I was quite sceptical going into this book, but I have to say- Clive Aslet has written a fascinating and fun history of the country house that has something for everyone. Without overstating it, I will say that I’m nerdy enough to have done research on countless country houses. Despite that, I still learned a lot from Story.

Aslet is informative and informal, making for a fun reading experience. Architectural history can be dry, but Story never falls into the trap. And impressively in addition to covering 800 years of country homes in England, he also covers Scotland and Ireland. As someone who lived in Ireland and visited several of the (surviving) homes mentioned, I was thrilled to see Ireland discussed. It really is a whirlwind tour across time and across homes, and I will definitely be giving this as a gift for the holidays!

4.5 wonderfully history laden stars rounded up.

An intriguing look through history and the country home. Informative, well researched and written, and utterly fascinating,

I enjoyed this greatly and wouldn’t hesitate to gift this to any armchair historian, lover of classic literature, lover of architecture, or Anglophile.

My thanks to Yale University Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. Opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my reading experience.

*I received this book (Via eArc by Netgalley) for free from the Publisher ( Yale University Press) in exchange for an honest review*

I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this book. I'm a huge fan of history and for me this was the perfect book to read as I am also reading at the same time the Philippa Gregory's plantagenet and tudor novels and I think they pair perfectly with this nonfiction because you are reading of these historical characters in these palaces and country houses and then you see the historical and archeological history of the palace or house itself. I believe it to be a super elevated experience. I really think that I will get a physical copy because there were moments in which I truly wanted to annotate the sections and make notes in the margins because it was super cool and I am a history buff so any aspect is very fascinating to me. Aslet truly knows to be super detail oriented when it came to the background and some times it could have been a bit jarring but it always drew me back in. I can totally see this author doing a lot more than just the history of houses. I think he would be the perfect person to write about cathedrals and Armenian architecture because he is so into the history of houses and architecture, Armenian architecture is very rich in history and is very unique in style and design.
Anyways, this was a fun book to read and very informative about both architecture and the time period it was from. *Thanks again to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc*

"The Story of the Country House" talked about the changes in the British country house (as found throughout the United Kingdom) from the Roman villa and Medieval manor house to modern times. The author broke the subject into time periods and talked about the social customs and developing technologies that influenced the layout and look of the houses. He talked about the people who built country houses (the owners and the architects) and about specific houses (including a picture, usually of the outside). He also talked about the different architectural styles and briefly about trends in landscaping styles, location selection, house size, etc. I'd recommend this book to those interested in the people who built and wider social context of British country houses.

this book is so fantastic! please pick it up as soon as possible! this is so good and so cute and so wonderful and all the great and beautiful things. for realz.

This book looks like a huge undertaking. He has authored several books about country houses since 1982. This reader has not read any of his previous work. I am unclear who is the intended audience for this book. It covers a lot of territory: nobility, architecture, architects, English history, world history as it pertains to the British Empire, art, design. If you don’t know much about those subjects, you’re likely to be lost. It is not written with enough narrative to be an interesting narrative non-fiction, nor is it a technical or academic tome (though it could be with appropriate changes). The cover implies it could be meant for lay people outside of academia or serious enthusiasts, however, there isn’t enough explanation, interpretation or clarity for a new enthusiast to follow along. (It improves half-way through at the Mid-Georgian chapter, and continues to improve thereafter, which is somewhat expected as there is likely more historical information closer to our own time, but readers will drop off before then.) It would help for information to be formatted for easy comprehension. Charts of landowners, timelines and a map would go a long way to assist any reader regardless of their familiarity with the subject. A glossary with illustrations is needed. As I had trouble following the narrative, pulling lists and timelines out of paragraphs would be supportive. I appreciate the color photographs.
There are bits and bobs of interesting facts sprinkled throughout, once you wade through the tall grass, unsure of your direction. At times, bits aren’t polished enough with surrounding sentences to grab attention. I caught myself re-reading paragraphs to get context, getting lost or mired in fact sentence after fact sentence without the linkages between to help me understand what all these facts amounted to. Its not conversational. There are occasional narratives that were easier to follow. The author can turn a phrase, and I do appreciate efficiency. Overall it leans toward narrative non-fiction. I just wish it was more narrative; more explanation, more interpretation, more juicy bits!
If you are a reader of the magazine Country Life, or have enjoyed his previous works, then you are likely to enjoy this one as well. It has a lot of information and the narrative does improve as the book goes on. If you are a Downton Abbey fan and know little else, this isn’t likely to satisfy. If you are in-between, I suggest you start at Mid-Georgian or Victorian and go back to the beginning if you are finding it interesting.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

In Regency Romances, the characters are often jaunting off to house parties in the country. Curious about these British country houses, I was pleased to be able to read The Story of the Country House by Clive Aslet. The book takes the reader on an architectural tour of country homes through the ages: Medieval through the current day.

The text focuses on the houses themselves, along with the owners and architects. There is only a nod to the historical context. The “story” is interesting, but the narrative makes for a rather rambling tour. Details began to blur.

I often found it hard to visualize what the author was describing. There are a few photographs, but not as many as I would have liked. Of course, photographs are not possible for many of the buildings. The author makes the point that a lot of the homes are gone while others have been altered significantly over the years. There are in-depth descriptions of some homes, but sketches or floor plans may have made it easier to visualize what the buildings looked like.

Overall, I think this may make a better reference book to dip into for representative houses of different time periods than as a story to read straight through.

What's not to love about this book? It is so well researched and thorough and I truly feel like I learned so much about the history of the English country house and how it has progressed over the centuries. It was so interesting to dive into the changes in architecture over the years and beyond. I look forward to reading more from Clive Aslet. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

“𝑴𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔: 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕: 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒘𝒏 ‘𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎.’ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.”

I have a fascination with European history, locked-room country house mysteries, and historical fiction, so I was very excited to branch out of my fiction comfort zone to read The Story of the Country House, by Clive Aslet, a non-fiction account of the British country house.

This book reminded me a lot of Rick Steeves’ Europe, both in tone and the way in which it explores different places and houses. I loved learning about the country house’s history in terms of architecture but also the people who influenced the designs and features. I learned a couple neat facts too, like the word pantry is derived from the French word for bread: pain and that the Regency period is when dining started to take place in the evening, central heating, bathrooms and flushing lavatories became more common, and gas lighting became an alternative to oil, which was used at first outside the house to light up painted glass for the enjoyment of those inside. Aslet writes in a way that was easy to follow, and while I’m sure each period could’ve been a book itself, he succinctly gives interesting facts and background about the many different houses featured. I would’ve appreciated a few more photos, especially of some of the architectural features, but overall Aslet’s descriptions very pretty clear.

The Story of the Country House is a well-researched, easy to read historical account that gives fascinating details about the houses, the people who lived in them, and the political, social, and cultural movements that surrounded them. If you like English history, it is worth checking out! Thank you to Yale University Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers’ Copy.

The Story of the Country House is the story of Britain told through the history of its stately homes. These heritage buildings preserve brilliant architecture and prized art collections and have hosted guests ranging from royalty to recuperating soldiers. Architectural historian and journalist Clive Aslet takes you on an extraordinary tour of these famous locations starting at the beginning - all the way at the beginning, back to the Romans. The reader is then guided from medieval times to present day, although readers will likely be most familiar with the Georgian, Regency and Victorian eras from film and television productions.

This book serves as an excellent introductory course on British history as each chapter provides an overview of royalty, government, the expansion of empire, war, economic shifts and cultural changes that shaped the history of these family seats. Despite the cheerful cover, this book does not shy away from discussing some of the more difficult aspects of colonialism, race and how these grand homes and their families were funded through the vast "tentacles" of slavery. Aslet observes that "modern writers cannot turn their eyes from the distasteful economy of the Age of Taste: most Georgian country-house owners managed to ignore the human misery that was being suffered in distant countries - as successfully, it might be said, as western consumers fail to remember the sweated conditions and oppressive regimes under which cheap garments and mobile technology can be produced today."

Often popular history books are really 'English' histories, but Aslet includes information about the country homes and the people of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It is impossible to separate the histories of these homes from the local economy and the people who worked there, so much is said about forced migration, displacement and uprisings. I was unaware that during Ireland's struggle to secede more than "275 Irish country houses were burnt down or blown up."

Technology changes ranging from the steam engine to advances in household tools shaped the life of the owners and their numerous servants. Bicycles and cars meant people could pop in and out of their country homes and could have a social circle beyond their immediate neighbours of similar class. It's interesting to read about how progress either brought an end to the country house lifestyle or reinvigorated their owner's finances.

On the lighter side of things, I greatly enjoyed reading about the development of taste, where 'taste' was a 'gentlemanly attribute, it spoke of shared values and common assumptions...' You'll learn a fair bit about Greek and Roman architecture from this book, as those wealthy young men and their influencers brought ideas back for their homes and gardens from their grand tours. It helpfully includes a number of colour illustrations and photos throughout the text to illustrate the key homes of interest or to showcase homes which sadly no longer exist. I especially enjoyed the later sections on the resurgence of the country home. It was amusing to read how different families sought to recreate aspects of the past after the trauma of WWI. Some wanted to 'retreat to the cosiness of the Tudor past before aerial warfare and the artillery barrage.' Others turned away from the old world and looked to the United States for new developments in luxurious comforts, gadgets and modern designs.

This book would be a wonderful gift for fans of British history, classic literature or period dramas. For example, the stories of destitute aristocrats marrying Americans to save their stately home was a main plot point in Downton Abbey. Descriptions of the country social scene, new money and military service will be familiar to fans of Jane Austen and William Makepeace Thackeray. It's an ideal book for those wishing to travel by armchair in a time where "social relations more akin to the age of Jane Austen than the twenty-first century: family members had to rely on each other for company, since they were not allowed out." This well researched book showcasing the treasure homes of Britain is indeed a treasure.

This book was provided by Yale University Press for review.

This was a really interesting, well-written, and well researched overview of the country house in England (also Scotland, and Wales) through the centuries. I got a good feeling for the changes made to homes architecturally, but more importantly I got to understand why those changes were made and how they reflected changing interests and fashions in the family and society as a whole. Aslet introduces us to some of the prominent architects of various times, while also explaining that "architect" is a fairly modern concept and it was often an untrained designed creating the home. I didn't think I'd be as interested in the more modern chapters but ended up finding the changes between the wars, especially after World War II, very interesting for what it showed about the importance society was placing on things and how it was differing from earlier times- and not just in terms of people leaving the country for city jobs and so having fewer servants available in the country! Aslet finishes the book right up to the present moment and offers some theories about what may be the short term future for country houses in the Covid world. It will be interesting to see if they come true.

Overall an excellent book- a good overview of the history, society, and philosophy that all come together to create the quintessentially English country home.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Author's definition of the country house: "a work of domestic architecture in a rural location, surrounded by its own land (although not necessarily a landed estate) and intended to seem a self-contained unit: its own "little kingdom", as nineteenth-century writers liked to call it. It is not working entity like a farmhouse, although work may be done from it. The inhabitants value it for many things: love of the land, status, self-expression through architecture and not least, the pleasure to be had there, with gardens, horses, dogs, art, collecting - delete as applicable. It has probably been made into mini-Arcadia, where owner and loved ones can find refuge from a harsh world. Size is not the issue. The country house is an idea, and it changes with each generation."

Picked up on a whim as part of my Jane Austen July themed reading effort I thoroughly enjoyed this history of British country houses. I learned a lot about evolution of country house design throughout history - beginning in the Roman period and ending during the coronavirus crisis in 2020. It was a satisfying read if a bit dense at places. My only criticism - it could do with more illustrations. I would appreciate to see a little photo of every building descibed in detail in the text. There are cca 50 photos, but it's not enough.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting text exploring the typical country house. I guess parts of it I knew from Bill Bryson's "At Home", but certainly if you enjoyed that book, you'll like this one.

Loved this! This is a pet subject of mine and really look forward to the release of this. I’ll definitely be purchasing a physical copy.

The Story of the Country House is an excellent nonfiction book about country houses and the people who live there. Starting from the 1100s, Aslet brings the reader through over 800 years of country houses from Roman to modern times.

Aslet strikes a good balance between detail and progressing the reader through the centuries. I'm sure that several books can be written on country houses in every century (probably more than several books!), but Aslet provides interesting backgrounds about these houses in a little over 200 pages. I wanted an overview of the history of country houses in the British Isles and that's what I got! I was waiting for the book to focus on one or two houses and families but Aslet really keeps it moving while providing interesting information. While this book covers eight centuries, it most likely won't take you 800 years to read.

I was a little nervous reading this book as I only know slightly more than nothing about architecture after the 1200s. I would have appreciated a little more description about architectural features as things like "cross wings" don't mean much to me. The pictures were really helpful to assist in the visualization (although I still can't tell you where cross wings would be). Recommend having Google images ready if you want some more information! Aslet also managed to sneak in a bunch of wit and this book actually had me laughing out loud in a few points, which is a few points more than I expected! My brother heard me laugh a couple of times and confirmed that I was still reading the book about architecture. Yep, it turns out that there is humor to be found among the cross wings!

As someone who has watched several PBS and BBC documentaries about country houses and visited quite a few, I thought that I would recognize more of the houses that were mentioned in the book. I appreciated the breadth of houses and locations within the British Isles, with several from Ireland and Scotland mentioned. I appreciated the variation in location and that the book didn't focus on one or two of the more well known houses.

I also appreciated Aslet's mention of some land owning women in their own right and women of color. While there were only a few mentions, it opened the content of the book wider than the common focus of White men, and even these inclusions are more than I have read in books of similar content. I would have loved more inclusion of women and people of color, but also recognize that country houses in the British Isles weren't the most diverse institutions. The book also does not shy away from the impact of imperialism on the rest of the world and what/who were negatively impacted because of the lavish living of a few.

Overall, this is a wonderful overview of country houses and I am very happy to have read it. If you would like a thorough, thoughtful, and surprisingly funny blend of architecture, human stories, and more traditional history, this book is for you. I am already planning on purchasing a paper copy for my dad for his birthday. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced digital copy!

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. Very interesting book with lots of information I did not know.

A really well informed read that takes you from Medieval times through to present day. As a self confessed history geek I enjoyed this but also learnt lots along the way. More than just houses, this gives you a sense of history, royals and culture at that times, as well as significant figures. Lovely pictures enhance the book too.

The Story of the Country House was a delightful and informative read. As someone who has always enjoyed visiting National Trust and English Heritage properties, it was fascinating to read more about the development of such residences, both in terms of their use and their architectural style. Aslet's prose is easy flowing and though full of information never feels stodgy or weighed down by the recitation of facts. In truth, he paints a compelling picture of the houses and their owners, with fun tidbits mingled into the more scholarly discussion. This is a book that will please anyone with an interest in English history and/or English country estates and stately homes. It gets 4.5 stars from me.

I picked up "The Story of the Country House" by Clive Aslet partially due to the title and also the cover. This book is packed with not only historical information about different, mainly English (as the author notes), country houses, but also history about the different eras in which these houses were built, including construction choices both in materials used and why houses/rooms were designed the way they were. I found this all very fascinating but this is a dense book, meaning expect to take some time reading it and absorbing all the information - there's a lot packed in these pages. I greatly enjoyed seeing the "further reading" section. I do wish there had been a few more photos or drawings of some of the things the author mentioned (such as the different types of columns) or a blueprint for some of the older houses, but that's minor. This book is packed with information and I found it an interesting and informative read.

A fascinating charming informative book about the country house.I’m looking forward to visiting country homes one day.Adding to the book are the sweet line drawings.Another wonderful book by Clive Aslet