The Story of the Country House by Clive Aslet

The Story of the Country House
by Clive Aslet

ISBN-13: 9780300255058
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Yale University Press
Released: September 28th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
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.


My Review:
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.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.