Isokon was the name given to a modernist apartment block and a minimalist way of living in the 1930s, all conceived by a young couple, Jack and Molly Pritchard (who had a home just outside Southwold). 

They first worked with an architect called Wells Coates who created the Lawn Road Flats in Hampstead. A striking building from the outside, its modest living accommodation was supported by communal areas - a dining room, bar and lounge. And the concept was embraced by artists, writers, thinkers - and spies - who all came to live here, including Agatha Christie.

With the threat of war, the Pritchards employed European designers who had been forced to flee their home countries. Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer and László Moholy-Nagy left Nazi Germany and joined the Isokon design company to create furniture, architecture and graphic art.

This book provides an incredible account of the people, the period, the concept and the achievements and it's written in an easy, engaging style. It's full of facts and detailed research, of course, but the story is as fascinating as any romance or thriller. Brilliant!