From its days as a major fishing and whaling port, through Second World War bomb damage and post-industrial decline to its current status as UK City of Culture for 2017, Hull has a proud and distinctive identity. This extraordinary history is embodied in the buildings that have shaped the city. Hull in 50 Buildings explores the history of this rich and vibrant community through a selection of its greatest architectural treasures. From the new Hull York Medical School building to the new St Stephen’s development, this unique study celebrates the city’s architectural heritage in a new and accessible way. Author Paul Chrystal guides the reader on a tour of the city’s historic buildings and modern architectural marvels.

Paul Chrystal was educated at the Universities of Hull and Southampton where he took degrees in Classics and wrote his MPhil thesis on attitudes to women in Roman love poetry. He appears regularly on BBC local radio the World Service as well as publishing features for national newspapers and history magazines. He has been history advisor for a number of York tourist attractions and is the author of many books on a wide range of subjects, including histories of northern places focussing on Yorkshire, social histories of tea, chocolate and confectionery and various aspects of classical literature and Roman history. Paul lives near York and is married with three grown up children.