House Histories: The Secrets Behind Your Front Door

The history of our houses is a mystery to most of us. Now, the UK’s leading house historian reveals the secrets behind the front doors of cottages, terraced houses, mansions, and London squares. Melanie Backe-Hansen reveals the past of a wide range of houses, offering a fascinating glimpse into the lives of not just the bricks and mortar, but also the people who lived there over the centuries. She discovers that George Orwell may have based his "Room 101" on a converted flat on Oxford Street, and has profiles the former homes of P. G. Wodehouse, T. S. Eliot, H. G. Wells, and former prime ministers Benjamin Disraeli and David Lloyd George. Additionally, an easy-to-use "how-to" section allows us all to investigate the history of our own homes.