The buildings of Victorian Britain are perhaps the most varied and colourful in the country's architectural history. They mirror the great changes that were taking place in society and in technology; and they also express the delight of patrons and designers in almost every style from the world's past. The authors have organized their story by building types - houses, structures for entertainment, for industry and commerce, civic architecture, churches and schools - to show how the buildings sprang from the interplay between social forces, ideals, techniques and individual genius. The book also includes a unique dictionary of more than 300 architects of the period.