English House Style from Archives of Country Life

This is a sumptuously illustrated book of over 400 pages. Many of the interiors are of well known houses, but the majority are of less famous but equally rewarding places, and for that reason alone makes this book worth a place on anyone’s shelves. Although I have yet to read the full text, the slim essays which proceed each ‘chapter’ don’t appear to be anything more than succinct overviews of the various headings, but that’s no bad thing, this is primarily a picture book. The contents of those chapters (Romanesque, Gothic etc.) are slightly contentious as the headings are very loosely interpreted (after all it’s not called ‘English House Style’ for nothing): the main image for the first, Romanesque, section being an Arts and Crafts house for example, a style given its own section much later on. Annoyances include American spelling of words, ‘parlor’, ‘paneling’ and so on. A minor quibble but as the work is about English house style (enlarged to include Scotland, Wales and Ireland, which is even more incendiary) and written by an Englishman about an English magazine archive, it grates a touch. And yeah, I’m English. The short paragraphs that caption each image are sometimes rather infelicitous: using ‘riotous’ in successive sentences should have been easily avoided; referring to a ceiling as a roof. However, my rather prim concerns are rightly tumbled away by the hundreds of really excellent images, which is absolutely why you should buy this book!

Liked everything

A sumptuous celebration of our incomparable architectural heritage.....but everyone, most especially the author ‘Dr’ John Goodhall, should read ‘Guy in Bond Street’s quite brilliant review here on Amazon as an example of someone really preserving our unique culture!

If you buy one historical interiors book during lock down make it this one. It’s a visual guide oozing with incredible photographs you won’t regret this purchase!

I read Country Life every week and Dr Goodall has produced his absolute Best with this outstanding book

Excellent - exceptionally good photo's, old & new - and intelligent text ... very glad we bought it !

This is a book of great interest. Thank you Country Life.

Parfait

Photographs illustrating the irreplicable decorative traditions of eras past.