Henry VIII's break from Rome in 1534 signaled the beginning of three centuries of turmoil for Catholics in England. They suffered periods of intense persecution until the Catholic Emancipation Act in 1829. Nowhere is Catholic history brought more vividly to life than in the homes of the landed Catholic gentry. These houses tell tales of the conspiracy, rebellion & martyrdom of families whose descendants, in many cases, inhabit them to this day. The buildings are some of the most beautiful & architecturally inspiring in England. This book describes 20 of the most important of these. With stunning new color photos, this book is both an armchair delight & an indispensable guide. Leanda de Lisle was educated at Somerville College, Oxford, where she earned a master of arts degree in modern history. A successful journalist and broadcaster, she has been a columnist for The Spectator, The Guardian, Country Life, and the Daily Express, as well as writing for The Times, the Daily Mail, the New Statesman, and The Sunday Telegraph. She is also the author of After Elizabeth. She lives in Leicestershire with her husband and three children.