The Houses of Parliament: History, Art, Architecture

click here for more details, find new or used items	David Cannadine, Steven Parissien, William Vaughan, Gavin Stamp, et al New from £27.00 Used from £27.56 Pages: 288 (Hardcover) Editor: Jaqueline Riding ISBN: 1858941121 Pub: Merrell Publishers Ltd Pub date: 2000-09-08 Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 345449

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Interested in British politics, history or art? Buy this. (16/16 people found this helpful)

The Houses of Parliament is a remarkable book, and Jacqueline and Christine Riding are to be congratulated on having produced it. They've assembled 16 essays, by leading experts in their fields, on the British Houses of Parliament - properly known as the Palace of Westminster - as built by Barry and Pugin after the fire of 1834 which destroyed the old palace, and then repaired by Scott after the Blitz. (They have been able to do this because they are themselves experts on the building and its contents, having both worked there as curators for several years.)

In the first serious book on the subject for more than 20 years, the Ridings have broadened the coverage of the traditional architectural monograph to include the precursors, genesis, construction, decoration and furnishing of the Palace, as well as paying welcome attention to the ways that ceremony and the monarchy's constitutional role have been embodied in the form and ornamentation of the building. This leads to a much richer reading of the building than would otherwise have been the case - it emerges as a true 'Theatre of State' - as well as being a timely reminder about the nature of the British constitution, and the changes it has undergone since the 1830s. Whilst many of us are familiar with images of certain parts of the Palace in the media, few of us actually know what much of the building looks like, or why it is the way it is; this book will give you the answers.

The individual essays strike a very successful balance between erudition and readability: there is little here to deter the casual reader, and much that is highly informative. (It would be invidious to single any one contributor out for particular praise.) The texts are also complemented by very many illustrations - the great majority in colour - which have been reproduced to a very high standard. The book's lavish appearance would make it a welcome addition to any coffee-table; its contents, an equally welcome addition to any serious library. ...I would urge you to buy it if you have any interest in British politics, history, art or architecture.

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