This fascinating, meticulously researched book is an affectionate account of an English country home, Higham Hall in Kent. When you live in a historic house, you are always conscious of your predecessors. ‘Gunpowder, Apples and Cement’ brings the previous occupants of one such house to life. Detailing a continuous thread of occupation from the mid-seventeenth century to today, tells the story of an English country home and the families who lived there. Full of engrossing details about the social and economic history of Kent, it provides an engaging history of middle-class English life over a period of 450 years. In the process, this captivating story looks at the links between intensely local history and national events - and reminds us that history is made up of individuals and their stories.