Historic Building Mythbusting

Reviews / Votes

'Funny, occasionally filthy and ultimately fascinating.' -- Richard Herring, history-inclined comedian and host of RHLSTP Book Club 'James Wright pours gallons of boiling oil on myths about ancient buildings. But it's not really boiling oil, is it.' -- Jonathan Foyle, television presenter and architectural author 'This erudite and analytical work constructively picks apart the folklore and myths surrounding many of the most misinterpreted aspects of our rich historic architecture. Anyone with an interest in architecture should read this book!' -- Marc Allum, BBC <i>Antiques Roadshow</i> specialist, writer and lecturer 'If you are expecting a diminished, slightly less colourful sense of the past that you might expect from a 'mythbusting' book then think again, for what emerges in these pages is exactly the opposite. Here the familiar gives way to the extraordinary, fiction bends to wild truths, and historic buildings themselves emerge as a living and breathing means of understanding our environment, our ancestors and, indeed, ourselves.' -- Alex Woodcock, master stonemason and author of <i>King of Dust</i> 'As the Fake History Hunter, I search museums, books and the internet for history related misinformation - debunking myths and misconceptions where I can. James' knowledge has been an invaluable weapon in my armoury, and he proves his talent for this kind of detective work in this wonderful book!' -- Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse, Fake History Hunter, author of <i>Fake History: 101 Things that Never Happened</i> 'An entertaining and informed jaunt through the world of buildings archaeology, that opens up the many and varied stories of our shared past - and lovingly breaks down many of the myths that that still linger. A thoroughly enjoyable - and informative - read.' -- Matthew Champion, archaeologist and author of <i>Medieval Graffiti</i> 'With the confidence born of hands-on knowledge, James Wright dismantles myth after myth about old buildings - but he's never unkind, and never forgets that stories matter just as much as histories.' -- Jeremy Harte, folklorist and author of <i>Cloven Country</i> 'Forget everything you knew - or thought you knew - about medieval buildings. From secret tunnels to boiling oil, James Wright firmly dispels the myths in this thoroughly entertaining and informative tome.' -- Sharon Bennett Connolly, historian and author of <i>Heroines of the Medieval World</i> 'An authoritative, accessible and superbly researched exploration of the perpetuation of some of our most prevalent buildings-related tall tales, presented with vigour and a hefty dose of common sense.' -- Tracey Norman, folklorist and author of <i>Dark Folklore</i> 'In this fascinating volume, James takes an insightful look into many popular assumptions about historic buildings which seem to proliferate widely and in doing so helps us question the real reason things were done the way they were.' -- Brian Hoggard, independent researcher and author of <i>Magical House Protection</i> 'Wright emphasises the importance of 'debunking' historic myths to reveal the 'truth' behind the meaning of historic buildings. But perhaps the real importance of this book is the way in which it highlights the function of historic buildings as providing places for local knowledge and storytelling to intersect engagingly with antiquarian and contemporary academic study. We need more of this kind of study if we are to reach new audiences to help us care for our built heritage - and inspire the next generation of historic building specialists.' -- Kate Giles * <i>Current Archaeology</i> * 'A fabulous tome that debunks some long-held belief, such as the reason for spiral staircases, witches' marks, secret tunnels and the use of boiling oil in siege warfare.' -- Frances Owen * <i>Historia</i> * 'Though a deep dive into archaeological jargon may be daunting, throughout the accessible study Wright litters his writing with an abundance of personal anecdotes and insights that blends his expertise with humour. He strikes the balance perfectly.'

'I would implore anyone to read to this work, not just someone intrigued in the medieval world. This is factual investigation that brims with authority, whilst being enormously enlightening and entertaining.' -- Nathen Amin 'Wright gently explodes a number of myths surrounding historic buildings, through a combination of cross-disciplinary research and his hands-on knowledge as an architectural archaeologist. An immensely readable, revealing and illuminating book, deserving of the widest possible audience.' * <i>The Folklore Society</i> *