`Big Ben', the great clock and bells at Westminster, is one of the most iconic landmarks in Britain. From the origins of Westminster as the seat of government right up to the celebrations of the Great Clock's 150th anniversary in 2009, this book tells the story of the clock, bells, and tower.

This book covers the history of 'Big Ben', the great clock and bells at Westminster, from the origins of Westminster as the seat of government right up to the celebrations of the Great Clock's 150th anniversary in 2009. The book begins by taking the reader through a typical visit to the Clock Tower, and then begins the history of the palace of Westminster, covering the fire of 1834, the building of the New Houses of Parliament and development of the clock and the bells, going into detail on their design and installation. The book covers the famous cracking of the current bell Big Ben in 1859, with sketches of all the characters involved, the two world wars, and the disaster of 1976. The book ends with a detailed technical description of the clock mechanism. The book is richly illustrated, and will appeal not only to clockmakers and horologists, but to bell enthusiasts, and those with an interest in our rich Victorian heritage.

Big Ben is perhaps the most famous clock in the world. Peter Macdonald tells its story, from its conception in the 1830s to its establishment as the national timepiece and the symbol of Britain up to the present day.

The saga of the epic battle to re-build the Houses of Parliament after the great fire of 1834, this is also the story of how the greatest construction programme in Britain for centuries produced one of the most famous and instantly recognizable buildings ever built.

The Palace of Westminster, home to Britain's Houses of Parliament, is one of the most studied buildings in the world. What is less well known is that while Parliament was primarily a political building, when built between 1834 and 1860, it was also a place of scientific activity. The construction of Britain's legislature presents an extraordinary story in which politicians and officials laboured to make their new Parliament the most radical, modern building of its time by using the very latest scientific knowledge. Experimentalists employed the House of Commons as a chemistry laboratory, geologists argued over the Palace's stone, natural philosophers hung meat around the building to measure air purity, and mathematicians schemed to make Parliament the first public space where every room would have electrically-controlled time. Through such dramatic projects, Edward J. Gillin redefines our understanding of the Palace of Westminster and explores the politically troublesome character of Victorian science.

The original edition of Unseen London. Peter Dazeley has gained access to the hidden interiors of some of London's most iconic buildings, from Tower Bridge to Battersea Power Station, Big Ben to the Old Bailey. His photographs of these buildings - some derelict, but many still working - are astonishing. Here is a collection of some 50 extraordinary locations, with a thoughtful text by Mark Daly which tells the story of how each of these places was created, how they are used, and what they reveal about the currents of power flowing through the city. Unseen London takes you backstage at some of the capital's great theatres, into the changing rooms of some of our greatest temples of sport, into the heart of the Establishment, the boiler room of the city's infrastructure and behind the scenes at some of the most opulent buildings in the Square Mile.