The garden suburb has its origins in London, and, contrary to widespread belief, its earliest phase took place not at the beginning of the 20th century, with the much discussed garden-city movement, but one century earlier, with the creation of the Eyre brothers' villa estate in the London suburb of St. John's Wood. Drawing on the resources of the newly catalogued Eyre archive, Mireille Galinou describes how London acquired one of its most attractive and influential suburbs and how generations of the Eyre family shaped, fought over, lost, and revitalized their inheritance. Little did they know that they were making world history with their winning formula, which set the green suburb agenda for middle classes around the world.

"Cottages and Villas is a valuable contribution to the history of London, lavishly produced and illustrated."—Alan Powers, The Times Literary Supplement - The Times Literary Supplement

" Winner of the 2013 John Brinckerhoff Jackson Book Prize, given by the Foundation for Landscape Studies." - Foundation for Landscape Studies