1 comments about Architecture in Switzerland (Architecture (Taschen)).

1. The overall view of the book is considered to be an excellence book.
   There are a few projects that need to have drawing documentation and in my preferences drawings could be bigger but they are readable.
   The photographs in this book are excellent representation of the essence of the projects under the study cases. Perhaps the narratives could include deeper conclusions of the architectÂ's ideas-to explain the arrival of their conclusions.
   I would really appreciate if all drawings were black w/ grey scale.
   It really needs more drawings and if the book would include detail drawings of the variety of materials the projects used, the book would be perfect.

1 comments about Preservation Yellow Pages: The Complete Information Source for Homeowners, Communities, and Professionals (Preservation Yellow Pages).

1. Good source for help in working with older properties, although a bit too flip. Generally European sources are more informed than USA but this gives good references and sources which is what most private individuals need. It is less usefull for professionals such as architects & designers. Even here because architectural and design education in the states is more geared towards large scale developement and not so much to restoration / renovation this reference is usefull. Good for usa names and sources, but suggest that european references etc. are better in terms of specific details and construction.

No comments about Interior Atmospheres (Architectural Design).

No comments about Planting the Landscape: A Professional Approach to Garden Design.

5 comments about The Medieval Fortress: Castles, Forts, And Walled Cities Of The Middle Ages.

1. This incredibly detailed book shows you every type of castle made. From ancient times to concentric castles. It also describes how castles were defended and how they built the different types of bridges, walls, gatehouses and moats, defenses, drawbridges. The Illustrator is incredible and brings to life very clear depictions of the subject matter. This book is a must have for historians and fantasy writers and artists. This was well worth 20.00 I paid for it. I wish I would have bought the hardback.



2. This book starts from the first few pages with an in depth study of the fortified positions of the middle ages - i.e. castles, keeps, etc. Despite a level of detail that may be too in depth for a beginner, the book itself provides a very readable style and is absolutely full of useful information (krunchy bits) for authors or others wishing to make an in depth study of medieval fortifications (ATTENTION GAMERS!). It has hundreds of high quality, albeit sometimes confusing, line art portraits that show each and every aspect of castle or its related cousins (where is #67 again - its sometimes like Where is Waldo finding the numbers referenced in the subtext). The book also has a great deal of information regarding siege techniques and the weapons used therein - and this information is fantastic in its level of detail and the included line art! The included photos are all in B&W, and some are rather grainy, but by far, they all serve the purpose they were intended to - they show the true grandeur of the castle as it was.
   
   Within the text, the authors do have a habit of referencing other authors, which, if your looking for more on the subject, is good. However, by page 80, they have referenced at least 30 other authors and works (is that not what the bibliography is for).
   
   Outside of this one complaint, the book is absolutely invaluable to anyone interested in the subject!
   
   NOTE: This review references the soft-cover red front edition of the book, which I could not find the link for on Amazon (it may be an out of print edition or not, I am not sure - however, the TOC of the this edition appears identical to mine, so I am assuming that the contents have only been repackaged for the HB binding).



3. On the whole, I found this book to quite informative with many detailed descriptions of medieval European castles and cities. On some specific castles the data can be fairly general. I found this to be most obvious on castles that I have been fortunate enough to visit in the past and purchase a guide brochure or booklet from which I naturally compared the data.
   I found the section on eastern European fortifications and their developement over the centuries to be very interesting as this was a subject I previously knew very little about.
   But I do have one major 'gripe' or dissatisfaction with the book. The detailed and extensive floor plans provided throughout the book all suffer from some serious 'under labelling'. For example, a specific castle floor plan might have 20 itemised (numbered) points or features of interest on it. But when one refers to the "legend' or 'key' to find out what a certain feature is, it becomes painfully obvious that not all 20 features are actually clarified or described in the key. This is a fault that is not isolated and is unfortunately prevalent on the vast majority of floor plans in the book.
   I'm not sure whether this problem is peculiar to the published edition I purchased or is in fact inherent throughout the whole published run. In any case it appears to be a large oversite in the 'quality control' department of the book's publication process. Other than these faults, I thought this book to be a good 'read'.



4. If you've been looking for a complete book on medieval castles, you have found the book for you. Although it touches lightly on such on such areas as medieval food, hygene, and battles, the bulk of this book is an in-depth study of castles. The writing is a bit dry, but very informative, covering fortresses from England, France, Itally, and even eastern Europe. I doubt there is much about castles unsaid in this book.



5. This is an excellent work. It would be perfect for a student
   project with a focus on Middle Ages building designs. The author
   provides detailed engineering specifications for castles, forts,
   a motte and rising towers. The engineering statics implications
   are explained in the detailed design process. The work covers
   action implementalities; such as, the ram, siege and cannon.
   The author spends a portion of the book explaining how
   war objects were constructed during the Middle Age period.

   In addition, he concludes that an increase in wall size
   necessarily means weakening the overall superstructure.
   Some time is spent explaining the model diet for the period
   which consisted of wheat, barley, oats and fish. This work
   will help readers understand the building requirements
   for structures created during the Middle Ages. The book would
   be valuable for historians, art buffs, architects, engineers
   and a wide constituency of other readers.

1 comments about La Sagrada Familia.

1. My husband and I took a trip to Barcelona this year and visited this cathedral. I wanted a book that detailed all the areas you were not really able to see at the ground level. I also wanted a bit of the history and explaination of the building. This book gave me everything I was looking for. If you want very detailed pictures of just about everything on the facade, this is the book.

3 comments about Manual of Low-Slope Roof Systems.

1. I gave this book 4 stars and not 5 because it was not large enough. It should have been the next size format, so that the drawings would render better. That said, however, I must recommend this for several reasons: 1, there is a paucity of books on roofing, a mundane subject at best and of interest to few people. However, for those people, not much to choose from. "Low slope roof" is industry parlance for a commercial/industrial roof which will have layers of hot tar and roofing felt, then gravel, placed on a generally flat roof. This book explains it all, from a history of this type of roof, to various materials used, what to watch for, how to write specifications, and problems that might occur in the design or construction phases. 2, for those architects that design or specify roofs, it explains roofing in depth, and helps avoid expensive mistakes that experience alone woould teach.

   Although the book is expensive, the information given is worth every penny. Those who will buy this book will know that.




2. I reviewed this book for research on my own book, "The Roofing and Cladding System Handbook" by Robert N. Reid. It was a helpful book for anyone with a low slope roof and the diagrams and figures provided some really good information on causes of roofing failures in low slope systems and wind loads. The book also provided very good information for roofing asphalt. I acutally reviewed both the early version written in 1982 and this version written in 1996. I felt that this book is a very good book but it is especially helpful for roofing consultants, and others who specialize in roofing construction and problems.



3. In the opening chapters the authors identify many roofing industry problems... insufficient owner budgets, over-reliance on warranties, insufficient work inspection, poor design and construction, and lack of maintenance.

   Building owners, roofing designers, architects - the types of readers most likely to have an interest in this book - will know the problems first hand. And will appreciate the wealth of information presented. This text:

   Identifies and discusses in depth the myriad causes of roof failure; Presents roof design principles in light of current research; Reviews factors that influence roof design; Review the various (generic) roof systems in depth; And offers guidance for specifying and inspecting roofing work.

   The writing style is clear and consise, supported with graphs, current survey information, and other technical data.

   Readers will be armed with enough information to sort through the information and misinformation published by roof system manufacturers, select the best roof systems for their roof conditions and budgets, develop sound designs, and plow through most procurement and construction obstacles.

   Highly recommended.

No comments about Architecture in Spain.

3 comments about Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture.

1. William Morrison's book covers 74 theaters from 1873 to 1932, including those demolished as well as those still standing. Most theaters get two pages of coverage, consisting mostly of b&w photos of both the exterior and interior. The accompanying text emphasizes noteworthy performances. This book is a nice overview of the topic, although I preferred van Hoogstraten's "Lost Broadway Theaters," which gives more information about the interior layouts, but doesn't cover theaters that are still standing.



2. This book serves as a great photo album of the many legitimate theatres, which were constructed over the last century in New York. The style of this book is almost identical to Nicholas Van Hoogstraten's LOST BROAWAY THEATRES, which makes me question its necessity (some of the photos are duplicated). However, Morrison's book has some omissions that I feel are inexcusable. Two major theatres are missing: The CENTRAL, Broadway and 47th St and The ASTOR, Broadway and 45th ST, along with several minor ones. Also there are some errors in text such as when Morrison claims the ERLANGER became the ST JAMES in 1951, in fact the name change was decades earlier. Another error occurs when Morrison states the HOLLYWOOD (later HELLINGER) sealed its Broadway entrance in 1934, this actually occurred when the house went "legit" during late 40s. Never mentioned in any of these books is the PICADILLY (later WARNER, where sound movie were introduced in 1926) and COLUMBIA (later MAYFAIR and DEMILLE) Theatres, which started as stage houses but spent most of their existence as movie houses. I do not understand the continued emphasis being placed on NY's Broadway theaters without ever giving the great Times Square movie palaces (ROXY, PARAMOUNT, CAPITOL, etc) their due. Because of their vast size and popularity, the movie palaces, attracted more people to the Times Square area than the legitimate stage can ever hope to. New York's movie palaces were the largest, most expensive and arguably the finest ever built and I feel it's about time their place in Times Square's history is properly acknowledged. BROADWAY THEATRES by William Morrison offers a fine overview of its topic for those who are marginally interested. But for others expecting more insight and accuracy, Morrison's book should only be used as a starting point.



3. Ever sat in a Braodway theater and wondered about the history of the place and what shows had played there before? This book tells you. I took it with me on a recent trip to New York and discovered that one of the buildings in which I was doing business (The Hippodrome) was built on the site of the late Hippodrome theatre, where many spectacular productions, including Billy Rose's Jumbo, where staged. Morrison obviously is an expert in both theatrical history and architecture, making his essays on the individual theatres informative and lively. The play is what we go to see, but the house in which it's staged is often critical to a play's success--as Morrison demonstrates on page after page. Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture has made a great addition to my theatrical library.

No comments about English Architecture (World of Art).