Warm & Snug: The History of the Bed (Sutton History Classics) [Paperback]

Lawrence Wright (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sutton History Classics | Publication Date: September 25, 2004

In this book, Lawrence Wright takes a look at the place where we spend a third of our lives - bed. From a Neolithic stone bed unearthed at Skara Brae to the bed (c. 1350 BC) from Tutankhamen's tomb, from stark Anglo-Saxon designs to ornate early Renaissance beds and elaborate State bedchambers, this is a journey through the history of social, sexual and sanitary attitudes to the design of beds. Illustrated with over 200 images, including early wood-engravings and etchings and later contemporary drawings, this book explores beautiful, bizarre and humorous approaches to beds. Chippendale, in his Chinese period, created an elegant lacquered and gilt bed in strange contrast to his fantastic design for one with such an elaborate and overpowering superstructure that the bed itself looks like a small cushion. In modern times, the need for space inspired more practical designs such as wardrobe beds and American metal folding beds. Filled with a wealth of curious facts this is an ideal book for anyone interested in the history of everyday things.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lawrence Wright was a well-known architectural painter and he exhibited paintings, etchings and perspectives of contemporary buildings for many years at the Royal Academy and at the Guildhall Art Gallery. He was also a designer of historical exhibitions and from these developed his books, Warm and Snug, Clean and Decent (a history of the bathroom and water closet) and Home Fires Burning, a history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (September 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750937289
• ISBN-13: 978-0750937283
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #725,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > History > Ancient > Africa

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Light and comforting as a featherbed, September 21, 2004

By 

Charles L. Felsenthal (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Warm & Snug: The History of the Bed (Sutton History Classics) (Paperback)

Though it seems to have been well researched, this is not a scholarly work, at least not the usual kind. It is, rather, an informative, offbeat, and (at least to my mind) very funny account of humankind's efforts over the centuries to get a decent night's sleep. The arrangements, contraptions, and methods employed have been astonishingly varied and mostly unsatisfactory. Mr. Wright (a onetime R.A.F officer as I recall) is a graceful and witty writer, joining a somewhat Will Cuppy-ish sensibility to a smooth and civilized style. This has been for many years one of my favorite books (in the 1962 Routledge & Kegan Paul hardcover edition), and I'm delighted to see it back in print.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun historical read, September 21, 2010

By 

Shawn (Southern Calif.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Warm & Snug: The History of the Bed (Sutton History Classics) (Paperback)

I don't know what type or sort of person would enjoy this book, but I certainly did.

This is fun history: entirely factual, quirky, and fast paced. I say that last as an approving nod to Wright, who adeptly breaks the book up into easy to digest pieces.