'Mr Barry’s War': An evening with Caroline Shenton

To mark the launch of ‘Mr Barry’s War, the Visit Parliament team is hosting an evening with the author Dr Caroline Shenton.

When the brilliant architect Charles Barry won the competition to build a new Houses of Parliament in London he thought it was the chance of a lifetime. It swiftly turned into the most nightmarish building programme of the 19th century. From the beginning, its design, construction and decoration were a battlefield, and the practical and political forces ranged against him were immense.

‘Mr Barry's War’, published by Oxford University Press, takes up where Caroline’s prize-winning prequel ‘The Day Parliament Burned Down’ left off. Caroline tells the story of how the greatest building programme in Britain for centuries produced the world's most famous secular cathedral to democracy.

During the evening Caroline will read an excerpt from her book and provide fascinating insights into her research and reflections on the topic. There will be a question and answer session and an opportunity to have a copy of the book signed by the author.