Palace of Pugin: The Westminster Conspiracy

Thousands of spectators are on the streets of London and balconies are crammed with people eager to see the astounding spectacle of the Houses of Parliament being consumed by fire. The eminent architect Charles Barry returns to London aboard a packed stagecoach determined to win the commission to rebuild Parliament. To do so, he exploits a brilliant young designer, Augustus Pugin, and his genius for Gothic design. Driven by jealousy and ambition, and unwilling to share credit for the rebuilding of Parliament, Barry schemes to get Pugin out of England before the building works are complete, but the resulting journey across Italy gives Pugin the final ingredient he needs to make the Houses of Parliament truly iconic, a great clock tower. After a series of failed romantic relationships, Pugin meets Jane; they fall in love and marry. To showcase his Gothic vision to the world, Pugin is persuaded to create the main stand at the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, but this project combined with the never ending demands of Charles Barry and the Houses of Parliament, leads to his mental collapse. Jane has been looking after Pugin's eight children and now she must rescue him from the terrors of the public lunatic asylum. This remarkable true story is available as a paperback, kindle e-book, and audiobook.

• | Author: Nick Corbett
• | Publisher: Transforming Cities
• | Publication Date: Oct 17, 2012
• | Number of Pages: 272 pages
• | Binding: Paperback or Softback
• | ISBN-10: 0957124791
• | ISBN-13: 9780957124790