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The Building of England

The History of English Architecture

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The Building of England

By: Simon Thurley
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About this listen

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.

In this updated edition of his 2013 classic, Simon Thurley traces the history and contemplates the future of the buildings that have made England.

©2025 Simon Thurley (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers Architecture Europe Great Britain

Critic Reviews

‘This is a truly stupendous achievement. Thurley […] is one of the best architectural historians alive in the world – a real scholar. [The book] is an instant classic. Every household should have one’ A. N. Wilson, Evening Standard

‘This is an impressive book – for its scholarship, for its easy didacticism, for the care with which Thurley has thought things through, and for its inclusiveness. “A bicycle shed is a building; Lincoln Cathedral is a piece of architecture,” said the great architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner: Thurley shows that both have a story to tell’ The Sunday Times

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