2 comments about The Tower of London: The Official Illustrated History.

1. I bought another book by Parnell about the Tower (The Tower of Londong Past & Present) that basically consisted of the past 150 years of photographs of the Tower. I was a little disappointed by that book because I wanted juicy history. As a result, I was a little hesitant to order this book without really knowing anything.

   Let me tell you- this book is FABULOUS. It is a thorough history of the Tower chock-full of photographs of the Tower and its archaelogical finds, paintings representing the history of the Tower, diagrams, writings, you name it. There's even a picture of the head of Simon of Sudbury.

   The book is broken down into two parts. The first part is "The Tower in the Middle Ages" which is largely architectural information about the start and development of the castles, covering the years AD 43 to 1485. Of course, the architectural info only makes sense in light of the political and social realities that dictated the Tower's structure, and there is plenty of that info as well.

   The second section continues telling the story of the physical history of the Tower, but talks more about its functions (royal lodgings, arsenal, prison, etc.). "The Tower and its Institutions" covers the years 1485 through 2000 and really covers the role of the Tower in the history of England.

   The history provided about the Tower is incredibly thorough and detailed. If you are planning a trip to England, I highly recommend reading this book before you meander through the Tower- it will really let you know what you are seeing so you could appreciate it better. If you've read a lot of British history and just want to see the places where some of that history took place, you'll really appreciate this book. I'm so excited about this book I can't stand it.

   A small caveat- this is a history of the Tower, and not a story about the history of England that took place in the Tower. For example, this book does not discuss the fact that Henry the VI was likely killed in the Wakefield Tower in the Tower of London, even though there is a picture of the oratory where tradition says his murder occured (at least, if it's in there, I missed it).

   But this is a small complaint- there is plenty of information about the beginnings, growth, development, political role, and all kinds of other good stuff. I've looked a while for a good book on the Tower and so far this is the best one!




2. I was a little disappointed in this book mostly because I didn't read the description carefully enough. A book that shows the history of the Tower of London in photographs can really only show, say, the last 150 years of changes. Given the thousand years of Tower history, the information this book provides is from a somewhat narrow time frame. I recommend it as long as you know what you are getting into because the changes to the Tower really are fascinating- but if you want to "experience" the eras of Anne Boelyn or the Princes in the Tower, look elsewhere.

5 comments about Built By Hand.

1. I've been looking for a book on private structures, not public buildings or houses by famous architects but living places of everyday people. I couldn't imagine anything this amazing. Dwelling from all over the world. Places you would never see unless you traveled to the far reaches of our earth. I am thrilled to have found this book.



2. superlative book; pictures are top; as I've not enough money to travel in so many places and anyway I'dont want anymore take planes and contribute to pollution that will may kill us; I'm happy to travel with this book and the wonderfullest Dwellings from Paul Oivier. together with too HomeWork from Loyd Kahn, You get the best to study dwellings all over the world and maybe going back to more simplicity and built healthy powerful and sacred places as all dwellings should be !



3. For a number of years, Yoshio and Eiko Komatsu have been travelling the world taking high quality photographs of traditionally built homes. At first view, many of the photographs while though pleasant are not especially remarkable. However, what makes these many photos special is that they are combined together to tell a story about houses are traditionally built around the world.
   
   The photographs are gathered together in short chapters dealing with building techniques. For example, the first three chapters are entitled, "Hand Coiling or Coursing Wet Earth", "Earthen Blocks", and "Compacted Earth". Along with a cursory explanations of the building technique are numerous color pictures from around the world illustrating the different techniques.
   
   What makes this such a great book is the sheer number of interesting photographs of vernacular architecture. In a sense, this book is a momument to the creativity and artistic talent of the world's people. These photos stimulate the imagination.
   
   Finally, keep in mind this is a photo collection and not an academic text on vernacular architecture. This is not a book on how to build by hand but a creative homage to what people can make with locally available materials and ancient know how. Highly recommended.



4. As books go this one makes it to my top ten. People are always using the word venacular out of context, this book puts it right back. The pictures in this book speak a thousand words. Use whats local, works with materials found around you. I live on an Island on the West coast, lots of rain. There are so many people on this Island building 'green houses' with straw bales. There are so many people who are going to have mouldy homes!!! Venacular learn the word. Live in a home made of the materials around you! Buy this book, and learn.



5. Owning quite a few Vernacular Building type books, I would say that this rates up there with the best of them. I will not say it is the best though, the reason being is that all of these types of books have their own unique photos that you won't find any where else.
   
   This is a very well produced, easy to read book. It is broken up into 18 sections, with lots of full colour photos from around the world. Each photo also comes with a short explanation.
   
   With 469 pages of beautiful photographs not only showing the architecture, but also the people living in these dwellings, this book is a must have for your Vernacular Library.
   
   Hmmm... I'm looking at the book right now and see that the glue has not done it's job and the binding is falling apart!!! Beware!

No comments about In Residence: McInturff Architects (House Design Series II).

1 comments about Outhouses.

1. Showcasing the work of photographers Nick Cedar, William G. Simmonds and Jim Umhoefer, Outhouses by Holly L. Bollinger is a photographic and historical reflection upon the role that the once-necessary outhouse has played in the human past. Once thought of as a place of unpleasant odors and lack of comfort, they are now esteemed as hallmarks of the simple life, and a bygone age when America's ancestors lived closer to the land. In addition to more than 100 full color photographs of a wide variety of outdoor privies nestled amid breathtaking scenery, Outhouses includes a written overview of what life was like before indoor plumbing, with poems, songs, and humorous tidbits about the outhouse's place in American folklore. A one-of-a-kind presentation of an oft-overlooked aspect of pioneer and pre-industrial daily life.

No comments about Spectacular Homes of New England (Spectacular Homes).

2 comments about Mixed-Use Development Handbook (Development Handbook series).

1. Excellent overview. If you're involved with Mixed-Use Development in any way, buy this book as a great reference! Shawn C, CCIM



2. 1. The book gives useful knowledge for beginners but if you have more than 2 years of industry experience you can forget it.
   
   2. Cases are limited to serveral and lack of Asian perspective.
   
   3. A great text book for new comers to real estate development.

No comments about New Tent Architecture.

1 comments about Insulating Concrete Forms Construction : Demand, Evaluation, & Technical Practice.

1. I am having a house designed to use ICF construction, but I wanted to come up to speed on the construction methods used. This book was a good source to get that knowledge. I covers many specifics about ICF as well as general concrete construction methods.

No comments about Stair Design.

4 comments about The Cape Cod Cottage.

1. living ih holland, this kind of design was completely unknown to myself,very adequate for expanding. i was hoping to see more floorplans. george from holland.



2. The author returns to his origins, geographically and aesthetically; he knows the hype about "the new" and "the old," he's neither cynical nor sentimental. Just the facts and the photos: the worn stepping stone at the door, the picket fence like the hem of a dress, the decorative pane reserved for the entrance door, the low doorways, wood that resembles trees. A threatened species, these cottages, remnants of a modest past, pre-vulgar. This plain beauty, seized by these gentle photos--like catching a butterfly without rubbing the dust off its wings.



3. The text in this book (called simply "Essay" by Professor Morgan) is only ten pages! The photographs, half archival and half taken by the author, are exquisite in their simplicity, though I craved a little more information than just location and date. (I wanted to know why Professor Morgan chose to include a particular house or show a particular detail: was it typical? atypical? a good example of what can be done with a Cape Cod cottage to improve it? an example of how the ideal has been corrupted?). While the Essay is clearly an appreciation of the Cape Cod cottage (with an occassional delicious dig on the current popularity of mega-mansions and hard-to-heat great halls), Morgan doesn't oversell us on the Cape's merits. There is enough discussion of history, philosophy (including references to Zen Buddhism), and social influences to be provocative, but not so much as to be cloying, "soap-boxy," or patronizing. And he does provide a bibliography for anyone who wants to explore this topic more deeply. This book will appeal to people with a general interest in architecture or the concept of "home," and to people who grew up in a Cape Cod style house or who own one (and might be thinking of expanding or altering it in some way). The photographs reward repeated viewing.



4. This is an amazing study, highly recommended. A North American will quickly recognize the houses of his/her childhood in this study. By discussing the influence of the Cape Cod Cottege in North American architecture, Professor Morgan covers allot of ground - within the US and to to some extent within the psyche of the nomadic American. One sees in this history (as written and photographed) evidence of an innate American desire for community togetherness and for the cozy, simple, independent lifestyle of the 'American Dream'. This book is as much about the 'Cape Cod Cottege' as it is about the independent lifestyle that has been part of the typically enthusiastic, positivistic, and pragmatic American outlook. Many readers will associate these buildings with their grandparents' homes, with childhood, with their roots - wherever they have lived in the US.