In the first part of the book Steven Parissien describes the development of the Georgian style in Britain from its introduction in the early eighteenth century through to the mid-nineteenth century & explains how the original inhabitants would have used the various rooms. In the second part he devotes a chapter to each element of the Georgian house including roofs brickwork & stonework doors & windows staircase & fireplaces mouldings & plasterwork. Throughout the book he stresses the need for todays owners to understand the ideas techniques & materials employed by those who built their homes. The book has been written with the owner or would-be owner of a modest family house or Georgian cottage primarily in mind. Though due attention is given to the great houses of the period & especially to their role in setting new trends the main emphasis is on the modest domestic architecture at which the Georgians excelled. With its wealth of practical advice on the preservation & restoration of both structure & decor as well as an invaluable guide to specialist suppliers & sources of further information this book is an indispensable resource for lovers of Georgian architecture. Steven Parissien is former Education Secretary of the Georgian Group the body formed to save Georgian buildings & townscapes from destruction or disfigurement. He has subsequently worked at Yale Universitys Paul Mellon Centre Sothebys Institute & the University of Plymouth & is currently Director of Education for The Princes Foundation. His other books include Adam Style Palladian Style & Regency Style.