Client details
Dan Cruickshank
Writer / Presenter
| Charles Walker | +44 (0) 20 3214 0874 |
As well as his writings on architecture, Dan is known for his television work. He was most recently seen on BBC2's Adventures in Architecture, for which he wrote the accompanying book. Latest Publication: THE COUNTRY HOUSE REVEALED: A Secret History of the British Ancestral Home (BBC Books, 2011) Tie-in publication to the BBC television series.
BRIDGES: Heroic Designs That Changed the World (HarperCollins, 2010)
A personal journey into the world of bridges, from the Roman Empire’s Pont du Gard to the incredible Millan Viaduct.
Reviews for THE SECRET HISTORY OF GEORGIAN LONDON 'Fascinating ... Cruickshank removes the bland façade to expose one of London's biggest and most lively industries - its trade in sex ... a lively and scholarly panorama of Georgian London before the sex trade was chased underground by the Victorians and we all became prudish instead' Daily Mail |
The Secret History or Georgian London © Random House
Adventures in Architecture © Orion
Around the World in 80 Treasures © Orion
Brunel: The Man Who Built the World © Orion
Under Fire © BBC Worldwide
| Publication Details | Notes |
|---|---|
| THE COUNTRY HOUSE REVEALED: A SECRET HISTORY OF THE BRITISH ANCESTRAL HOME 2011 BBC Books | Tie-in publication to the BBC Television Series |
| BRIDGES: HEROIC DESIGNS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD 2010 HarperCollins | A personal journey into the world of bridges, from the Roman Empire's Pont du Gard to the incredible Millan Viaduct. |
| THE SECRET HISTORY OF GEORGIAN LONDON 2009 Random House | An insight into Georgian London's profitable and ubiquitous sex industry |
| ADVENTURES IN ARCHITECTURE 2008 Orion | The story of architecture in all its diversity, looking at 48 buildings that have impressed, astonished or delighted us or changed our perception of the world. |
| BRUNEL: THE MAN WHO BUILT THE WORLD 2005 Orion | An illustrated celebration of the life and engineering achievements of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Text by Steven Brindle. |
| AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 TREASURES 2005 Orion | A tie-in to a 10-part TV series presented by the author. " Cruickshank has the air of a schoolboy explorer, fizzing with energy, curiosity and indefatigable enthusiasm ... but beneath the jocular surface lies an entirely serious expertise. The breadth of Cruickshank`s knowledge and the very speed of his journeying enables him to make striking connections ... for anyone schooled in a Eurocentric view of history, the scope of his investigations will be shamefully illuminating. For anyone nervous of travel, his fearlessness ("If I fell, what a place to die!") could prove inspirational." (The Guardian) |
| UNDER FIRE 1993 BBC WORLDWIDE | A powerful and timely account of Dan Cruickshank and David Vincent's search for lost treasures in some of the world's most dangerous and contested hotspots. The quest begins in Afghanistan in March 2003, a few months after the fall of the Taliban, and progresses through Iraq, Israel and the Occupied territories. This riveting story provides a unique insight into countries in extremis and helps us to develop a deeper understanding of the role history and culture play in defining a people's sense of identity. |
| Publication Details | Notes |
|---|---|
| TREASURE ISLAND ORION | An exploration and celebration of the cultural, engineering and natural wonders of England, Scotland and Wales. It will discover and discuss the treasures that make this land special and that give it a distinct character |
| Charles Walker | +44 (0) 20 3214 0874 |
Dan Cruickshank is a regular presenter on the BBC, best known for his popular series AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 TREASURES and accompanying book. His most recent series, ADVENTURES IN ARCHITECTURE, for which he wrote the accompanying book, was broadcast on BBC2 in 2008. (For details about all his publications, see his literary CV). He has also presented numerous single documentaries, including THE ART OF DYING, and BRITAIN'S PARK STORY. He has travelled extensively, filming in troubled regions including Afghanistan in 2002 (for the BBC Omnibus series to discover what cultural treasures remained after years of civil war and bloodshed) and Iraq (for UNDER FIRE, reporting on the scale of looting of Iraqi treasures). He is an Honorary Fellow of RIBA with a BA in Art, Design and Architecture. For three years he was also a visiting professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. As a leading expert on architecture and historic buildings, he is a frequent contributor to The Architects’ Journal and The Architectural Review. |
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| THE COUNTRY HOUSE REVEALED (2011) | Oxford TV/BBC2 | 8 x 60' |
| BRITAIN'S PARK STORY (2010) | Objective North / BBC 4 | 1 x 60' |
| THE GREAT BRITISH HOME MOVIE ROADSHOW (2010) | Diverse / BBC2 | |
| THE ART OF DYING (2009) | BBC Television / BBC4 | In an intimate and moving documentary, art historian Dan Cruickshank confronts the unavoidable issue of his own certain death, whether soon or far in the future. His mission, in this largely secular age, is to see if art can offer either comfort or explanation in the face of the greatest unknown of all. |
| CRUICKSHANK ON KEW: THE GARDEN THE CHANGED THE WORLD (2009) | BBC Television / BBC 2 | A look at the gardens, to celebrate their 250th anniversary. |
| GLOBAL ADVENTURES IN ARCHITECTURE (2008) | BBC Television / BBC2 | 8 X 60′ documentary series |
| PRINCES OF THE EAST END (2007) | BBC Television | 1 x 30′. In the 18th century, Britain produced a heroic brand of businessmen – men who cared as much about beauty as they did about commerce. On the streets of Spitalfields, some of the houses created by these merchant princes stand today. Dan goes in search of the legacy of these visionaries; he finds out how they made their money, where they spent it and why so many of their architectural wonders have been destroyed over the centuries. |
| BETJEMAN AND ME (2006) | Oxford Film and Television / BBC1 | 1 x 50′. Dan journeys to the places and buildings that were important to Betjeman, from St Pancras Station in London to Magdalen College, Oxford – things he campaigned for or wrote about. This is a very personal film for Dan who worked alongside Betjeman at the Architectural Review and who campaigned with him to save the Georgian houses in Spitalfields – Dan now lives in one of the houses. |
| MARVELS OF THE MODERN AGE (2006) | BBC Television | 4 x 60′. One hundred years ago, a new movement shocked culture to its core. It began as the aesthetic ideal of a few artists and idealists but became a way of life for millions of people. This landmark series, written and presented by Dan Cruickshank, traces the roots of Modernism and focuses on the movement’s leading lights, such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, and the century’s most seismic political events including the rise of Nazi Germany. The series coincides with a major exhibition at London’s Victoria And Albert Museum and is accompanied by programming on BBC FOUR. |
| THE LOST WORLD OF TIBET (2006) | BBC Television | Documentary detailing the history of TIbet before 1950. |
| THE LOST WORLD OF FRIESE-GREENE (2006) | BBC Television | 3 x 60′. Claude Freise-Greene’s amazing colour footage of Britain’s beauty spots in the 1920s brings to life the epic car journey made by the pioneering filmmaker from the tip of Cornwall to John O’Groats. In this follow-up to THE LOST WORLD OF MITCHELL AND KENYON, Dan retraces Friese-Greene’s route. "Exactly what I pay my TV licence for – beautifully crafted, inspiring and informative … left me gagging for more." (The Guardian) "It is the visual equivalent of a slice of warm buttered toast on a chilly winter’s afternoon." (The Times) |
| THE LOST WORLD OF MITCHELL AND KENYON (2005) | BFI / BBC2 | A local film historian made an amazing discovery while rummaging in a shop basement in Lancashire: 800 films dating from before the First World War in sealed barrels which give an unparalleled visual record of Edwardian British life. Highlights include the first-ever footage of Manchester United, a Crimewatch-style reconstruction from 1901 and a silent interview with the last soldier to receive the Victoria Cross from Queen Victoria herself. Dan brings the archive alive by interviewing the descendants of the people captured on film. |
| AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 TREASURES (2005) | BBC | 10 x 60′. From the Taj Mahal to the Kremlin, through to the Parthenon and the Great Wall of China, Dan journeys non-stop across the globe in search of the most significant man-made treasures on the planet. He charts the rise and fall of many of the world’s greatest civilisations to create a unique picture of humankind through history, travelling to 44 countries in just five months. |
| WHAT THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION DID FOR US (2003) | BBC | |
| BRITAIN'S BEST BUILDINGS (2002) | BBC | |
| IRAQ AFTER THE WAR (2002) | BBC | |
| THE LOST TOWER (2003) | BBC Television |
| Charles Walker | +44 (0) 20 3214 0874 |
Dan Cruickshank is a regular presenter on the BBC, best known for his popular series AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 TREASURES and accompanying book. His most recent series, ADVENTURES IN ARCHITECTURE, for which he wrote the accompanying book, was broadcast on BBC2 in 2008. (For details about all his publications, see his literary CV.) He has also presented numerous single documentaries, including THE ART OF DYING, and BRITAIN'S PARK STORY. For Dan's presenting credits, please refer to his Film, TV and Theatre profile |
