Two thousand years of English history in one neighbourhood
Dan Cruickshank is an architectural historian and television presenter. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgian Group, and on the Architectural Panel of the National Trust. His recent work includes the BBC television programmes Civilisation Under Attack (2015) and At Home with the British (2016), and the books A History of Architecture in 100 Buildings (2015) and Spitalfields (2016). He lives in London.
Genial, erudite and companionable . . . this heroic and heartfelt
book caps a career devoted to [Spitalfields'] heritage.
*Spectator*
With beguiling erudition, TV historian and local resident
Cruickshank tells the story of Spitalfields from Roman times to
today . . . This is people’s history at its tastiest.
*Sunday Express*
A passionate, scholarly energy and involvement with every era of
the district's long history come off Spitalfields' pages . . .
Absorbing detail.
*Times Literary Supplement*
Cruickshank writes perceptively and honestly . . . As well as being
a fascinating account of a unique area of London, Spitalfields is a
timely warning that helps us to appreciate what the city and
country risk losing.
*Country Life*
Dan Cruickshank bores into the rich history of Spitalfields, the
area of east London where he has lived for decades.
*Observer*
Dan Cruickshank has long been a resident of Elder Street in
Spitalfields. In this elaborate chronicle of the district’s past,
he takes us on a historical tour that runs from the Romans to Tracy
Emin . . . A love letter to a distinctive part of London that has
always retained its own personality.
*History Today*
Cruickshank’s history laments the City’s encroachment on
Spitalfields and the attendant growth there of estate agents,
internet companies, fashion outlets and beardy hipster capitalists
bent on having their slice of East End exotica.
*Evening Standard*
A delight to read . . . Teaches one how to use one's eyes more
intelligently.
*Jean Seaton, Chair of Judges, PEN Hessell-Tiltman History
Prize*
Particularly interesting is the story of Elder Street viewed
through architectural sources, taxes and censuses. It acts as a
microcosm showing the changes Britain faced over the centuries.
*Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine*
This is an elegy to a place changing beyond recognition . . .
Cruickshank is an appealing, sympathetic writer.
*The Times*
For history lovers, this is an excellent read . . . Cruickshank's
meticulous research is breathtaking.
*Historical Novel Society*
[Spitalfields'] raffish vitality is derived from the area's long
history of embracing immigrants . . . Cruickshank warns that the
greatest threat to Spitalfields comes from the ever-encroaching
march of tower blocks.
*Daily Mail*
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