Tower: An Epic History of the Tower of London

The Tower of London has served many purposes throughout its nearly thousand-year history: royal castle, palace, prison, torture chamber, execution site, zoo, mint, repository of the crown jewels, armory, record office, observatory, and major tourist attraction. No other building in Britain has been as central to the nation's story, standing at the heart of dramatic and often violent events. Historian Nigel Jones draws on primary sources to chronicle the Tower's turbulent past and its changing functions across time. The account includes eight pages of photographs and incorporates political and social detail to present the Tower not merely as an ancient structure, but as a living symbol of Great Britain.