A World History of Architecture [1st Ed.]

 (15 customer reviews)

I have always admired architecture. I love wandering through cities, marvelling at their skyscrapers, and travelling to Europe to see older buildings. I bought "A World History of Architecture" so that I could better understand not only the beauty of these buildings, but their place in architectural history. "A World History" exceeded my expectations.

Its sixteen chapters describe the characteristics and innovations of architecture's major movements. You will learn what makes Gothic architecture Gothic, and Romanesque Romanesque. "A World History" also explains how these styles developed from eachother. Although appearance might suggest otherwise, today's skyscrapers are the descendants of the Parthenon and Pantheon.

Not all chapters describe western styles, however. There are long, interesting sections about Egyptian, Indian, Chinese, Islamic and Pre-Columbian American architecture. The authors explain how these types influenced Western architecture, something I...Read more

This Second Edition of "A World History of Architecture" is an exact reprint of "Buildings Across Time", Third Edition by the same authors and publisher.
The difference? Price. $52 more! Just check the other book. For a while the First Edition was out of print so I was forced to use "Buildings Across Time" (I teach architecture at a Community College so price is very important to me). While I understand that the publishers have to make a profit, how is that that they can "afford" to sell this book for $41 while an exact copy of the "approved" higher education version is $92?
I welcome the addition of notable examples in the last chapter but I have a problem with the removal of many other buildings. Just to name a few that were present in the First Edition and are missing from the Second: Biskupin, Ishtar Gate, Temple of Ramesses II, Great Stupa at Borobodur, Caernarvon Castle etc. I am not sure what this cleansing is all about, both editions are 592 pages. Granted...Read more

This is one of those big, beautiful art/architecture books that always seem to end up unread on people's coffee tables. But the book is worth reading for the wealth of good info on the buildings, and the photos are nothing less than superb. Modern wide-angle camera lenses that are used to photograph the interiors of buildings, for example, have improved greatly in the last 10-15 years, and the results show.

The most important buildings, from ancient times to modern times are covered, and the text is well done, informative, and not dry as are many books on art and architecture. One of the book's strengths is the coverage of the ideas and practices of important architects who have contributed many of the buildings in this book. The authors also do a good job of covering the social importance and context of the buildings and how they differed from culture to culture.

After reading this book, I would highly recommend Sir Nicholaus Pevsner's An Outline of European...Read more