Chris King has written a fine book on the 'Fine City'. [...] King's engagement with existing studies is exemplary, disseminating hitherto unpublished archaeological work by the Norwich Survey, making conscientious use of historical studies on Norwich's rich documentation, writing fluently about historical sources such as the 1570 census of the poor and post-1660 hearth tax returns.
CULTURAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY
Enjoyable, dense, wide-ranging and well-illustrated, the book admirably fulfils the author's aim of contributing to current debates around the character of the 'great rebuilding' phenomenon in the context of the social and cultural transformation of England's second city.
- MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY,
This book is essential reading for everyone with a serious interest in the history of Norwich. It is the first publication to offer a comprehensive overview of the subject, and it does a good deal more besides.
- Norfolk Archaeology,
King builds a methodological approach that falls somewhere between archaeology, architectural history, urban history, public history, and the history of material culture... The book is at its most brilliant when presenting plans and carefully curated images.
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