The Spirit Of Britain

"An absolutely marvellous book. Not only is it beautiful - the best-made book I have seen in years, with gorgeous illustrations on almost every page - it even outstrips and outsoars its predecessor, The Story of Britain. No household in England should be without one." (A. N. Wilson Country Life)

"A gripping panorama...Quite simply, nobody before has attempted to trace all the arts in this country through two millennia, and only a scholar with Strong's flair could pull it off with such panache...An immensely valuable and reliable introduction to British cultural life...Magnificently informed...Exhilarating reading." (Richard Morrison The Times)

"A wonderful read; it is also challenging and, like its splendid author, not afraid to be controversial." (Antonia Fraser Sunday Telegraph Books of the Year)

"A fine volume...The treatment is thorough, balanced, judicious and sometimes highly original, and the illustrations are superb." (Paul Johnson Spectator Books of the Year)

"A formidable and provocative book." (Victoria Glendinning Daily Telegraph)

In this comprehensive history, Roy Strong describes the growth and development of painting, poetry, music, architecture, theatre, literature and all related subjects which give British intellectual life its unique character. Pursuing a narrative form from the Celts to the present day, Sir Roy highlights the political, social and economic forces that have driven the course of the arts. In addition he has inserted cameos of people such as Cardinal Wolsey in Tudor England and Kenneth Clark in the 20th century whose taste and influence have reached beyond their individual lives. The book is magnificently illustrated with well over three hundred pictures chosen by the author to complement the text.