Product Description
British Tradition takes us to the heart of the design typical of the British Isles. This book not only reveals where palaces, castles, manor houses and apartments are to be found in the countryside and in cities, but also elucidates their architecture and history, including the classical furniture and accessories that are a hallmark of this bastion of traditional living. And because the British have a knack for making themselves feel at home even beyond their own … More >>
British Tradition and Interior Design: Town and Country Living in the British Isles
This is a very enjoyable overview on British Traditions. It’s not exactly an advanced textbook as the title seems to connote. It’s more of a book to peruse for the Anglophile who’s sitting with a cup of Earl Gray, armchair traveler, or BBC country mystery viewer.
There’s a chockfull of images on every page and the oversized book is laid out in highlights of what constitutes British traditions. For example, interested in the Country Life? They discuss castles and their owners, Buckingham Palace, The Country House, the smaller Country House, Prince Charles, James Herriot etc. Followed by the parts of the English home (entrance hall, study/library, conservatory, etc). I enjoyed the “typical” childrens toys and the dressing room.
Being an avid PBS/BBC English mystery viewer, I enjoyed this book as it transports me to the scenes of the Country Home or Manor that are so familiar to many of the shows I watch.
For what it is, it is a great book to have. Don’t expect any long monograph or formal analysis of British interior design tho.
The price is a bit high for what the publisher Konnemann usually prices their books at tho. But I have no regrets, it’s a handsomely produced book.
Rating: 5 / 5
The book is good, dont get me wrong, but, Its not about british interior decoration… It has a lot of general information about brtitish traditions, historic background of objects for decorating, etc. As I said before, Its a good book but is not what i was looking for
Rating: 2 / 5
I was given this book as a Christmas gift and have to say it’s a great book, full of high-quality pictures and just the right amount of text for an evening read at the end of the day.
It did, however, remind me of the Sinatra song “You’ve either got or you haven’t got style..”, because, despite the excellent quality, the book begins as a description of interior design (which is good), but then appears to deviate into a ’style-guide’, including the correct ’set menu’ for a picnic, the brand of lawnmower used by the Queen and Prince of Wales, down to a section on the removal of Wellington Boots!!! Although the authors have been very thorough in their research, this part of the book diminishes the effectiveness of the section on interior design, in my opinion. I believe that ‘British Tradition’ is a little more flexible than is presented here.
Some would say that true understanding is not only knowing the rules but also knowing how and when they can be broken – if that’s true, then this book is a great primer on the former. It’s certainly an interesting read.
Rating: 3 / 5