The Inspiration of the Past: 2country House Taste in the Twentieth Century

Cornforth's long career on the staff of England's Country Life and his membership in the National Trust give him an appropriate background for his elegant, impressive discourse on the extremely stately homes depicted in this volume. The British ""country house'' includes palaces, castles and vast structures with many lofty rooms, unlike any dwelling in America. Splendid color and black-and-white photos illustrate chapters on the restoration and preservation of these marvelous homes in the British Isles. Concentrating on aspects of interior design, the author pays tribute to the late John Fowler, whose charming and beautiful furnishings delight the eye. As Fowler intended, his interior decoration is ``well behaved yet free from too many rules.'' His rooms bespeak graciousness and ``a logical compromise between comfort and appearance.'' (March 5)