Reviews

This book surveys the complex interactions among culture, aesthetics, society, and politics on which the reputations of English country houses have risen and fallen over the past 200 years. It is a fascinating story of the ascent of the English estate in the Victorian period, the derision and neglect they experienced in the Edwardian age, and, ultimately, their restoration in the present era, as they beckon legions of postmodern tastemakers such as Ralph Lauren into their midst. Mandler (history, London Guildhall Univ.) writes like a dream, and he has successfully melded scholarship in many branches of history (the history of gardens, art, architecture, politics, economics, and more) into a coherent account free of nostalgia, sentiment, and cant. Excellent reading for informed readers.‘Peter S. Kaufman, Boston Architectural Ctr.