Architect Sir Herbert Baker left an indelible mark on South Africa and much of the British empire in the first half of the 20th century. This is the first full biography from childhood and was written with the full cooperation of his family and with access to his archive and private papers.

After a Victorian architectural apprenticeship in London he went on to become the most prolific architect of his age in South Africa where he designed numerous public buildings, churches, schools and private houses including the Union Buildings, St George’s Cathedral and Groote Schuur. Thereafter he worked in India and Kenya and England where, among many other projects, he designed South Africa House.

He was an intimate friend of many of most fascinating men of his age, including Cecil Rhodes, Lawrence of Arabia, John Buchan and Jan Smuts. Lavishly illustrated, this biography offers a compelling picture of an architect whose buildings contribute so much to South Africa’s rich history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Stewart is an award-winning architect, architectural historian and author who, prior to his retirement, was the leader of one of the UK’s largest multidisciplinary architectural practices. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Royal Society of Arts and was twice selected as one of the best 40 Architects under Forty in the UK. He has been writing and lecturing full-time since 2015 and has written six books. John was educated at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, the Oxford School of Architecture and Henley Management College and lives in Buckinghamshire outside London.

‘Sir Herbert Baker: A Biography’ is published by Jonathan Ball Publishers