Dan Cruickshank

Religious strife, civil conflict, waves of immigration, the rise and fall of industry, great prosperity and grinding poverty - the handful of streets that constitute modern Spitalfields have witnessed all this and much more. In Spitalfields, one of Britain's best-loved historians tells the stories of the streets he has lived in for four decades. Starting in Roman times and continuing right up to the present day, Cruickshank explains how Spitalfields' streets evolved, what people have lived there, and what lives they have led. En route, he discovers the tales of the Huguenot weavers who made Spitalfields their own after the Great Fire of London. He recounts the experiences of the first Jewish immigrants. He evokes the slum-ridden courts and alleys of Jack the Ripper's Spitalfields. And he describes the transformation of the Spitalfields he first encountered in the 1970s from a war-damaged collection of semi-derelict houses to the vibrant community it is today. This is a fascinating evocation of one of London's most distinctive districts. At the same time, it is a history of England in miniature.

The History of a Nation in a Handful of Streets

Spitalfields

how the wages of sin shaped the capital

The secret history of Georgian London

Neil Burton

Dr Neil Burton

During the 18th century, the narrow cluttered streets of towns were replaced by regular terraces of town houses built to classical designs. The author has previously written "London: the Art of Georgian Building" and "A Guide to the Georgian Buildings of England and Ireland."

Life in the Georgian City

A beautifully illustrated tour of the world's most influential buildings.

A History of Architecture in 100 Buildings

One of our leading historians describes how Georgian London was shaped by the sex industry

How the Wages of Sin Shaped the Capital

The Secret History of Georgian London

SHORTLISTED FOR THE HESSELL-TILTMAN HISTORY PRIZE 2017 AN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016 Religious strife, civil conflict, waves of immigration, the rise and fall of industry, great prosperity and grinding poverty – the handful of streets that constitute modern Spitalfields have witnessed all this and much more. In Spitalfields, one of Britain's best-loved historians tells the stories of the streets he has lived in for four decades. Starting in Roman times and continuing right up to the present day, Cruickshank explains how Spitalfields' streets evolved, what people have lived there, and what lives they have led. En route, he discovers the tales of the Huguenot weavers who made Spitalfields their own after the Great Fire of London. He recounts the experiences of the first Jewish immigrants. He evokes the slum-ridden courts and alleys of Jack the Ripper's Spitalfields. And he describes the transformation of the Spitalfields he first encountered in the 1970s from a war-damaged collection of semi-derelict houses to the vibrant community it is today. This is a fascinating evocation of one of London's most distinctive districts. At the same time, it is a history of England in miniature.

Britain is covered with an extraordinary array of fantastic and brilliant buildings. There are more historic buildings of more styles in Britain than even in Italy. And, our favourites occupy a similar place in the national psyche as Robin Hood and Nell Gwynne. Britain's Best Buildings celebrates the bricks-and-mortar icons of our history that are well known and loved beyond all the others: Dan Cruickshank re-visits the stuff of legend but also reveals the stories behind the buildings. Like the life of any human being, there are highs and lows to the story of every building and as even the best-known celebrity has dark corners and secret closets to explore, so do Britain's best-loved buildings. To know a great building is to make it more our own - to know it even more will make us feel we have a stake in its past, present, and future. Each of the buildings is outstanding architecturally, yet each has strong personal stories behind their construction and as a whole they offer a journey through the nation's architecture and psyche from the 12th century to the present day.

The Story of Britain's Best Buildings

The scarlet-coated Chelsea Pensioners are recognised and held in great affection throughout the world. This first ever single-volume book tells their story and also that of the hospital building - one of the architectural wonders of London.This beautifully illustrated book talks about Wren and his particular influential style of architecture, about the benevolent Sir Stephen Fox and the devious Lord Ranelagh, and about the life of the Pensioners on the Long Wards, and in the Great Hall and the Chapel. The author also gives a vivid account of some of the more frivolous aspects of 18th century Chelsea that contrast with the tribulations of the 19th century and the structural damage caused by the wars of the 20th."We have a book of which we can be justifiably proud." Major General J.M.F.C. Hall CB OBE, Royal Hospital Chelsea"....a superb book and a fitting tribute to the Veterans, the staff who work there and to Sir Christopher Wren's influential style of architecture." The Guards MagazineWritten by Dan Cruickshank, with a Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales

The Place and the People

The Royal Hospital Chelsea

Divided into ten chapters, each dedicated to an architectural period and style, this lively, compact history provides a guided tour of the world's greatest buildings.

The Critics' Choice : 150 Masterpieces of Western Architecture Selected and Defined by the Experts

Architecture

Dan Cruickshank's quest is to tell the story of civilisation through the greatest of man's achievements. It will also be the story of his travels, and who and what he meets along the way. Whether standing before the solemn heads of Easter Island, investigating the mysterious Nazca lines in Peru or the magnificent temple of Borobodur in Java, Dan is never less than fascinating about the origins, construction, mysteries and vicissitudes of each of these monuments to the great civilisations of the world. Do they live up to expectation? Have they been left in ruin, or over-restored? Dan's diary, written at the end of each day, records his most intimate thoughts and feelings, the people he has met, the ups and downs of the journey, perils, joys, and the ongoing relationships formed on the road.

Around the World in 80 Treasures

Michael Palin

Jay Merrick

Kings Cross station is one of Londons iconic buildings. Its tough, functional exterior is a prototype of modern architecture in the 20th Century, and stands in stark opposition to the neo-Gothic extravagance of its neighbour St Pancras. After many decades of partial-neglect, Kings Cross has finally received the renovation it has always deserved by John McAslan and Partners, the architects behind such notable projects as the Camden Roundhouse, the De La War Pavillion and Dalston Junction. With a fabulous new concourse and a painstaking restoration of original features hidden for far too long behind botched 1970s extensions, in March 2012, Kings Cross will be revealed in all its sparkling new (and old) glory. Discovering Kings Cross pays tribute to this magnificent building. Aimed at older children and adults, it brings the history and context of the station to life with fantastic illustration and collage by Lucy Dalzell, bright and accessible text by Jay Merrick, interactive elements throughout and a single, spectacular pop-up of the station by one of the most established paper engineers in the country.

Kings Cross PopUp

Dan Cruickshank tells the story of architecture in all its diversity, looking at 40 buildings that have impressed, astonished or delighted us or changed our perception of the world.

Adventures in Architecture

Sir Banister Fletcher

The world's major architecture is described, explained, and frequently illustrated. Scope is widened to include more architecture from non-European countries.

Sir Banister Fletcher's a History of Architecture

'The perfect guide to the hidden history of London's streets.' BBC History Magazine In Cruickshank's London, Britain's favourite architectural historian describes thirteen walks through one of the greatest cities on earth. From the mysterious Anglo-Saxon origins of Hampstead Heath, via Christopher Wren's magisterial City churches, to the industrial bustle of Victorian Bermondsey, each walk explores a crucial moment in our history - and reveals how it helped forge the modern city. Along the way, Cruickshank peppers the book with vivid photographs, sketches and maps, so you can immediately follow in his footsteps. Every street in London contains a story. This book invites you to hear them. ___ 'An inspiringly illustrated guide to walks across London . . . It proves how much we can miss if we don't pay close attention to our surroundings.' Country Life 'All power to Cruickshank and his intrepid and knowledgeable kind. We need them.' Times Literary Supplement

Cruickshank’s London: A Portrait of a City in 13 Walks

Colin Amery

The Rape of Britain

Georgian London evokes images of elegant buildings and fine art, but it was also a city where prostitution was rife, houses of ill repute widespread, and many tens of thousands of people dependent in some way or other on the wages of sin. The sex industry was, in fact, a very powerful force indeed, and in The Secret History of Georgian London, Dan Cruickshank compellingly shows how it came to affect almost every aspect of life and culture in the capital. Examining the nature of the sex trade, he offers a tantalising insight into the impact of prostitution to give us vivid portraits of some of the women who became involved in its world. And he discusses the very varied attitudes of contemporaries - those who sympathised, those who indulged, and those who condemned. As he powerfully argues, these women, and many thousands like them, not only shaped eighteenth-century London, they also helped determine its future development.

Dan Cruickshank

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