Sixty-two stunning houses in a range of architectural styles spanning seven centuries are brought to life through glorious imagery from the photography library of Country Life magazine.

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.

This magnificent book describes the great country houses built with American industrial fortunes from the end of the Civil War until 1940. The American Country House draws on the rich and often amusing writings of contemporaries to evoke the lives the buildings served as well as architectural shapes they took. 275 illustrations.

Beginning with new evidence that cites the presence of books in Roman villas and concluding with present day vicissitudes of collecting, this generously illustrated book presents a complete survey of British and Irish country house libraries. Replete with engaging anecdotes about owners and librarians, the book features fascinating information on acquisition bordering on obsession, the process of designing library architecture, and the care (and neglect) of collections. The author also disputes the notion that these libraries were merely for show, arguing that many of them were profoundly scholarly, assembled with meticulous care, and frequently used for intellectual pursuits. For those who love books and the libraries in which they are collected and stored, The Country House Library is an essential volume to own.

Nora Murphy has turned her passion for country house style and its embodiment--her own home in Newtown, Connecticut--into a multimedia juggernaut. Her blog, website, e-magazine, strong presence on social media, and increasing visibility in print media and on TV have earned her a devoted following all over the country. Now she has distilled the essence of her knowledge about country house style and how to achieve it in this irresistible volume. The first part of the book lays out the universal elements of the style; the second reveals how she has incorporated these elements into her own home; and the third shows how the elements of this comfortable, comforting, easy aesthetic and approach to life can be applied in different ways and in different locations to striking, individual effect. Five homes, each of which expresses a unique take on the style, are featured. Part primer, part wish book, Nora Murphy's Country House Style is all inspiration.

Based on the author's Slade lectures given at Oxford University in 1975-76.

A study of Britain's great nineteenth-century houses examines their architects, and the social, technological, and economic conditions that made the massive structures possible