Description
The man who rebuilt London. Lucy Phillimore’s biography of Sir Christopher Wren (1632–1723) tells of the polymath who gave the capital its skyline: astronomer, anatomist, and — after the Great Fire of 1666 — the architect of St Paul’s Cathedral and 52 London churches, the greatest building program in English history.
Wren was the Leonardo of England: founding the Royal Society, dabbling in everything, mastering architecture almost as an afterthought. Phillimore captures the age as well as the man — the Fire, the plague, the rebuilding — and Wren’s quiet, relentless genius at the center of it all.
For London lovers and architecture fans: the essential Wren. Short, elegant, and full of the city he made. A gem of a biography. Phillimore writes with elegance and economy: the scientist, the architect, the Londoner. Wren’s churches still define the city; this slim volume defines the man. A small masterpiece of compression.
Sir Christopher Wren: His Family and His Times
Introduction to Sir Christopher Wren by Lucy Phillimore
Sir Christopher Wren: His Family and His Times, by Lucy Phillimore, is the classic Victorian biography of one of England’s greatest architects. First published in 1881, it delves into the life and legacy of Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723), the genius behind St Paul’s Cathedral and the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666.
The Life of a Genius
Phillimore intricately weaves a rich tapestry of biography and history, drawing on original letters and a discourse on architecture hitherto unpublished. Readers follow Wren from his brilliant youth as an astronomer and scientist to his towering achievements as the architect who reshaped London’s skyline. The book also paints a vivid picture of his family and the turbulent times in which he lived, from the Civil War to the dawn of the Georgian age.
Why Architecture Lovers Will Treasure This Book
A cornerstone of architectural literature, this beautifully written biography remains essential reading for anyone interested in English architecture, London’s history, or the extraordinary life of Sir Christopher Wren. A timeless tribute to a true Renaissance man.
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