Listen to a sample
A House Through Time
- Narrator
- Ben Onwukwe
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Publish Date
- 14 May 2020
- Run Time
- 10 hours 35 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
- Genre
- History, Genealogy, heraldry, names and honours, Family history, tracing ancestors, History of architecture, Architecture: residential and domestic buildings, Industrialisation and industrial history
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
What to expect
In recent years house histories have become the new frontier of popular, participatory history. People, many of whom have already embarked upon that great adventure of genealogical research, and who have encountered their ancestors in the archives and uncovered family secrets, are now turning to the secrets contained within the four walls of their homes and in doing so finding a direct link to earlier generations. And it is ordinary homes, not grand public buildings or the mansions of the rich that have all the best stories.
As with the television series, A House Through Time offers readers not only the tools to explore the histories of their own homes, but also a vividly readable history of the British city, the forces of industry, disease, mass transportation, crime and class. The rises and falls, the shifts in the fortunes of neighbourhoods and whole cities are here, tracing the often surprising journey one single house can take from elegant dwelling in a fashionable district to a tenement for society’s rejects.
Packed with remarkable human stories, David Olusoga and Melanie Backe-Hansen give us a phenomenal insight into living history, a history we can see every day on the streets where we live. And it reminds us that it is at home that we are truly ourselves. It is there that the honest face of life can be seen. At home, behind closed doors and drawn curtains, we live out our inner lives and family lives.
Critics Review
-
A very readable history of the British way of life viewed through its homes
Choice Magazine
-
They say the books is always better than the TV; and while the TV series was excellent, I do think the book is even better - full of historical insights and knowledge borne of the co-authors' many years of expertise.
Family Tree Magazine
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
I was not expecting such a rich social history of the UK. Absolutely fascinating. The narration was excellent, and reading excerpts in the voice and accent of the historical authors worked really well.
TB 2025-12-13
Details
- Author
- David Olusoga and Melanie Backe-Hansen
- Narrator
- Ben Onwukwe
- Duration
- 10 hours 35 minutes
- Release Date
- 14 May 2020
- ISBN
- 9781529037265
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Genre
- History, Genealogy, heraldry, names and honours, Family history, tracing ancestors, History of architecture, Architecture: residential and domestic buildings, Industrialisation and industrial history
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
In recent years house histories have become the new frontier of popular, participatory history. People, many of whom have already embarked upon that great adventure of genealogical research, and who have encountered their ancestors in the archives and uncovered family secrets, are now turning to the secrets contained within the four walls of their homes and in doing so finding a direct link to earlier generations. And it is ordinary homes, not grand public buildings or the mansions of the rich that have all the best stories.As with the television series, A House Through Time offers readers not only the tools to explore the histories of their own homes, but also a vividly readable history of the British city, the forces of industry, disease, mass transportation, crime and class. The rises and falls, the shifts in the fortunes of neighbourhoods and whole cities are here, tracing the often surprising journey one single house can take from elegant dwelling in a fashionable district to a tenement for society’s rejects.Packed with remarkable human stories, David Olusoga and Melanie Backe-Hansen give us a phenomenal insight into living history, a history we can see every day on the streets where we live. And it reminds us that it is at home that we are truly ourselves. It is there that the honest face of life can be seen. At home, behind closed doors and drawn curtains, we live out our inner lives and family lives.
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