History of St.Albans (A History of S)

Chichester, West Sussex: Phillimore & Co Ltd. Very Good/Very Good. 1997. First Edition. Hard Cover. Sm 4to 25.7 x 19 x 1.8 cm 1860770487 Dust jacket complete and unclipped. Red cloth with bright gilt titling. No ownership marks. Illustrations, photographs. 162 pages clean and tight. ST ALBANS is among the oldest of English cities. Since its origins, more than two thousand years ago, which pre-date the Roman Verulaniiurn, it has enjoyed a rich and continuous history, which recent discoveries and researches have made considerably richer, vividly revealed in this up-to-date and generously illustrated account of the city's development from earliest times to the present day. About much more than bricks and mortar, it is primarily about the people whose lives and labours have created, throughout the centuries, the community of St Albans in all its social, civic, economic, artistic, political and devotional variety. Foremost must be Alban, in whose honour both the ancient abbey and the city are named. How the fluctuating and often bitter relationship between town and abbey affected the townsfolk is re-assessed, as is the often anxious dialogue between the city's past and present, a recurring theme throughout the city's growth. This is an important book. It looks afresh at the evidence: the archaeology, the archives and the oral traditions of a proud and ancient city in a scholarly yet highly readable-indeed, entertaining-narrative which will be warmly welcomed throughout the area and beyond. .