EVERY once and a while a history book is published and it becomes a vital reference point for generations thereafter.

'The Royal Abbey of Reading' by its author Ron Baxter is just such a book and will go down as a seminal account of this most historic of ancient monuments.

How very different the town would be today if the Abbey remained standing - but it can be imagined with a little help from the pages of this new and thorough reference book.

Charting the time line of its foundation by Henry I to the 'Dissolution of the Monasteries' by Henry VIII and its subsequent ruination is no mean feat-but is amply depicted within this books 300 plus pages.

Many reference books can be earnest and difficult to read but not so here.

The excellent illustrations, photos, diagrams and historic paintings give the reader every chance to imagine just how monumental the whole structure would have appeared in its medieval heyday.

This Retro column doesn't have the space on these pages to detail all of the history contained within the crumbling walls of Reading Abbey but it is worth highlighting some of the most salient points raised.

King Henry I founded the first Cluniac Abbey in June 1121 and his intention was always to make it his mausoleum - many of the books pages are devoted to this and its subsequent expansion.

Some of the most interesting facts highlighted in author Ron Baxter's chapters really get to grips with the 'people history' of the monastic site and its relationship with the town.

Many events in Reading's history have revolved around the Abbey but sometimes it was itself a spectator or 'hostage to fortune' - especially during the English Civil War and the 'Siege of Reading'.

At its zenith the Abbey was as impressive as any other monastic site in the whole of England and for generations is considered a 'Royal hub' with travelling Kings and Queens stopping over within its precincts.

Many religious relics brought to the Abbey such as the left hand of St James and (more bizarrely) the foreskin of Christ - were maybe of dubious origin - but brought many pilgrims to Reading and these visitors were a valuable source of revenue for the monastery and the local traders.

Of course the aftermath of Henry VIII's dissolution was felt most severely around the town and must have felt like a dagger had been plunged into the heart of the community.

Queen Elizabeth I appeared to feel guilty about this and did try to help the town recover to a point.

At the time of the Dissolution the Abbey's Abbot Hugh was between a rock and a hard place - despite petitioning on behalf of the King to divorce Katherine of Aragon he was executed in 1539.

The demolition of the Abbey was unusually fast and thorough and the author concludes that 'Reading Abbey had a raw deal from the Reformation onwards'.

Many hundreds of tons of lead roofing,ironworks,tiles and glass were sold off with stone being used for the construction of St Mary's church amongst many other local structures.

With so much of the fabric of the buildings removed it is interesting to see Dr Baxter's extensive research explaining what the stonework and its intricate carvings might have looked like.

The Abbey's signature emblem is the Scallop (shell) and another was the floral appearance on many of the arches and limestone carvings.

The Abbey ruins are not open to the public but some structures that survive include the Abbey Mill archway and wall over the Holy Brook plus the Abbey Gateway - although this is a reconstruction from its collapse in 1861.

Of course some fragments survive after being discovered locally and some fine examples can be found in Reading Museum.

The burial site of Henry I may (or may not) exist within the ruins but the announcement of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant earlier this year could mean the site will be open to the public by 2018.

In the meantime anyone who gets the 'Abbey bug' and craves more information about this iconic monastery really must put this volume on their shopping 'bucket list'.