Houses of the gentry, 1480-1680

"From the end of the fifteenth century to the closing years of the seventeenth, England underwent radical social change. English architecture changed radically as well, and the homes of the gentry were transformed as members of this class grew in numbers, wealth and importance. This abundantly illustrated book provides for the first time a full account of the houses that were built and inhabited by the upper classes during this rich and fascinating period. Architectural historian Nicholas Cooper explores hundreds of gentry houses, some well known and others far less familiar, and considers their evolution in the light of the economic, political and social changes of the age."--BOOK JACKET.