Stonehenge by Rosemary Hill
This is the first book to approach Stonehenge without any theoretical position. It describes what is known and believed about the monument's construction from c. 3000 BCE onwards. The Middle Ages were content with the story of it having been brought by Merlin from Ireland. The post Reformation antiquaries gave us the conception of Stonehenge as a historical monument. It played a significant role in the imagination of writers and artists. Then the Victorians invented prehistory and Darwin himself came to measure it. In 1918 it passed into public ownership and 1926 saw the first forced entry by Druids.The Earth Mysteries Movement now sees the stones as part of a greater web of ley lines and other phenomena. Archaeologists, united in their disdain for that, remain divided on many other points. And perhaps the most fraught issue now is conservation as the henge stands between two thundering main roads. This rich and provocative book explores all this in presenting a monument whose history is as fascinating as its secret.
Her book is a treasure: stylish, thoughtful, miraculously condensed, and as full of knowledge as a megalith is full of megalith* Sunday Times *
...a lucid and sophisticated history explaining how the meaning of Stonehenge is in perpetual flux. * The Independent *
...excellent...an important and deeply satisfying book. * Conde Nast Traveller *
...brings genuine originality to the cultural history of Stonehenge. * Times Literary Supplement *
What sets this work apart is the empathy and intellectual generosity that suffuses it... Hill... has a rare gift for seeing the best in people, and her book inspires one to investigate further the heroic cast of architects, antiquaries, writers and artists. * Guardian *
'Rosemary Hill's entertaining whirlwind scrutiny of that monument's reputation and interpretation over several centuries' -- Jonathan Meades * New Statesman *
...a lucid and sophisticated history explaining how the meaning of Stonehenge is in perpetual flux. * The Independent *
...excellent...an important and deeply satisfying book. * Conde Nast Traveller *
...brings genuine originality to the cultural history of Stonehenge. * Times Literary Supplement *
What sets this work apart is the empathy and intellectual generosity that suffuses it... Hill... has a rare gift for seeing the best in people, and her book inspires one to investigate further the heroic cast of architects, antiquaries, writers and artists. * Guardian *
'Rosemary Hill's entertaining whirlwind scrutiny of that monument's reputation and interpretation over several centuries' -- Jonathan Meades * New Statesman *
Rosemary Hill is a journalist and cultural historian. Her generally acclaimed God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain was published in 2007. She lives in London.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781861978653 |
| ISBN 10 | 1861978650 |
| Title | Stonehenge |
| Author | Rosemary Hill |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Profile Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2008-06-12 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Prizes | Winner of Historians of British Art Book Prize 2010 (UK) |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |