Reviews - Tomb Destruction

‘Ingenious … complex, subtle … An important study of enduring value..’

Northern History

‘Fascinating and scholarly …’

British Archaeology

‘Important new book … Wearing his considerable learning lightly, Lindley ends by exploring the widespread and hitherto largely neglected field of what he felicitously terms ‘Restoration restorations’, which are here appropriately viewed in the wider context of the re-edification of so many damaged churches in the late seventeenth century, and the general revival of the monumental masons’ trade after the Interregnum, reflecting in turn a new, if initially cautious, confidence in the future of monuments.  His concluding observations on continued threats to British church monuments today, viewed in the context of centuries of neglect and vandalism, are as timely as they are, sadly, perceptive ’

Burlington Magazine

‘Engaging … study breathes enthusiasm for its subject ...’

Journal of Ecclesiastical History

‘This thoroughly researched and scholarly book takes a determinedly revisionist position on the vexed issue of how to identify exactly who to blame for the damage that has been done to Britain’s extraordinary heritage of monumental art…One of the major strengths of Lindley’s style is its measured clarity. His reports of the extensive losses suffered by medieval tombs are supplemented by massive scholarship: every point is heavily footnotes and every claim is nailed down by the authoritative deployment of primary and secondary sources…Lindley’s history, showing how the breaking of medieval monuments coincided with the first great period of English historical scholarship, itself represents a formidable work of scholarship. The book is a valuable addition to the increasingly rich and thought-provoking literature on English commemorative art.’

Journal of the British Archaeological Association