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Noble Ambitions

The Fall and Rise of the English Country House After World War II

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Noble Ambitions

Written by: Adrian Tinniswood
Narrated by: Roger May
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About this listen

A rollicking tour of the English country home after World War II, when swinging London collided with aristocratic values

As the sun set slowly on the British Empire, its mansions fell and rose. Ancient families were reduced to demolishing the parts of their stately homes they could no longer afford, dukes and duchesses desperately clung to their ancestral seats, and a new class of homeowners bought their way into country life. A delicious romp, Noble Ambitions pulls us into these crumbling halls of power, leading us through the juiciest bits of postwar aristocratic history—from Mick Jagger dancing at deb balls to the scandals of Princess Margaret. Capturing the spirit of the age, historian Adrian Tinniswood proves that the country house is not only an iconic symbol, but a lens through which to understand the shifting fortunes of the British elite in an era of monumental social change.

 20th Century Architecture Europe Great Britain Modern

Critic Reviews

“Erudite and delightfully gossipy.”—Wall Street Journal
“Tinniswood [is] an erudite historian of country-house life in all its anecdote-worthy vagaries.”—Financial Times
“If you’re still mourning the end of ‘Downton Abbey,’ this book, charting the rise and fall of the English country house, is most definitely the book for you. A lively history of post-World War II England as told through its grandest estates and ancestral seats.” —New York Post
“Adrian Tinniswood’s rollicking study perfectly captures the combination of decadence, pathos and brazen cheek that kept the English country house alive when it faced disaster.”—John Walsh, Sunday Times
“[A] preposterously entertaining history of the postwar country house... Unnervingly and deliciously vivid.”—Rachel Cooke, The Observer
“Brilliant new history of the country house since 1945...Tinniswood tells that story superbly…”—Marcus Binney, Daily Telegraph (5/5 stars)
“The English country house epitomizes so much in British social and political history… Devoted fans of Downton Abbey will appreciate that Tinniswood’s history takes the fate of these country houses past the series’ conclusion in the 1920s.”—Booklist
“Vividly evoking the glamour and ruin of post-imperial England, this winning survey is well-stocked with intriguing historical tidbits.”—Publishers Weekly
“A highly enjoyable, gossipy read with a gasp on every page; a must for the bedside tables of every guest bedroom, and every stately home gift shop.” —Mary S. Lovell, author of The Sisters
“By turns warm, sympathetic, sly, and analytical, Adrian Tinniswood examines the complex history of the postwar country house with skill, grace, clarity—and charity. A triumph.”
—Judith Flanders, author of A Place for Everything
“A beautifully written book, full of engaging anecdote, that offers not just a compelling portrait of the postwar English country house and its social milieu, but an unexpected one as well.”
—John Goodall, author of The English Castle
“Adrian Tinniswood’s meticulously researched and entertaining study of the dramatic changes in the status and nature of the English country house in the three decades after the Second World War provides a brilliant insight into a much overlooked period.… Few authors can combine serious social history with the sometimes sad and often hilarious narratives of country house life in the way that Tinniswood can.”—Jeremy Musson, author of English Country House Interiors
“A compelling and fascinating look at the near demise of the country house.”
—Ian Murray, executive director, The Royal Oak Foundation
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