The Heart of England (Hardcover)

~ From the Editors of Victoria Magazine (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Much more than a traditional travel guide, Victoria The Heart of England speaks with an insider's voice to reveal what's truly the best about England. Instead of where to go, where to stay, where to eat, the book reflects a much more personal portrait of England, and of the English. Victoria The Heart of England is organized around four themes that areimportant to England and its culture: tradition, wit, romance, and pride. The tradition section, for example, includes information on pewter, England's island heritage - "The Gift of the Sea" -- and the etiquette of port. The section on romance highlights the Brontes, an English cottage garden, and an Englishwoman's retreat. This book helps readers get to know England so that when they do visit, they truly will experience England at her best, rather than just visiting the usual tourist haunts.After whetting readers' appetites for a trip to England, the book delivers even more: itineraries and a gazetteer, to provide practical help and advice for planning a visit.

And because it's such a delightful read, armchair travelers can have almost as much fun as those who visit England in person.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Tradition

The patterns of English life play across the year. Every season has its certitude ( lingering over Sunday lunch in winter, with Yorkshire puddings steaming on a plate; golden summer afternoons, when punters pole their way on sun-dappled waters. Tradition gilds each moment, as time slides by in its silent stream.

To the Manor Born

If there is an art at which the English excel, surely it is the art of the home - a glorious celebration of domesticity which, over the centuries, has resulted in architecture that invites and interiors that welcome. In country houses such as actress Jane Seymour's home. St. Catherine's Court near Bath, the elements that make a house a home are preserved for each generation to enjoy - the mullioned windows that open to fragrant blossoms, the paths that lead into the well-tended garden, the fireplaces where coals glow, the chimney pots that top the peaked roof where the doves coo.

These are charms that reside in houses where countless lives have been sheltered over time. The walls could speak of vanished families - of weddings that filled the halls with laughter, of tears that accompanied sons and brothers off to war, of toasting crumpets in the nursery fireplace, of a rose bush blooming for its hundredth spring. This is bedrock beauty, the sort that lasts forever. For a nation that sent so many across sea, surely it was the thought of these home fires burning that warmed their journeys.

In English county houses, perfection is never the goal. It is comfort that lies at the heart of English domesticity and county-house style.

Copyright (c) 1999 by Hearst Communications, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Hearst; 1st edition (December 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688159311
• ISBN-13: 978-0688159313
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #674,785 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Gentle Correction, January 7, 2000

By A Customer

There appears to be a bit of confusion regarding the title of this book. Both of the previous reviews mention Victoria, British Columbia. This book is, in fact, a publication of "Victoria" Magazine, and like all of their book projects, bears the "Victoria" name. It has nothing at all to do with Canada, but is in fact a delightful compendium of the English way of life.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Little Book, June 11, 2007

By	Bear One (USA) - See all my reviews

I got this book because I have been in constant disappointment ever since VICTORIA Magazine ceased production. I found this book not quite as good as their "Heart of France" book as this one features a lot of photos out of the magazine and could have been a little more interesting. Having said this, if you loved VICTORIA you will want to have this keepsake.

9 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NO DISAPPOINTMENT, November 18, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

THE READER FROM SONOMA SHOULD BE AWARE THAT VICTORIA BC CANADA IS MORE ENGLISH THAN ENGLAND (VISITORS FROM ENGLAND HAVE SAID THIS TO ME). IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THE SPIRIT OF ENGLAND CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY TRANSPLANTED ELSEWHERE. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL, INSPIRING BOOK THAT I WILL TREASURE.