Excellent information contained in this book! I enjoyed the logical progression of the timeline. The narrator was enjoyable as well. Highly recommend!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* pretty cool read, greatly enjoyed it and would love to own it, will recommend for sure.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for my copy of The Story of the Country House by Clive Aslet Narrated by Simon Vance in exchange for an honest review. It published November 23, 2021.
The way that this book was set up was fantastic. I so appreciated how it moved along through history in a chronological way, and how each chapter was a full-on history lesson. I truly learned a lot. It was so much more than just about houses, but rather how the current events of the day could affect the houses and what people did with them.
Also, it is worth it to take the time to read the introduction. It was very informative and gave a good reminder to not just history by today's standards.
I found the narrator to be very talented.

A terrific niche history lesson on a fascinating little pocket of contextual architecture: The country house.

Clive Aslet takes us through the history of the country house as it’s form and function evolve to fit the needs of society, from its conception in the Middle Ages to its modern fate.

This book is pretty dense with information, but structured so that it flows well and engages in a narrative sense. I highly recommend the audiobook version, delightfully read with excellent pacing and appropriate tone.

Aslet does an excellent job balancing descriptive content with the “why” of the country house’s existence and functions as those morphed and changed across time and place.

And…possibly the best book cover EVER.

3.5 stars

An architectural history of country houses in the British Isles, from the Middle Ages to the 21st C, but mainly focusing on the 18th & 19th C’s. Engagingly written, & I learned a lot.

[What I liked:]

•I learned a lot reading this book, and was thoroughly entertained! For example, I didn’t know that corridors/hallways were a continental innovation, & before that English houses just had long strings of connected rooms. Additionally, it was interesting to learn how architecture developed as a distinct discipline from construction/mason work during the enlightenment era.

•There are several amusing anecdotes, such as a nobleman & amateur garden designer who added a statue of himself to the grounds—a statue which had a fountain of a small dog peeing on his boot! There is also a story, during the scagliola boom, where English gentlemen were desperate to get trendy tables custom made for them. Alas, the scagliola craftsmen were grumpy Italian monks who made the furniture in their spare time for fun, & couldn’t be hurried along with promises of large sums of money! The correspondence relating that incident was hilarious.

•The writing style isn’t at all dry, & this book is easy to read even if you know little about architecture or landscape design (like me).


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•As the writer points out in the introduction, the definition of a “country house” is hard to pin down, and varies by era. That said, the book focuses on large houses built & updated by wealthy owners. It would’ve been interesting to hear about how trends in architecture among the wealthy & powerful influenced (or didn’t) the nearby dwellings of the middle and working class.

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Coming from a former colony of Britain, this historical presentation of the changing facets of forms of abodes was highly interesting. It is a fascinating trace that looks not only at the facades of the homes, castles and other forms of housing, but the time periods in which they existed, the influences that spurred certain changes in design, the purpose for which each building was to be used and even the transporatbility that certain kings and court would need at different periods.

The author also takes us through tumultuous times and changes in rule which also impacted the topic which he covers. A thoroughly interesting and stimulating collection that will satisfy history and architecture buffs alike.

As an American I am almost by design going to be an Anglophile. Especially after being an American who was raised on PBS shows in the mid 90’s to early 2000’s. Period dramas even before reaching the age of Downton Abbey always featured some of the beautiful country houses in England. Then I went on to have a love of history. For my interests it is a strong 3.5.
The Story of the Country House is set up in a lovely chronological way so that you can see the way that styles changed through the ages. I enjoyed seeing how influences came from the continent and as people looked back in history to the way things were, or at least how they thought they were. It was nice that it not only looked at the structures of the homes themselves but into the gardens themselves, which I’m sure could be a book in and of themselves, but at least gave you an idea. It didn’t focus on just England, but moved around the UK, even into some of the islands, and looked at who owned them and how that influenced the changes.
I will say that as I did listen to the audiobook I wish I had listened to it with a tab open in a browser just looking at the home as it was being described, because without an immediate visual some of it was a bit lost. I may find the topic interesting and know some homes by their name, but I didn’t have an internal image search to know what they looked like while the shapes were being described to me. Thank you to NetGalley and Yale University Press for the copy of this audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a great listen. I liked the narrator and I loved learning about the country houses. It is interesting how times change how aristocracy live.

A well-researched and lively history. The narrator was perfect, and the content the right mix of facts, details, and personalities.

This book chronicles architecture of the country house in Britain through the centuries. It is well researched and written and the narrator did a fabulous job! Lots of history here!

The Story of the Country House is a beautiful ode to the way things were and the wonder and challenges of running and maintaining country houses. It's perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, Upstairs Downstairs, and really any period drama on the BBC. I learned so much about country houses and this time period in general in way that felt inviting and interesting instead of like a lecture.

I was also pleased that the author included many of the negative and exploitative aspects of a society that allowed for country houses of this size and statue to exist. The author made a specific point to address the fact that while slavery may not have existed on British soil, many of these homes were funded by the slave trade and cotton production which was based entirely on slave labour.

This book allowed me to appreciate what are inarguably beautiful houses while still acknowledging the context that made this type of wealth possible. This books is in some ways a love letter to that time and those house but also holds up a critical lens when needed. It was well written and well narrated.

I squeezed in a final #nonfictionnovember contender with
THE STORY OF THE COUNTRY HOUSE
by Clive Aslet
Narrated by Simon Vance

I am a bit of a fan of the English Country House. I once took a class on the literature of Country Houses and loved every bit. This is a truly wonderful history and explanation of the Country House. I am really, really wishing I had illustrations to go with the amazing narration of this one. This would be so fabulous as a self-taught course with the audio and print book.

The history begins way back in the early medieval days with the communal halls and hunting lodges and connects through the Regency Period, all the Royal family Periods (Victorian, Edwardian, etc.). It shares how the Country House served its inhabitants through each transformation and style cycle with all the historical backgrounds and influences that came from the UK and beyond.

The writing was so engaging with some clear personal preferences revealed with clever wit. I may have chortled whilst listening a time or two! Plus, hearing the impeccable voice of Simon Vance say "chill out" in reference to how modern occupiers of these spaces behave was incongruous and delightful. There were also meaningful passages that highlighted the very real cost of these fabled homes in the lives that were used in the generation of funds, both through slavery and the servant classes.

Ultimately, if you are like me and enjoy research reading of a fascinating topic, this is a fantastic one. I would honestly prefer the print option over the audio alone, but both would simply be divine! Thank you NetGalley for the chance to hear this incredible history. I loved it.

Interesting, but also a bit frustrating because it tried to cover so much ground so quickly. But a nice overview.

Review copy provided by publisher.

I was given an advance copy of the audiobook for an honest review. This book takes you along a journey of the English country homes and how they evolved over time. What an interesting journey to be transported through time so seamlessly. I was able to learn so much. That you just take for granted. i.e. indoor facilities, I can’t imagine a time and still having to dress up or dinner. This audiobook was valuable as instruction on the different architectural styles used and why. Some owners insisted on just doing it their way ,others brought in the famous architects of the time. They did make the topic quite interesting for anyone interested in The significance of the cEnglish country homes. Yes I would recommend to anyone wanting to know more about the English country homes Thanks to #NetGalley, #Clive’sAslet, for the opportunity.

In this book we move through the unexpectedly fascinating history of the country house, following it from the medieval era to the modern day.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, but I certainly got what was on the tin - the story of the country house. We go over its many facets, from its varying forms and functions, the people who built them and the people who inhabited them. The author is clearly passionate about the subject and convinced even someone who has only a passing interest to become invested.

The narrator Simon Vance has a soothing voice and an engaging manner that makes the story easy to follow, though I did not feel he injected much personality into the narration. I did wish that that there were more one-off stories about the houses in the book, as I feel that would have made the places come more alive.

Overall an engaging read that I would recommend to fans of architecture and Britain, but not necessarily for those into general history.

The Story of The Country House: A History of Places and People is an interesting overview that covers the architecture, use, and ownership of English country houses from Roman Times to the present. I would definitely classify this book as Pop-History, rather than scholarly, but it does help to have a broad overview of British history before hand. I received a review copy of the audiobook through Netgalley, and I found the narrator to be pleasant and easy to follow.