The Story of Durham traces the evolution of a city that medieval writers likened to Jerusalem, which Ruskin termed one of the wonders of the world, and which Pevsner, more modestly, called one of the architectural experiences of Europe.

To Bill Bryson, meanwhile, Durham appeared ‘a perfect little city’ with ‘the best cathedral on planet Earth’. The city is a physical manifestation of a significant event in our history: the Romanesque cathedral and castle together constitute this country’s monument to the Norman invasion, the last of our country.

Beautifully illustrated, this popular history by a leading academic will delight residents and visitors alike.