Historic Building Mythbusting

'Funny, occasionally filthy and ultimately fascinating.'

'James Wright pours gallons of boiling oil on myths about ancient buildings. But it's not really boiling oil, is it.'

'This erudite and analytical work constructively picks apart the folklore and myths surrounding many of the most misinterpreted aspects of our rich historic architecture. Anyone with an interest in architecture should read this book!'

'If you are expecting a diminished, slightly less colourful sense of the past that you might expect from a 'mythbusting' book then think again, for what emerges in these pages is exactly the opposite. Here the familiar gives way to the extraordinary, fiction bends to wild truths, and historic buildings themselves emerge as a living and breathing means of understanding our environment, our ancestors and, indeed, ourselves.'

'As the Fake History Hunter, I search museums, books and the internet for history related misinformation - debunking myths and misconceptions where I can. James' knowledge has been an invaluable weapon in my armoury, and he proves his talent for this kind of detective work in this wonderful book!'

'An entertaining and informed jaunt through the world of buildings archaeology, that opens up the many and varied stories of our shared past - and lovingly breaks down many of the myths that that still linger. A thoroughly enjoyable - and informative - read.'

'With the confidence born of hands-on knowledge, James Wright dismantles myth after myth about old buildings - but he's never unkind, and never forgets that stories matter just as much as histories.'

'Forget everything you knew - or thought you knew - about medieval buildings. From secret tunnels to boiling oil, James Wright firmly dispels the myths in this thoroughly entertaining and informative tome.'

'An authoritative, accessible and superbly researched exploration of the perpetuation of some of our most prevalent buildings-related tall tales, presented with vigour and a hefty dose of common sense.'

'In this fascinating volume, James takes an insightful look into many popular assumptions about historic buildings which seem to proliferate widely and in doing so helps us question the real reason things were done the way they were.'