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Visions of England

Visions of England

  • Or Why We Still Dream of a Place in the Country

Why do we still get misty-eyed about England's green and pleasant land?

What explains our obsession with country houses - from the National Trust to Downton Abbey?

Why do we still dream of a place in the country?

In this delightul book Roy Strong explores the definition of Englishness. Celebrating our literature, music, art, gardening and drama, Strong identifies those icons and traditions that still speak to us - it is a vision of England that is inclusive and relevant for everybody living in the country today.

Reviews

  • Compelling and essential... It is so uplifting to read... An answer, one among many, to the deconstructors and under-cutters of the very idea of Englishness... It is based on conviction and experience

    Financial Times

  • We should be grateful to Sir Roy Strong for this book. It is an exploration of the themes that shape our sense of England: a meditation, a hymn, a road map

    Clive Aslet, Country Life

  • Insightful and provocative... Strong's emphasis on the pastoral tradition is a valuable reminder of the essential continuity that binds together English history

    Dominic Sandbrook, Prospect

  • For someone who would like to know what it is to feel identifiably English, Sir Roy provides a useful tour

    Simon Heffer, Spectator

More from this Author

About the Author

Roy Strong

Sir Roy Strong was educated at the University of London, and the Warburg Institute. He joined the staff of the National Portrait Gallery in 1959 and became its director from 1967 to 1973. He was director of the Victoria & Albert Museum from 1974 to 1987, when he resigned to become a full-time writer, broadcaster and consultant. His books include The Cult of Elizabeth, Gloriana, Painting the Past, The Story of Britain, The Arts in Britain, Feast and Coronation.

Roy Strong

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