4 comments about The Splendor of France: Great Chateaux, Mansions, and Country Houses.

1. A great and large collection of huge impressive photos for any Francophile that loves the French countryside and it's haute-couture architecture. A super reference for artists and travelers.



2. This is a nice book on an amazing subject. Maybe I expected too much from this book, I don't know, but though I liked it very much indeed, it did not blow me away. Something was missing, I think it was Versailles and Fountainbleau and maybe Sceaux. I just thought most of the greatest chateaux where absent, although I loved the section on Vaux le Vicomte, now that is a spectacular chateaux by anyones definition; maybe the most beautiful in France...Louis XIV thought so. The photographs where first rate and I did enjoy the book, I just wanted more. Having said that I do recommend it to anyone who in interested in this subject; for those it really is a book worth owning.



3. I got this because I really missed France after studying architecture there for a semester. This book really captured the same feeling of many of the historical sites I visited. My favorites are Chenonceau and Vaux-le-Vicomte, the French chateaux with formal garden.

   This paper back version is only 287 pages much shorter then the first hardcover that was about 400-500 pages. I don't quite remembered, but I think there were some lesser chateaux taken out. I found the hardcover for $130 at a local architectural bookstore. So, this definitely a steal at Amazon price of $28.

   The pictures are very big; every other page is a full page photograph. Some pages have a smaller picture and a written summary. This is more of a picture book with very little written texts, so you can't really use it for writing a resource paper. The picture of the building or site is very clean, since most of these places are full of tourist and it is funny seeing it empty. There are photographs of Chateaux, garden, interior design with furniture, and sculpture.

   If you like France and garden after the Baroque period, this is a nice book. It would be a five star if they didn't condense the book from the in-depth first edition.




4. This book is an absolute treasure to anyone who loves French architecture and decoration. It contains spledid photographs of French Chateaux inside and out. While expensive it is worth every cent and then some. A Must!

No comments about Charleston Architecture and Interiors.

5 comments about American Castles: A Pictorial History.

1. I enjoyed the book. The photographs iside were excellent. The only reason I gave it three stars is because it was WAY TO SHORT. I only wish there was more pictures and backgound. As far as its delivery goes. The book came on time and in perfect shape.



2. 
   This is a nice hardback book with beautifully photographed pictures of the "MAJOR" USA Castles (or mansions) . Please note that most of the photos in this book are of the exteriors.
   
   There are many other mansions still around in the USA, but this book contains the most well-known "mansions",photographed on the outside.



3. Though I greatly enjoyed a visit to Hearst's "Castle" in San Simeon some years ago, as a European one tends to be unaware that it isn't the only building of its kind in the USA. This book provides an excellent overview of what's on offer, and for me truly opened up whole new perspectives on architecture. The shameless display of wealth is very much to the fore in several of the houses that are documented. Though the results are sometimes in questionable taste, or even childishly naïve, and architects apparently weren't always able to articulate the difference between a hallway in a private dwelling and an opera house lobby, there is also an exhilarating buoyancy to it all that's rarely found in European buildings, weighed down as they are by historical and stylistic consciousness (barring maybe a few Victorian extravaganzas in the UK and of course Ludwig II's castles in Bavaria). Confections like the dining room at The Breakers or the ballroom at Marble House might have been cooked up in Hollywood as sets for some million-dollar fairy tale movie and are simply mind-blowing.
   Still, of even greater interest than these would-be Versailles' are quintessentially American buildings like the Carson House in Eureka or the bizarre Winchester "Mystery" House. All of these are shown to excellent advantage in this book, with an occasional Italianate Palazzo and the odd gothic monstrosity thrown in for good measure. Both interiors and exteriors are (selectively) documented. Texts are brief and to the point. The photography is more than serviceable, though of somewhat variable quality and rarely quite top-notch. Still, at the price nobody interested need hesitate to pick up this slim volume. If you are seriously interested in the subject I would however urge you (also) to invest in the McAlister's more comprehensive, scholarly, and visually stunning "Great American Houses", which includes floor plans, unfortunately missing in the present book.



4. For $10.36 you simply cant beat the value of the beautiful photos in this book. Grand 'modern' castles & mansions of the Guilded Era with pictures of their interiors also. My favorites are the Hearst mansion/castle & the Hammond castle. I gave it less than 5 stars because it is only 80 pages long. I gave it more than 3 stars for the exquisite photos.

   See other books I have reviewed if you want more suggestions for books on castles & architecture.




5. A variety of architectural styles are represented in this full color book, including gothic castles, victorian mansions and palazzos. Each building represented contains a brief history and beautiful photographs. A few of the castles highlighted are the monumentous Hearst Castle, the Winchester Mystery House and Ca'd'Zan. Newport's mansions are well represented also. It is an absolute bargain for the price. Short and sweet it is a great way to start a library of castles. I would highly recommend.

No comments about American Dream Homes: Luxury Home Plans: 150 Finely Crafted Home Designs.

5 comments about Shop America: Mid-Century Storefront Design, 1938-1950.

1. Shop America is a great reference source for anyone who loves vintage, retro, Mid-Century Modern or just shopping! It is chocked full of great artists renderings, plans and photos of store design and showcases both what we were and what we hoped to be. If you are a designer, this book is a must have. If you are a casual enthusiast this bokk is a should have. Either way it is just great! Stephen Heller, please give us more!



2. Excellent book, this is our second purchase of this particular book. My husband now has two of them, one in each of his residences, in Rhode Island and now Florida. Thanks,



3. I was disappointed in this book. The best picture is the one on the cover. Inside, each selection is pretty much the same. "Style suggestion for a florist shop," "Style suggestion for a shoe store," etc. Has diagrams and font types, window measurements, etc. All tech stuff that's not really interesting to me. I would have returned it, but didn't want to mess with the shipping. Sigh.



4. In the midst of the Great Depression, American Business adopted an American form of modernism that heralded a new age of technology and progress. This period of design history is sometimes called, "Machine Age", "Streamline Modern" or "Midcentury Modern." This belief in the spirit of progress can be seen in almost all American design of this period.
   
   "Shop America" adds to our understanding of the time by focusing on store front design. American glass companies produced beautifully illustrated catalogs that promoted the use of glass and modern building materials. These catalogs inspired architects and small business owners to create store fronts that embraced the progressive spirit of modernism.
   
   When many of us think of the 1940's and 1950's, we think of a conformist age best understood by old television shows like Ozzie and Harriet and Father Knows Best. However, a book like "Shop America" also demonstrates that American business and consumers of the time were willing to adopt a bold modernist vision. Although the designs in these books are 50-60 years old, they are still very fresh and exciting.
   
   This book was produced by the German Publisher, Taschen. Like all Taschen books it is a very good value. It is a large format book with very high production values. This book is a must purchase for all enthusiasts of the period as well as for contemporary architects and designers. Highly recommended.



5. Turn the pages of this fascinating book and you're window shopping on Main Street in the late forties, plenty of consumer goods are just a touch away thanks to large glass windows. The essence of the book is more than ninety ideas for storefronts created by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. Each has an artists rendering, sometimes a technical detail or floor plan and technical information about the glass used.
   
   It is the exuberant artwork that makes the book come alive. They capture a mid-century of elegant shoppers seduced by Carrara glass and Aluminum. Virtually every store has an overall streamline design frequently mixing atomic motifs and the final individual touch is the name in a modern sans type or a casual script for a ladies retail unit. Strangely there is no actual reference to the Pittsburgh PGC or the artists though E A Lundberg has his signature on many of the illustrations.
   
   This is a large book (handsomely designed and printed) that fortunately makes all the wonderful renderings large too. In the first few pages Steve Heller contributes an overview of storefront design illustrated with black and white photos of real stores in large American cities. Predictably few of them are as flamboyant as the concept artwork in the glass-makers sales material.
   
   *** FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
   
   
   
   
   
   

1 comments about Architectural Inspiration: Styles, Details and Sources.

1. This book is an outstanding display of custom idea's for the entire home. The photo's bring to life 1000's of interior and exterior shots, that give you idea's from all over North America. Different styles, materials, concepts, roof lines, sidings and unique designs are fully explored throughout the book. If you want idea's while building a custom home, that are state of the art, and displayed with beautiful photographic pictures that you can build from, this is an excellent book to have. The text fully explains the use of materials and explain sections of the pictures that I would not generally have seen. I have only just received my copy of Architectural Inspirational and have received some excellent feedback from my friends and neighbours whom I have shared my recent purchase.

4 comments about Reflections on the Pool: California Designs for Swimming.

1. Detailed analysis of a few each of several different types of pools: lap pools, "natural" pools, indoor pools, famous pools, etc., all in California. Not a construction manual, but full of details worth considering when designing a pool. A must for anyone considering getting a pool on a difficult or very special piece of land.



2. This excelent book is focused exclusively on design. Very inspiring and unique. Do not expect to find anything about maintenance, it is a book meant for designers. A must for landscape designers and architects.



3. The photography is fabulous. Many of the pools were designed by the author, but this does not detract from the book. It is well balanced. The chapters include: the natural pool, lap pools, infinity edges, indoor pools, historical pools, among others.



4. A lovely book, plenty of inspirational photography and sufficient detail to inspire the intended pool builder or professional. Coffee table interest

2 comments about Building with Bamboo: A Handbook.

1. If you plan to build structures with bamboo, this book is a must. It is the only one I have found that has construction details.



2. Technology is great, but sometimes building methods of native people are "better" than our scientific methods. From an engineering standpoint it was a great book but as a book for someone curious about many ways of building things I was a little disappointed.

5 comments about Bricklaying.

1. I have done quite a bit of tile work and am not a foreigner to trowel trades. When I decided to put in my first brick hearth and wall I looked for a book to give me the basics. This was not it. I feel it is poorly outlined and organized and lacked some basic information I sought. There are some cool projects in it, but start with another book if you're new to the trade.



2. Some reviews claim this isn't a book for a 'do-it-yourselfer'. This may be true if your abilities to think and to build are of a limited capacity. This book has excelent illustrations and explainations that walk you through many forms of building with brick though simple explaination. I would recomend this to the 'able' 'do-it-yourselfer' and I can imagine there are things profesionals could gleam from this book as well.



3. I checked the book out from the library first to get a feel for it, though the illustrations are good, I found the method of instruction haphazard and very much lacking.

   In addition the author is Australian and many of the terms used are not US specific. No attempt is made to explain many of the techniques

   Go for a time life book, or the following used text "AUDEL'S MASONS AND BUILDERS LIBRARY," by Louis Dezettel (look for volume 2 bricklaying, plastering...) is exceptionally written in regards to detail and very easy to understand.




4. A disapointment. Confusing, full of obscure terms and "inside" tips that are useless to the do-it-yourselfer. Seems like a book written by an expert for other experts. After purchasing this book I picked up a used Time-Life book on masonary that had more good info in 10 pages than this 320 page turkey.



5. If you are a mason of any background, you will love this book. Really well illustrated, diagrams done nicely. Easy to understand. From beginer type work to extreame arch wk & much more. Last point if you want to build a outside grill out of brick check out the 10 brick grill layouts in this book.
   Good Stuff!

2 comments about 100 of the World's Best Bars.

1. I just received my copy of this book and the pictures are absolutely beautiful! It has great inspiration if you are thinking of opening a bar/lounge/restaurant. Some bars even have the blueprint along with pictures.



2. This is a great resource book. And this group out of Milwaukee, FLUX DESIGN
   is really doing some wonderful interior design and full out building of there designs, making for truly unique spaces. Buy it.