On a Pedestal

This is a book for people who are interested in statues . . . and for people who aren’t. It explores those immortalised in marble and bronze – and what the rest of us think about them.

As Roger Lytollis travels Britain he encounters a man at Liverpool’s Beatles statue convinced that Rod Stewart was in the Fab Four. In Edinburgh he walks into a row over Greyfriars Bobby’s nose and in Glasgow learns why the Duke of Wellington wears a traffic cone on his head. London brings a controversial nude statue and some hard truths about racism.

Elsewhere, Roger sees people dancing with Eric Morecambe, finds a statue being the backdrop to a marriage proposal and, everywhere he goes, pigeons. Always pigeons . . .

On a Pedestal is the first book to examine public statues around the nation. It looks at their emergence into our culture wars; the trend for portraying musicians, sports stars and comedians rather than monarchs, politicians and generals; the amazing tales of many of those commemorated on our streets.

It also features interviews with sculptors, including Sir Antony Gormley, telling the stories behind some of our most popular modern statues.

Part history book, part travelogue, On a Pedestal brings statues to life. Informative and entertaining, it’s a book that – ultimately – is more about blood than bronze.