Tower

A “marvelous, authoritative, and entertaining” history of the storied castle in central London, and the people who populated it (Publishers Weekly).

“A riveting, pacy, and vivid chronicle of the Tower’s turbulent past.” —Alison Weir, New York Times–bestselling author of The Lady Elizabeth

Castle, royal palace, prison, torture chamber, execution site, zoo, mint, home to the crown jewels, armory, record office, observatory, and the most visited tourist attraction in the UK: The Tower of London has been all these things and more. No building in Britain has been more intimately involved in the island’s story than this mighty, brooding stronghold in the very heart of the capital, a place which has stood at the epicenter of dramatic, bloody and frequently cruel events for almost a thousand years.

In a gripping account drawn from primary sources and lavishly illustrated with eight pages of stunning photographs, historian Nigel Jones captures the Tower in its many changing moods and its many diverse functions. Incorporating a dazzling panoply of political and social detail, here, for the first time, is a thematic portrayal of the Tower of London not just as an ancient structure, but as a living symbol of the nation of Great Britain.

“Heads roll throughout Jones' pages. . . . This is popular history well arranged and well written.” —Booklist

“Historian and journalist Jones enlightens and delights in this history of the London Tower. A historian's history that deserves pride of place in every library.” —Kirkus Reviews