Tower: An Epic History of the Tower of London - Hardcover

Jones, Nigel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0091936659 ISBN 13: 9780091936655

Publisher: Hutchinson, 2011

Synopsis

Castle, royal palace, prison, torture chamber, execution site, zoo, mint, treasure house, armoury, record office, observatory and the most visited tourist attraction in the country, the Tower of London has been all these things and more. No building in Britain has been more intimately involved in our island's story than this mighty, brooding stronghold in the very heart of the capital, a place which has stood at the epicentre of dramatic, bloody and frequently cruel events for almost a thousand years.

Now historian Nigel Jones sets this dramatic story firmly in the context of national - and international - events. In a monumental history drawn from primary sources he pictures the Tower in its many changing moods and a bewildering array of functions. Here, for the first time, is a thematic portrayal of the Tower of London as more than an ancient structure.

The fortress is a living symbol of the nation itself in all its kaleidoscopic colour and rich diversity. Incorporating a dazzling panoply of political and social detail, Tower puts one of Britain's most important buildings firmly at the heart of our national story.

About this title

Review:

"In writing about the Tower's glory days, Nigel Jones has produced a wonderfully rollicking history of England itself. Told with relish, it should be a godsend to any history teacher who needs to hold the attention of his pupils" (Daily Mail)

"A breezy account of the Tower's past is full of surprises . . . Nigel Jones knows how to tell a tale with just enough detail to make the story work in any period since the 11th century . . . thrilling history" (Sunday Telegraph)

"Much as I love books on Britain's past, it is a long time since I found one which enthralled me as much as the 400 pages of this volume. Jones tells the colourful story in an equally lively fashion, and the two sections of black and white plates, from the Bayeux Tapestry to the Krays, are well chosen. An epic history - and an epic read indeed" (Bookbag)

"In the hands of Nigel Jones we have an excellent contemporary guide, providing the right mix of scholarship and storytelling, insight and narrative pace, to offer a cracking history of the Tower." (Sunday Express)

"Jones weaves yarns from the Tower's past into the familiar tapestry of English history. His prose is dashing" (Times Literary Supplement)

Book Description:

A compelling narrative history of the Tower of London from William the Conqueror to the present day

About this edition

• Publisher: Hutchinson
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0091936659
• ISBN 13: 9780091936655
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 464