Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History: Amazon.co.uk: Adam Nicolson: Books

Review

'A masterpiece of rural romanticism, told with shameless lyricism…the narrative of his struggle is charmingly interspersed with tales from Sissinghurst's past…all is warmed by Nicolson's evocation of Sissinghurst's natural history…the vision is one of nature, art and human history in glorious coalition, the essence of the Englishman's sense of place….this uplifting book.' Sunday Times

'Nicolson's book is one of those rare things: a story that seems small, irrelevant to most of us, rarefied in its history, full of detail about land rights and Trust guidelines, and yet which blooms in front of our eyes into a much larger, more important, more universal one…It's a beautiful, fascinating, touching account.' The Scotsman

'This necessarily self-deceptive and often beautiful book plumbs those depths much more deeply than do most of the existing paens to this celebrated place.' Literary Review

'Wonderfully engaging…elegant and lyrical, this is a total delight'. Good Housekeeping

'Carefully researched…gripping…a compelling tale, honestly told.' Evening Standard

'This unusual book…works surprisingly well.' Daily Telegraph

'A close-focus (and very moving) family memoir, a richly-textured history of a house….and a fervent blueprint for a progressive ideal of 'heritage', Nicolson's new book really does…break new ground in the literature of locality. SISSINGHURST confirms…that Nicolson is one of his generation's most gifted, generous and persuasive writers about place.' The Independent

'Unusual, impassioned and lucidly written…a gripping but serious history of Sissinghurst Castle.' Sunday Telegraph

'This excellent book…beguiling…a clear-eyed picture…beautiful.' The Guardian

'A wonderful book, alive with the confluence…of a dozen currents of Englishness.' Financial Times

'A deft intertwining of two narratives…it's heady, seductive stuff…I can think of nobody today writing more persuasively about the value of this way of life.' Independent on Sunday

'He writes unsentimentally and with a poet's eye.' The Economist

'This is a remarkable story…the past is something this writer always does brilliantly…here are three books in one, roughly romantically combined and each story fascinating, but behind all these is what Nicolson knows and writes best. It is a book about loss and change, but it is also a hymn to un-change. He can sing the song of England and its places…like no other writer, and although he writes in prose, it comes, as Keats thought that poetry should come 'as naturally as leaves to a tree'…what more could you ask of a book.' The Spectator

'An expert at conveying the "stuff" of place, Nicolson is equally good with people…as Adam Nicolson understands, places tell us about the people who walked them and the dreams they pursued.' TLS

Review

'A masterpiece of rural romanticism, told with shameless lyricism!the narrative of his struggle is charmingly interspersed with tales from Sissinghurst's past!all is warmed by Nicolson's evocation of Sissinghurst's natural history!the vision is one of nature, art and human history in glorious coalition, the essence of the Englishman's sense of place!.this uplifting book.' Sunday Times 'Nicolson's book is one of those rare things: a story that seems small, irrelevant to most of us, rarefied in its history, full of detail about land rights and Trust guidelines, and yet which blooms in front of our eyes into a much larger, more important, more universal one!It's a beautiful, fascinating, touching account.' The Scotsman 'This necessarily self-deceptive and often beautiful book plumbs those depths much more deeply than do most of the existing paens to this celebrated place.' Literary Review 'Wonderfully engaging!elegant and lyrical, this is a total delight'. Good Housekeeping 'Carefully researched!gripping!a compelling tale, honestly told.' Evening Standard 'This unusual book!works surprisingly well.' Daily Telegraph 'A close-focus (and very moving) family memoir, a richly-textured history of a house!.and a fervent blueprint for a progressive ideal of 'heritage', Nicolson's new book really does!break new ground in the literature of locality. SISSINGHURST confirms!that Nicolson is one of his generation's most gifted, generous and persuasive writers about place.' The Independent 'Unusual, impassioned and lucidly written!a gripping but serious history of Sissinghurst Castle.' Sunday Telegraph 'This excellent book!beguiling!a clear-eyed picture!beautiful.' The Guardian 'A wonderful book, alive with the confluence!of a dozen currents of Englishness.' Financial Times 'A deft intertwining of two narratives!it's heady, seductive stuff!I can think of nobody today writing more persuasively about the value of this way of life.' Independent on Sunday 'He writes unsentimentally and with a poet's eye.' The Economist 'This is a remarkable story!the past is something this writer always does brilliantly!here are three books in one, roughly romantically combined and each story fascinating, but behind all these is what Nicolson knows and writes best. It is a book about loss and change, but it is also a hymn to un-change. He can sing the song of England and its places!like no other writer, and although he writes in prose, it comes, as Keats thought that poetry should come 'as naturally as leaves to a tree'!what more could you ask of a book.' The Spectator 'An expert at conveying the "stuff" of place, Nicolson is equally good with people!as Adam Nicolson understands, places tell us about the people who walked them and the dreams they pursued.' TLS

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98 of 100 people found the following review helpful

Beautifully written 18 Nov 2008

By Robert Ray

Format:Hardcover

As a great collector of all things Vita Sackville-West, Harold Nicolson and Sissinghurst, I leapt on this book as it appeared. But did I really need it? Surely I have read everything printed about Sissinghurst, Vita and Harold, and visited the garden twice, what could it give me? Well for a start Adam Nicolson writes with more facility, imagination and poetry than either of his famous grand parents. A poetic grace, so beautifully expressed, that Vita would have killed to have had. Yes this is prose and not poetry, but Nicolson, like Virginia Woolf can make prose sound like poetry. In this book Nicolson re-examines Sissinghurst from its historic beginnings, to its "decline" to a tourist attraction. His dealings with the National Trust are fascinating, and believable. I found touching his writing of his father, Nigel, Harold and Vita's second son. Nigel, as a son of a most unconventional marriage, it is no wonder his world was really quite dysfunctional. I rather think the conservative Vita, Harold and Nigel would rather be alarmed at what most of Adam has written. For this reason the book is fascinating.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Atmospheric 3 April 2009

By J. Thorpe

A beautifully written, atmospheric book which took me back to an idyllic, hot summer's day at Sissinghurst. Mr Nicholson portrays the frustrations of trying to cope with a treasured posession which is owned by someone else with great 'diplomacy'. An absorbing and relaxing read...

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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

Super absorbing read 27 Dec 2008

By Potterywhizz VINE™ VOICE

I own every book Adam Nicolson has written. He writes beautiful prose and he writes with great sincerity and feeling. This was another book in the same glorious tradition and immensely enjoyable. Precious few authors can write as well as this

Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History

Having just returned from a fascinating visit to Sissinghurst I was prepared to relish this book however I found it a difficult read! Read more

Published 13 months ago by Mrs. L. A. Small

Fascinating Unfinished History

The book is well-written and most interesting. It is engrossing to read about the work and organization
necessary to run such an estate in an economical way. Read more

Published 23 months ago by sylvia gs

One of the best books I've ever read.

I absolutely loved this book. It is beautifully written and at the same time helps you to understand so much about history, botany and agriculture. Read more

Published 23 months ago by Belinda Jane Parris

Well Read book

As of 2008, Adam Nicholson turned 45. He has been living in the part of Elizabethan manor house in Sissinghurst Castle since his birth. Read more

Published on 20 April 2010 by superblues

Uneven

Having read widely about Vita Sackville-West, her husband, her lovers, her connection with Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury set, and also having a fascination with reclaiming old... Read more

Published on 29 Nov 2009 by bluecougar25

The Original Sissinghurst Restored?

An extremely interesting history of Sissinghurst from its creation thro the hands of the gardeners of Vita Sackville West & Harold Nicholson to the plans which their grandson Adam... Read more

Published on 9 Nov 2009 by Elspeth

absolute disappointment

I was very interested to read this book as I am an avid fan of history and you certainly get history with Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson. Read more

Published on 13 Feb 2009 by Lydia Bates

Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History [Hardcover]

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