A rollicking tour of the English country home after World War II, when swinging London collided with aristocratic values As the sun set slowly on the British Empire, its mansions fell and rose. Ancient families were reduced to demolishing the parts of their stately homes they could no longer afford, dukes and duchesses desperately clung to their ancestral seats, and a new class of homeowners bought their way into country life. A delicious romp, Noble Ambitions pulls us into these crumbling halls of power, leading us through the juiciest bits of postwar aristocratic history—from Mick Jagger dancing at deb balls to the scandals of Princess Margaret. Capturing the spirit of the age, historian Adrian Tinniswood proves that the country house is not only an iconic symbol, but a lens through which to understand the shifting fortunes of the British elite in an era of monumental social change.

A must for all those who want to visit Scotland's many castles. The book covers all of the coutry's famous strongholds, as well as many lesser-known places, with location, access, visitor facilities, and contact details. There is a map, many photos, a glossary of architectural terms, and a family-name index, allowing the reader to identify any castle associated with their family.

Challenging the prevailing view of a modern English culture besotted with its history and aristocracy, Mandler portrays instead a continuously changing society where both intellectual and popular attitudes have only recently turned to admiration.

With contributions from international experts, this book provides a broad discussion of cultural tourism as a concept and the way it is implemented in diverse regions around the world. It addresses the notion of cultural tourism and what it means to tourism as an industry, and also explores types of cultural tourism offered to tourists and experienced by them. Many international case studies will be included on specific instances of cultural tourism, and current topics like cultural tourism's relationship to sustainability are discussed.