Download or read book A New Kind of Bleak Journeys Through Urban Britain written by Owen Hatherley and published by Verso Books. This book was released on 2012-07-31 with total page 435 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An anatomy of failed-state Britain, by the author of A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain. In A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain, Owen Hatherley skewered New Labour’s architectural legacy in all its witless swagger. Now, in the year of the Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics, he sets out to describe what the Coalition’s altogether different approach to economic mismanagement and civic irresponsibility is doing to the places where the British live. In a journey that begins and ends in the capital, Hatherley takes us from Plymouth and Brighton to Belfast and Aberdeen, by way of the eerie urbanism of the Welsh valleys and the much-mocked splendour of modernist Coventry. Everywhere outside the unreal Southeast, the building has stopped in towns and cities, which languish as they wait for the next bout of self-defeating austerity. Hatherley writes with unrivalled aggression about the disarray of modern Britain, and yet this remains a book about possibilities remembered, about unlikely successes in the midst of seemingly inexorable failure. For as well as trash, ancient and modern, Hatherley finds signs of the hopeful country Britain once was and hints of what it might become.
Download or read book A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain written by Owen Hatherley and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Back in 1997, New Labour came to power amid much talk of regenerating the inner cities left to rot under successive Conservative governments. Over the next decade, British cities became the laboratories of the new enterprise economy: glowing monuments to finance, property speculation, and the service industry—until the crash. In A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain, Owen Hatherley sets out to explore the wreckage—the buildings that epitomized an age of greed and aspiration. From Greenwich to Glasgow, Milton Keynes to Manchester, Hatherley maps the derelict Britain of the 2010s: from riverside apartment complexes, art galleries and amorphous interactive “centers,” to shopping malls, call centers and factories turned into expensive lofts. In doing so, he provides a mordant commentary on the urban environment in which we live, work and consume. Scathing, forensic, bleakly humorous, A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain is a coruscating autopsy of a get-rich-quick, aspirational politics, a brilliant, architectural “state we’re in.”
Download or read book Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances written by Owen Hatherley and published by Verso Books. This book was released on 2021-06-22 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How to make a fairer, more just city From the grandiose histories of monumental state building projects to the minutiae of street signs and corner cafés, from the rebuilding of capital cities to the provision of the humble public toilet, Clean Living under Difficult Circumstances argues for the city as a socialist project. This essay collection spans a period from immediately before the 2008 financial crash to the year of the pandemic. Against the business-as-usual responses to both crises, Owen Hatherley outlines a vision of the city as both a venue for political debate and dispute as well as a space of everyday experience, one that we shape as much as it shapes us. Incorporated here are the genres of memoir, history, music and film criticism, as well as portraits of figures who have inspired new ways of looking at cities, such as the architect Zaha Hadid, the activist and urbanist Jane Jacobs, and thinkers such as Mark Fisher and Adam Curtis. Throughout these pieces, Hatherley argues that the only way out of our difficult circumstances is to imagine and try to construct a better modernity.
Download or read book Wild Ruins written by Dave Hamilton and published by Wild Things Publishing. This book was released on 2015 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover and explore Britain's extraordinary history through its most beautiful lost ruins. From crag-top castles to crumbling houses lost in ancient forest, and ivy-encrusted relics of industry to sacred places long since over-grown.
Download or read book Landscapes of Communism written by Owen Hatherley and published by New Press, The. This book was released on 2016-03-01 with total page 625 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When communism took power in Eastern Europe it remade cities in its own image, transforming everyday life and creating sweeping boulevards and vast, epic housing estates in an emphatic declaration of a noncapitalist idea. The regimes that built them are now dead and long gone, but from Warsaw to Berlin, Moscow to postrevolutionary Kiev, the buildings remain, often populated by people whose lives were scattered by the collapse of communism. Landscapes of Communism is a journey of historical discovery, plunging us into the lost world of socialist architecture. Owen Hatherley, a brilliant, witty, young urban critic shows how power was wielded in these societies by tracing the sharp, sudden zigzags of official communist architectural style: the superstitious despotic rococo of high Stalinism, with its jingoistic memorials, palaces, and secret policemen’s castles; East Germany’s obsession with prefabricated concrete panels; and the metro systems of Moscow and Prague, a spectacular vindication of public space that went further than any avant-garde ever dared. Throughout his journeys across the former Soviet empire, Hatherley asks what, if anything, can be reclaimed from the ruins of Communism—what residue can inform our contemporary ideas of urban life?
Download or read book A Journey Through Ruins written by Patrick Wright and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2009-02-26 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unique evocation of Britain at the height of Margaret Thatcher's rule, A Journey Through Ruins views the transformation of the country through the unexpected prism of every day life in East London. Written at a time when the looming but still unfinished tower of Canary Wharf was still wrapped in protective blue plastic, its cast of characters includes council tenants trapped in disintegrating tower blocks, depressed gentrifiers worrying about negative equity, metal detectorists, sharp-eyed estate agents and management consultants, and even Prince Charles. Cutting through the teeming surface of London, it investigates a number of wider themes: the rise and dramatic fall of council housing, the coming of privatization, the changing memory of the Second World War, once used to justify post-war urban development and reform but now seen as a sacrifice betrayed. Written half a century after the blitz, the book reviews the rise and fall of the London of the post-war settlement. It remains one of the very best accounts of what it was like to live through the Thatcher years.
Download or read book Nottinghamshire written by Nikolaus Pevsner and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1979-03-01 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Full of memorable and surprising buildings, Nottingham is a county that rewards close investigation. Great medieval churches are represented by Worksop, Newark and by Southwell, with its exquisite carved 'leaves'. Of its country houses, Wollaton Hall shows Elizabethan architecture at its most fantastic, Bunny Hall the English Baroque at its most bizarre, while Lord Byron's Newstead Abbey incorporates one of the strangest of all monastic ruins. The city of Nottingham, marvellously set between hills, is crowded with sturdy Victorian and Edwardian commercial buildings, and enlivened by a strong local tradition of first-rate Modernist architecture.
Download or read book The Christian Travelers Guide to Great Britain written by Irving Hexham and published by Grand Rapids, Mich. : ZondervanPublishingHouse. This book was released on 2001 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn about the Venerable Bede, who almost single-handedly preserved European civilization in an age of death and destruction; become an pilgrim with John Bunyan in his beloved Bedford; and see where John Wesley preached against slavery and converted thousands with this guide to Great Britain.
Download or read book A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain written by Owen Hatherley and published by Verso Books. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Back in 1997, New Labour came to power amid much talk of regenerating the inner cities left to rot under successive Conservative governments. Over the next decade, British cities became the laboratories of the new enterprise economy: glowing monuments to finance, property speculation, and the service industry—until the crash. In A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain, Owen Hatherley sets out to explore the wreckage—the buildings that epitomized an age of greed and aspiration. From Greenwich to Glasgow, Milton Keynes to Manchester, Hatherley maps the derelict Britain of the 2010s: from riverside apartment complexes, art galleries and amorphous interactive “centers,” to shopping malls, call centers and factories turned into expensive lofts. In doing so, he provides a mordant commentary on the urban environment in which we live, work and consume. Scathing, forensic, bleakly humorous, A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain is a coruscating autopsy of a get-rich-quick, aspirational politics, a brilliant, architectural “state we’re in.”
Download or read book The Spiritual Traveler written by Martin Palmer and published by Hidden Spring. This book was released on 2000 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is a unique guide book that takes us on a journey across the rural and urban landscapes of Britain, and helps us to discover and explore a multitude of sacred sites: ancient stone circles and tombs, Christian and pre-Christian shrines, medieval synagogues, small country churches and much more.
Download or read book The Old Stones written by Andy Burnham and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2018-09-18 with total page 732 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of Current Archaeology’s Book of the Year Discover the iconic standing stones and prehistoric sites of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland—this comprehensive, coffee table travel guide features over 750 must-see destinations, with maps and color photographs The ultimate insiders’ guide, The Old Stones gives unparalleled insight into where to find prehistoric sites and how to understand them, by drawing on the knowledge, expertise and passion of the archaeologists, theorists, photographers and stones aficionados who contribute to the world’s biggest megalithic website—the Megalithic Portal. Including over 30 maps and site plans and hundreds of color photographs, it also contains scores of articles by a wide range of contributors—from archaeologists and archaeoastronomers to dowsers and geomancers—that will change the way you see these amazing survivals from our distant past. Locate over 1,000 of Britain and Ireland’s most atmospheric prehistoric places, from recently discovered moorland circles to standing stones hidden in housing estates. Discover which sites could align with celestial bodies or horizon landmarks. Explore acoustic, color, and shadow theory to get inside the minds of the Neolithic and Bronze Age people who created these extraordinary places. Find out which sites have the most spectacular views, which are the best for getting away from it all and which have been immortalized in music. And don't forget to visit the Megalithic Portal website and get involved by posting your discoveries online. All royalties from this book go to support the running of the Megalithic Portal: www.megalithic.com.
Download or read book Roman Britain and Where to Find It written by Denise Allen and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2020-09-15 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated history of the best Roman sites and artefacts to be found in Britain, for anyone wanting to discover the Roman past.
Download or read book Wordsmiths and Warriors written by David Crystal and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2013-09-26 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wordsmiths and Warriors explores the heritage of English through the places in Britain that shaped it. It unites the warriors, whose invasions transformed the language, with the poets, scholars, reformers, and others who helped create its character. The book relates a real journey. David and Hilary Crystal drove thousands of miles to produce this fascinating combination of English-language history and travelogue, from locations in south-east Kent to the Scottish lowlands, and from south-west Wales to the East Anglian coast. David provides the descriptions and linguistic associations, Hilary the full-colour photographs. They include a guide for anyone wanting to follow in their footsteps but arrange the book to reflect the chronology of the language. This starts with the Anglo-Saxon arrivals in Kent and in the places that show the earliest evidence of English. It ends in London with the latest apps for grammar. In between are intimate encounters with the places associated with such writers as Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Wordsworth; the biblical Wycliffe and Tyndale; the dictionary compilers Cawdrey, Johnson, and Murray; dialect writers, elocutionists, and grammarians, and a host of other personalities. Among the book's many joys are the diverse places that allow warriors such as Byrhtnoth and King Alfred to share pages with wordsmiths like Robert Burns and Tim Bobbin, and the unexpected discoveries that enliven every stage of the authors' epic journey.
Download or read book DK Road Trips Great Britain written by DK Travel and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2024-07-02 with total page 1112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Historic market towns, rolling green hills, and hidden sandy beaches: Great Britain is the perfect destination for a road trip to remember. With Road Trips Great Britain, it's yours to explore. Featuring 25 wonderful drives across the country and detailed driving instructions and practical information, this easy-to-use guide helps you discover Great Britain at its best. Inside, you'll find: 25 easy-to-follow scenic driving tours, each lasting one to six days Our pick of the best places to stay, eat and shop Ways to see more of each area en route, including great viewpoints, delightful detours, walks through historic towns and villages, outdoor activities, and a variety of tours and trips Rules of the road, satnav addresses, detailed directions for easy navigation, road conditions and parking tips, useful travel, visa and health information A laminated pull-out road map of Great Britain, which helps you navigate with ease DK is the world's leading illustrated reference publisher, producing beautifully designed books for adults and children in over 120 countries. Looking for more on Great Britain's culture, history, and attractions? Try our DK Eyewitness Great Britain.
Download or read book Wild Guide written by Daniel Start and published by . This book was released on 2015-05-18 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the success of the 'Wild Swimming' titles, the adventure continues. In this book, Daniel Start takes readers to 500 amazing wild locations with 30 weekend itineraries.
Download or read book Ruins written by Jane Eastoe and published by Rizzoli Publications. This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A celebration of Britain's most wild and wonderfully atmospheric places: its ruins, including castles, follies, abbeys, and country houses. From romantic ruined castles to mysterious stone circles, from frivolous follies to crumbling towers by the sea, there is something about ruins that excites our imagination--and the National Trust has many of the best examples in Britain. Featuring more than 50 captivating sites, this is a superbly illustrated celebration of these wild and wonderfully atmospheric places across the country, dating from Roman times to the 20th century. From Cornwall to Scotland, the book is organized by region and includes overview maps, so you can plot your own journey around Britain's remarkable ruins.
Download or read book The Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs written by and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Guest-edited by Owen Hatherley, thirty-three writers; architects, activists, and Londoners present thirty-three essays exploring famous and unheralded buildings, streets, estates and neighbourhoods across the thirty-three London boroughs.00With contributions from columnist Aditya Chakrabortty to the historian Gillian Darley, via playwright Hanif Kureishi and the politician Emma Dent Coad, the Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs is a journey into the neighbourhoods, housing estates and public buildings of London?s rich urban landscape.00Encompassing everything from Brutalist Polish community centres to suburban garden cities, from pioneering modernist estates to ornate Victorian greenhouses, as seen through everything from grime videos to the films of Patrick Keiller, this book will be a refreshing journey into the city you have been missing, and a celebration of the buildings, places and landscapes which make it special.00In reimagining our guidebook this year we set out to create a book that is as interesting to handle as it is to read. A thoughtful approach to typography and printing conceived by Studio Christopher Victor will bring together the longer essays with highlights from Open City?s extended network of community groups. Richly illustrated with images and artefacts from some of the city?s vast and eclectic museum collections and archives that have remained closed to the public throughout the pandemic, the guide will be offset-printed in London using premium book papers and metallic spot colours.
