Britain’s Lost Cities
“Britain’s Lost Cities” by Gavin Stamp, published by Aurum Press in January 2008, offers a detailed exploration of the architectural losses suffered in Britain’s city centers during the 20th century. This edition, comprising 192 pages, presents a visual and textual account of the destruction caused by both the Luftwaffe and the decisions of city planners. The book features hundreds of high-quality photographs that document the vanished medieval churches, Tudor alleyways, Georgian terraces, and Victorian theatres, providing a stark contrast to the concrete office blocks and shopping malls that replaced them.
Readers will find a thorough examination of the historical context surrounding these losses, including significant events like the demolition of the Euston Arch in 1962 and the preemptive destruction of medieval Coventry. The text serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of preserving architectural heritage, capturing the emotional weight of these changes. With its focus on historic buildings in Great Britain, this volume is both a tribute to the past and a call to recognize the value of what has been lost.
Official synopsis Publisher
The destruction meted out on Britain’s city center during the 20th century, by the combined efforts of the Luftwaffe and brutalist city planners, is legendary. Medieval churches, Tudor alleyways, Georgian terraces, and Victorian theatres vanished forever, to be replaced by a gruesome landscape of concrete office blocks and characterless shopping malls. Now, for the first time, architectural historian Gavin Stamp shows exactly what has been lost. Reproduced in this haunting volume are hundreds of top-quality photographs of cities, showing streets and buildings that are gone forever. The accompanying text traces their creation and destruction, remembering the massive campaign to save the Euston Arch, wantonly demolished in 1962, and mourning the loss of lovely medieval Coventry, which was already doomed by the city planners even before German air raids intervened. Alternately fascinating, enraging, and heartbreaking, this is an extraordinary evocation of Britain’s architectural past, and a much-needed reminder of the importance of preserving heritage.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “Britain’s Lost Cities” about?
Who is the author of “Britain’s Lost Cities”?
When was “Britain’s Lost Cities” published?
What is the ISBN for “Britain’s Lost Cities”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
