Reviews

The British School was one of several academic foundations that grew up in Rome in the closing decades of the 19th century. ... This book celebrates the schools centenary. Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, director since 1995, recounts the vicissitudes of the institution dryly, taking sometimes indiscreet pleasure in details of personal feuds, financial and administrative contretemps, scandals over women residents, and the awkward relations between the school and the Fascist regime. He details Lutyenss successive plans and other modifications of the site, charting the gradual expansion of the building to its happy, but, as he says, largely accidental resolution as a spacious villa round a central courtyard, not achieved until the 1930s. Ashbys memorable archaeological achievements are recounted; more great things were done in that field after World War II under John Ward-Perkins and David Whitehouse in the 1970s and 80s, and under Richard Hodges in the 90s.' 'The book ... festively illustrated ... bears witness with its crowd of contributors to a strongly developed sense of the schools corporate values as a modern institution, proud of its imperial past, but ever renewing itself to ensure that its remarkable academic resources are at the service of a much changed Britain--and Italy.'--Andrew Wilton "The Art Newspaper 127, 2002"