Fonthill, in Wiltshire, is traditionally associated with the writer and collector William Beckford who built his Gothic fantasy house called Fonthill Abbey at the end of the eighteenth century. The collapse of the Abbey’s tower in 1825 transformed the name Fonthill into a symbol for overarching ambition and folly, a sublime ruin. Fonthill is, however, much more than the story of one man’s excesses. Beckford’s Abbey is only one of several important houses to be built on the estate since the early sixteenth century, all of them eventually consumed by fire or deliberately demolished, and all of them oddly forgotten by historians. Little now remains: a tower, a stable block, a kitchen range, some dressed stone, an indentation in a field. Fonthill Recovered draws on histories of art and architecture, politics and economics to explore the rich cultural history of this famous Wiltshire estate. The first half of the book traces the occupation of Fonthill from the Bronze Age to the twenty-first century. Some of the owners surpassed Beckford in terms of their wealth, their collections, their political power and even, in one case, their sexual misdemeanours. They include Charles I’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the richest commoner in the nineteenth century. The second half of the book consists of essays on specific topics, filling out such crucial areas as the complex history of the designed landscape, the sources of the Beckfords’ wealth and their collections, and one essay that features the most recent appearance of the Abbey in a video game.

This book explores both the Old and New Testaments in depth. It retells the stories from the bible and includes biblical quotations, references, portraits, artwork, maps and more to help bring the bible story to life. Follow the story that has been consumed by readers for centuries and understand the true meaning behind the well-known stories: track events and key figures such as Adam and Eve, Moses and John the Baptist. In this edition, you will discover: -Explanations of the most important bible stories from Genesis to Revelation - setting each one in their historical, cultural, and religious context -Lavish illustrations with over 2,000 paintings, maps, and artefacts -Timelines detailing key events combined with biblical quotations and references Packed with maps, archaeological sites, historical artefacts, and fact-filled panels that explore and explain stories from the best-selling book of all time, The Illustrated Bible covers every major covenant, prophecy, miracle, and parable in the Old and New Testaments. Authenticated by a team of expert biblical scholars and historians, this guide enables you to enjoy and understand the Bible.