Althorp: The Story of an English House

by Charles Spencer and Charles Spencer

Book Overview

The story of the great house and grounds of Althorp is the story of a family, a family whose driving passions include art and the enjoyment of books: the Spencers. Acquiring the 300-acre... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312208332
• ISBN13: 9780312208332
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.8" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

An Exceptional Read

Charles Spencer has written an exceptional history on Althrop. His research and personal accounts not only makes for a most enjoyable read, it represents and illustrates a great man's love and dedication to both family and home. America can claim it's Washington's and Jefferson's, but England holds a special pride with it's Spencer's. The Spencer Family and Althrop are in great hands, indeed!

Althorp, The Story of an English House

This is a wonderful book! In particular enjoyed the way that Charles Spencer brought his ancestors "to life." He gave some very personal and fascinating ancedotes about his ancestors.The pictures of Althorp were absolutely beautiful, and he went into great detail explaining the history of the contents of the rooms and the history that took place in them.Charles Spencer stated that he was afraid, at one point, he would not make his mark on Althorp. He certainly has made a significant mark for the better. It is amazing what he has done in such a short period of time.I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read. It is entertaining, funny, informative, creative and fascinating.

A great book and a real pleasure to read.

This book is filled with historical facts and alot of pictures. Earl Spencer gives a witty and factual account of "Althorp" over the centuries. His knowledge of the former Earls and what they each contributed to the house during their lifetimes, make a great read. The family art collection is unbelievable a couple of his relatives were painted by Gainsboro himself.

Good book, hard to find fault with it.

I've just read this book and found very little fault with it. Spencer doesn't talk about himself excessively and doesn't overuse his sister Princess Diana either.All I could really ask for is the inclusion of more pictures and that probably wasn't practical

A unique, warm account of a man's extraordinary inheritance

Charles, the ninth Earl Spencer, has written a moving and often amusing account of the history and content of the ancestral home which he inherited in 1992 upon the death of his father. He describes with obvious love, pride and disarming honesty the lives of the people at Althorp over a period of five hundred years.His book is quite unique in this genre in that this particular stately home remains in his private ownership and is, of course, now the final resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales. Earl Spencer has, however, successfully resisted any temptation to make his much-loved, late sister the main feature of his book. Instead, he takes the reader through each room of the house, as if they were a visitor, accompanied by fascinating history and sumptuous colour photographs of the fabulous art treasures and antiquities, whilst also allowing an insight, via personal anecdotes, into his own childhood and upbringing at Althorp. He also tells of the considerable restoration and redecoration work he commenced in 1992 which was finally completed in 1998.The last chapter is devoted, fittingly, to the creation of his memorial to Diana after her tragic and untimely death in August 1997, which the public are now admitted to view in July and August each year. Finally and touchingly, he writes of how he feared he would "never be able to make [his] own mark" on Althorp. Reading his book and visiting Althorp, people will, of course, be able to judge for themselves. But I don't believe he should be unduly concerned - his mark is there, forever.