking。 Aslet has authored several books about country houses since 1982。 This reader has not read any of his previous work。 I am unclear who is the intended audience for this book， but I tell you what I think at the end of the review。 It covers a lot of territory: nobility， architecture， architects， English history， world history as it pertains to the British Empire， art， design。 If you don’t know much about those subjects， you’re likely to be lost。 It is not written with enough narrative to be an interesting narrative non-fiction， nor is it a technical or academic tome （though it could be with appropriate changes）。 The cover implies it could be meant for lay people outside of academia or serious enthusiasts， however， there isn’t enough explanation， interpretation or clarity for a new enthusiast to follow along。 （It improves half-way through at the Mid-Georgian chapter， and continues to improve thereafter， which is somewhat expected as there is likely more historical information closer to our own time， but readers will drop off before then。） It would help for information to be formatted for easy comprehension。 Charts of landowners， timelines and a map would go a long way to assist any reader regardless of their familiarity with the subject。 A glossary with illustrations is needed。 As I had trouble following the narrative; pulling lists and timelines out of paragraphs would be supportive。 I appreciate the color photographs。There are bits and bobs of interesting facts sprinkled throughout， once you wade through the tall grass， unsure of your direction。 At times， bits aren’t polished enough with surrounding sentences to grab attention。 I caught myself re-reading paragraphs to get context， getting lost or mired in fact sentence after fact sentence without the linkages between to help me understand what all these facts amounted to。 Its not conversational。 There are occasional narratives that were easier to follow。 The author can turn a phrase， and I do appreciate efficiency。 Overall it leans toward narrative non-fiction。 I just wish it was more narrative; more explanation， more interpretation， more juicy bits！ If you are a reader of the magazine Country Life， or have enjoyed his previous works， then you are likely to enjoy this one as well。 There are many ARC reviewers who were excited and impressed by this work。 It has a lot of information and the narrative does improve as the book goes on。 If you are a Downton Abbey fan and know little else， this isn’t likely to satisfy。 If you are in-between， I suggest you start at Mid-Georgian or Victorian and go back to the beginning if you are finding it interesting。This review is based on an advanced reader copy and not final published product。 。。。more
Taylor Demski Cantwell
，
What's not to love about this book？ It is so well researched and thorough and I truly feel like I learned so much about the history of the English country house and how it has progressed over the centuries。 It was so interesting to dive into the changes in architecture over the years and beyond。 I look forward to reading more from Clive Aslet。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC。 What's not to love about this book？ It is so well researched and thorough and I truly feel like I learned so much about the history of the English country house and how it has progressed over the centuries。 It was so interesting to dive into the changes in architecture over the years and beyond。 I look forward to reading more from Clive Aslet。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC。 。。。more
Michelle Smith
，
4。5 wonderfully history laden stars rounded up。 An intriguing look through history and the country home。 Informative， well researched and written， and utterly fascinating， I enjoyed this greatly and wouldn’t hesitate to gift this to any armchair historian， lover of classic literature， lover of architecture， or Anglophile。 My thanks to Yale University Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book。 Opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my reading experience。
Thomas
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“𝑴𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔: 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏， 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕: 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒘𝒏 ‘𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎。’ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏。”I have a fascination with European history， locked-room country house mysteries， and historical fiction， so I was very excited to branch out of my fiction comfort zone to read The Story of the Country House， by Clive Aslet， a non-fiction ac “𝑴𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔: 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏， 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕: 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒘𝒏 ‘𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎。’ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏。”I have a fascination with European history， locked-room country house mysteries， and historical fiction， so I was very excited to branch out of my fiction comfort zone to read The Story of the Country House， by Clive Aslet， a non-fiction account of the British country house。This book reminded me a lot of Rick Steeves’ Europe， both in tone and the way in which it explores different places and houses。 I loved learning about the country house’s history in terms of architecture but also the people who influenced the designs and features。 I learned a couple neat facts too， like the word pantry is derived from the French word for bread: pain and that the Regency period is when dining started to take place in the evening， central heating， bathrooms and flushing lavatories became more common， and gas lighting became an alternative to oil， which was used at first outside the house to light up painted glass for the enjoyment of those inside。 Aslet writes in a way that was easy to follow， and while I’m sure each period could’ve been a book itself， he succinctly gives interesting facts and background about the many different houses featured。 I would’ve appreciated a few more photos， especially of some of the architectural features， but overall Aslet’s descriptions very pretty clear。The Story of the Country House is a well-researched， easy to read historical account that gives fascinating details about the houses， the people who lived in them， and the political， social， and cultural movements that surrounded them。 If you like English history， it is worth checking out！ Thank you to Yale University Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers’ Copy。 。。。more
Susan
，
See my review at Reading World See my review at Reading World 。。。more
A。
，
The Story of the Country House is the story of Britain told through the history of its stately homes。 These heritage buildings preserve brilliant architecture and prized art collections and have hosted guests ranging from royalty to recuperating soldiers。 Architectural historian and journalist Clive Aslet takes you on an extraordinary tour of these famous locations starting at the beginning - all the way at the beginning， back to the Romans。 The reader is then guided from medieval times to prese The Story of the Country House is the story of Britain told through the history of its stately homes。 These heritage buildings preserve brilliant architecture and prized art collections and have hosted guests ranging from royalty to recuperating soldiers。 Architectural historian and journalist Clive Aslet takes you on an extraordinary tour of these famous locations starting at the beginning - all the way at the beginning， back to the Romans。 The reader is then guided from medieval times to present day， although readers will likely be most familiar with the Georgian， Regency and Victorian eras from film and television productions。 This book serves as an excellent introductory course on British history as each chapter provides an overview of royalty， government， the expansion of empire， war， economic shifts and cultural changes that shaped the history of these family seats。 Despite the cheerful cover， this book does not shy away from discussing some of the more difficult aspects of colonialism， race and how these grand homes and their families were funded through the vast "tentacles" of slavery。 Aslet observes that "modern writers cannot turn their eyes from the distasteful economy of the Age of Taste: most Georgian country-house owners managed to ignore the human misery that was being suffered in distant countries - as successfully， it might be said， as western consumers fail to remember the sweated conditions and oppressive regimes under which cheap garments and mobile technology can be produced today。"Often popular history books are really 'English' histories， but Aslet includes information about the country homes and the people of Scotland， Wales and Ireland。 It is impossible to separate the histories of these homes from the local economy and the people who worked there， so much is said about forced migration， displacement and uprisings。 I was unaware that during Ireland's struggle to secede more than "275 Irish country houses were burnt down or blown up。" Technology changes ranging from the steam engine to advances in household tools shaped the life of the owners and their numerous servants。 Bicycles and cars meant people could pop in and out of their country homes and could have a social circle beyond their immediate neighbours of similar class。 It's interesting to read about how progress either brought an end to the country house lifestyle or reinvigorated their owner's finances。On the lighter side of things， I greatly enjoyed reading about the development of taste， where 'taste' was a 'gentlemanly attribute， it spoke of shared values and common assumptions。。。' You'll learn a fair bit about Greek and Roman architecture from this book， as those wealthy young men and their influencers brought ideas back for their homes and gardens from their grand tours。 It helpfully includes a number of colour illustrations and photos throughout the text to illustrate the key homes of interest or to showcase homes which sadly no longer exist。 I especially enjoyed the later sections on the resurgence of the country home。 It was amusing to read how different families sought to recreate aspects of the past after the trauma of WWI。 Some wanted to 'retreat to the cosiness of the Tudor past before aerial warfare and the artillery barrage。' Others turned away from the old world and looked to the United States for new developments in luxurious comforts， gadgets and modern designs。This book would be a wonderful gift for fans of British history， classic literature or period dramas。 For example， the stories of destitute aristocrats marrying Americans to save their stately home was a main plot point in Downton Abbey。 Descriptions of the country social scene， new money and military service will be familiar to fans of Jane Austen and William Makepeace Thackeray。 It's an ideal book for those wishing to travel by armchair in a time where "social relations more akin to the age of Jane Austen than the twenty-first century: family members had to rely on each other for company， since they were not allowed out。" This well researched book showcasing the treasure homes of Britain is indeed a treasure。This book was provided by Yale University Press for review。 。。。more
Anne Morgan
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This was a really interesting， well-written， and well researched overview of the country house in England （also Scotland， and Wales） through the centuries。 I got a good feeling for the changes made to homes architecturally， but more importantly I got to understand why those changes were made and how they reflected changing interests and fashions in the family and society as a whole。 Aslet introduces us to some of the prominent architects of various times， while also explaining that "architect" i This was a really interesting， well-written， and well researched overview of the country house in England （also Scotland， and Wales） through the centuries。 I got a good feeling for the changes made to homes architecturally， but more importantly I got to understand why those changes were made and how they reflected changing interests and fashions in the family and society as a whole。 Aslet introduces us to some of the prominent architects of various times， while also explaining that "architect" is a fairly modern concept and it was often an untrained designed creating the home。 I didn't think I'd be as interested in the more modern chapters but ended up finding the changes between the wars， especially after World War II， very interesting for what it showed about the importance society was placing on things and how it was differing from earlier times- and not just in terms of people leaving the country for city jobs and so having fewer servants available in the country！ Aslet finishes the book right up to the present moment and offers some theories about what may be the short term future for country houses in the Covid world。 It will be interesting to see if they come true。Overall an excellent book- a good overview of the history， society， and philosophy that all come together to create the quintessentially English country home。I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Zuzana
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Author's definition of the country house: "a work of domestic architecture in a rural location， surrounded by its own land （although not necessarily a landed estate） and intended to seem a self-contained unit: its own "little kingdom"， as nineteenth-century writers liked to call it。 It is not working entity like a farmhouse， although work may be done from it。 The inhabitants value it for many things: love of the land， status， self-expression through architecture and not least， the pleasure to be Author's definition of the country house: "a work of domestic architecture in a rural location， surrounded by its own land （although not necessarily a landed estate） and intended to seem a self-contained unit: its own "little kingdom"， as nineteenth-century writers liked to call it。 It is not working entity like a farmhouse， although work may be done from it。 The inhabitants value it for many things: love of the land， status， self-expression through architecture and not least， the pleasure to be had there， with gardens， horses， dogs， art， collecting - delete as applicable。 It has probably been made into mini-Arcadia， where owner and loved ones can find refuge from a harsh world。 Size is not the issue。 The country house is an idea， and it changes with each generation。"Picked up on a whim as part of my Jane Austen July themed reading effort I thoroughly enjoyed this history of British country houses。 I learned a lot about evolution of country house design throughout history - beginning in the Roman period and ending during the coronavirus crisis in 2020。 It was a satisfying read if a bit dense at places。 My only criticism - it could do with more illustrations。 I would appreciate to see a little photo of every building descibed in detail in the text。 There are cca 50 photos， but it's not enough。Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Vicki Parsons
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For lovers of history and architecture， you can't do much better than Clive Aslet's excellent， The Story of a Country House。 Aslet takes the reader on tours of some of the greatest houses in the UK， through the centuries from Roman precursors to present day。This book is full of fascinating details about the estates， houses and the people who lived in them。 It also gives the reader a feel for the political， social and cultural movements of each period。 Lovely book。 Highly recommended。 For lovers of history and architecture， you can't do much better than Clive Aslet's excellent， The Story of a Country House。 Aslet takes the reader on tours of some of the greatest houses in the UK， through the centuries from Roman precursors to present day。This book is full of fascinating details about the estates， houses and the people who lived in them。 It also gives the reader a feel for the political， social and cultural movements of each period。 Lovely book。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Kalle Nelson
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The Story of the Country House is an excellent nonfiction book about country houses and the people who live there。 Starting from the 1100s， Aslet brings the reader through over 800 years of country houses from Roman to modern times。 Aslet strikes a good balance between detail and progressing the reader through the centuries。 I'm sure that several books can be written on country houses in every century （probably more than several books！）， but Aslet provides interesting backgrounds about these hou The Story of the Country House is an excellent nonfiction book about country houses and the people who live there。 Starting from the 1100s， Aslet brings the reader through over 800 years of country houses from Roman to modern times。 Aslet strikes a good balance between detail and progressing the reader through the centuries。 I'm sure that several books can be written on country houses in every century （probably more than several books！）， but Aslet provides interesting backgrounds about these houses in a little over 200 pages。 I wanted an overview of the history of country houses in the British Isles and that's what I got！ I was waiting for the book to focus on one or two houses and families but Aslet really keeps it moving while providing interesting information。 While this book covers eight centuries， it most likely won't take you 800 years to read。I was a little nervous reading this book as I only know slightly more than nothing about architecture after the 1200s。 I would have appreciated a little more description about architectural features as things like "cross wings" don't mean much to me。 The pictures were really helpful to assist in the visualization （although I still can't tell you where cross wings would be）。 Recommend having Google images ready if you want some more information！ Aslet also managed to sneak in a bunch of wit and this book actually had me laughing out loud in a few points， which is a few points more than I expected！ My brother heard me laugh a couple of times and confirmed that I was still reading the book about architecture。 Yep， it turns out that there is humor to be found among the cross wings！ As someone who has watched several PBS and BBC documentaries about country houses and visited quite a few， I thought that I would recognize more of the houses that were mentioned in the book。 I appreciated the breadth of houses and locations within the British Isles， with several from Ireland and Scotland mentioned。 I appreciated the variation in location and that the book didn't focus on one or two of the more well known houses。 I also appreciated Aslet's mention of some land owning women in their own right and women of color。 While there were only a few mentions， it opened the content of the book wider than the common focus of White men， and even these inclusions are more than I have read in books of similar content。 I would have loved more inclusion of women and people of color， but also recognize that country houses in the British Isles weren't the most diverse institutions。 The book also does not shy away from the impact of imperialism on the rest of the world and what/who were negatively impacted because of the lavish living of a few。 Overall， this is a wonderful overview of country houses and I am very happy to have read it。 If you would like a thorough， thoughtful， and surprisingly funny blend of architecture， human stories， and more traditional history， this book is for you。 I am already planning on purchasing a paper copy for my dad for his birthday。 Thank you NetGalley for the free advanced digital copy in exchange for a review！ 。。。more
Emma Hardy
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A really well informed read that takes you from Medieval times through to present day。 As a self confessed history geek I enjoyed this but also learnt lots along the way。 More than just houses， this gives you a sense of history， royals and culture at that times， as well as significant figures。 Lovely pictures enhance the book too。
Nicki Markus
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The Story of the Country House was a delightful and informative read。 As someone who has always enjoyed visiting National Trust and English Heritage properties， it was fascinating to read more about the development of such residences， both in terms of their use and their architectural style。 Aslet's prose is easy flowing and though full of information never feels stodgy or weighed down by the recitation of facts。 In truth， he paints a compelling picture of the houses and their owners， with fun t The Story of the Country House was a delightful and informative read。 As someone who has always enjoyed visiting National Trust and English Heritage properties， it was fascinating to read more about the development of such residences， both in terms of their use and their architectural style。 Aslet's prose is easy flowing and though full of information never feels stodgy or weighed down by the recitation of facts。 In truth， he paints a compelling picture of the houses and their owners， with fun tidbits mingled into the more scholarly discussion。 This is a book that will please anyone with an interest in English history and/or English country estates and stately homes。 It gets 4。5 stars from me。I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Firetruckmama
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I read a copy of this book through NetGalley。I picked up "The Story of the Country House" by Clive Aslet partially due to the title and also the cover。 This book is packed with not only historical information about different， mainly English （as the author notes）， country houses， but also history about the different eras in which these houses were built， including construction choices both in materials used and why houses/rooms were designed the way they were。 I found this all very fascinating bu I read a copy of this book through NetGalley。I picked up "The Story of the Country House" by Clive Aslet partially due to the title and also the cover。 This book is packed with not only historical information about different， mainly English （as the author notes）， country houses， but also history about the different eras in which these houses were built， including construction choices both in materials used and why houses/rooms were designed the way they were。 I found this all very fascinating but this is a dense book， meaning expect to take some time reading it and absorbing all the information - there's a lot packed in these pages。 I greatly enjoyed seeing the "further reading" section。 I do wish there had been a few more photos or drawings of some of the things the author mentioned （such as the different types of columns） or a blueprint for some of the older houses， but that's minor。 This book is packed with information and I found it an interesting and informative read。As a note， I'd pair this book with Bill Bryson's "At Home。" Both are very through books explaining homes in general。 Where Aslet's book gives the historical era information and explanations about architectural decisions， Bryson's book provides details on why rooms （and houses） in general changed over time。 。。。more
MookNana
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A very thorough， detailed guide of the architecture and historical context surrounding country houses of the British Isles from medieval times to the current day。 The book is organized by era and includes pictures of remaining examples of buildings from each time period。 The author obviously has a great love and passion for the phenomenon of the country house and provides much fascinating information about the people who enabled， created， and lived in these massive complexes。 Many thanks to the A very thorough， detailed guide of the architecture and historical context surrounding country houses of the British Isles from medieval times to the current day。 The book is organized by era and includes pictures of remaining examples of buildings from each time period。 The author obviously has a great love and passion for the phenomenon of the country house and provides much fascinating information about the people who enabled， created， and lived in these massive complexes。 Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review！ 。。。more
Robin
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Clive Aslet， The Story of the Country House， Yale University Press， 2021Thank you， NetGalley， for this uncorrected proof for review。 This is a fascinating amalgam of history， architecture， biography， and description of the way in which the British country house developed。 My reading was seriously impeded by the nature of the uncorrected copy， where on each page I was confronted by words missing letters。 However， I wanted to persevere， as the list of contents was so enticing。 The periods covered Clive Aslet， The Story of the Country House， Yale University Press， 2021Thank you， NetGalley， for this uncorrected proof for review。 This is a fascinating amalgam of history， architecture， biography， and description of the way in which the British country house developed。 My reading was seriously impeded by the nature of the uncorrected copy， where on each page I was confronted by words missing letters。 However， I wanted to persevere， as the list of contents was so enticing。 The periods covered by this densely written book are: Medieval; Tudor and Elizabethan; Early Stuart; Commonwealth to Queen Anne; Early Georgian; Mid-Georgian; Regency to William 1V; Early and High Victorian; Turn of the Century; Between the Wars; Post -War and Recovery country houses。 There is an index and further reading。 Beginning with Aslet’s story about Stansted， we are told that a country house might have many uses， such as in this case， as a hunting lodge; become the home of many different families because of the lack of an heir; change over time through fire or other major damage; decay; rebuilding with entirely different architecture; or a lesser change， through remodeling。 Each iteration can tell a story， and where he finds a story associated with changes， Aslet tells it。 Such stories introduce historical events， capricious owners， and changes in fashion。 Aslet weaves these into the overall historical period in which the country house so described was first erected。 I was particularly interested in Chatsworth， it being one of the houses I visited when living in the UK。 Turning to this section I was rewarded with the observation that ‘country house’ is a ‘catch all’， covering homes such as Chatswood， as well as the ‘hand crafted Munstead Wood’。 Surprisingly， Alnwick Castle is also a country house， and another familiar to me， so to is Kenwood House at Hampstead。 Aslet’s further observations provide an historical context for the changes in the way the country house developed， was used， and has remained an understood description of a way of living。 This book， while full of information， is deftly threaded with some lively anecdotes and speculations about houses， owners， and events。 It is not necessarily an easy read， but one in which it would be worth becoming immersed， thereby making the most of the variety of architectural， historical and biographical knowledge it has to offer。 。。。more
Rachel
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