4 comments about Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850.

1. ... this book simply has to be the authoritative (perhaps even definitive?) history of early 19th-century American architecture. Beyond content, the volume is very attractively gotten up. How could Yale offer a volume with this many photos for that price? Finally, I very much like this book's trim size (8.25 x 10.25 inches), I'm impressed that Yale somehow produced it to lay open flatly on almost any page, and I relish the book's fine heft--the feel of it in my hands. All the way around, an incredible accomplishment for both the author and the press. Congratulations!



2. Emphasizing intellectual and cultural ties to British style and taste, W. Barksdale Maynard examines Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850, and discovers, in a revisionist manner that the progress of public and private building design in that age of American innocence wasn't simply about national fervor and a desire to create distance from Europe. In particular, the author ties the ubiquitous Greek Revival manner to international esthetic currents. With well-written and cogent text and 200 illustrations (50 in color) taken from contemporary prints and photographs, this handsome volume will remind readers of what was gained and lost in the establishment of an American architecture.



3. I really enjoyed reading Maynard's book. The 200-plus illustrations are beautiful, many of them never reproduced before. It is the first book in many years to survey this period in American building, and I found it extremely readable and useful. I'm sure students will be reading it in their courses, but general readers too will find it highly accessible. Lots of the buildings shown have been demolished, so it gives a great sense of what no longer exists. Philadelphia is treated in detail, which was especially interesting to me. This is as much a cultural history as a history of architecture, and that's what makes this such an outstanding book.



4. This book has filled an essential need in the study of American architecture. Every person, every student, every traveler must have this book in hand.

2 comments about First House: The Grid, the Figure and the Void (Architectural Monographs (Cloth)).

1. As an architectural historian, I have read a number of books that approach this subject, but none so comprehensively and with such a thoughtful analysis. Clear and concise writing with intriguing visual comparisons and beautiful illustrations and drawings. I recommend this book by the brilliant author/architect to anyone interested in 20th-century American architecture.



2. This book reviews the box type architecture of the '40s, but with a twist, with details. This author features the first homes' interior gems. Yes, paintings, furniture and from old photographs, first time owners are rediscovered. Philip Johnson (also wrote at the end), I M Pei, Noyes, etc. its like the first album for a superband or superstar. Mr Bjone as an architect himself does an excellent job in this endeavor. Refreshing, the new cool.

No comments about Crystal Palace (Architecture in Detail).

No comments about The Majesty Of St. Augustine (Majesty Architecture).

2 comments about Eden by Design: The 1930 Olmsted-Bartholomew Plan for the Los Angeles Region.

1. It's true that the maps are often too small and would be better in color, as the originals are. However, the reprints are far from illegible, and the text of the Olmsted-Bartholomew proposal is captivating in and of itself.

   I was fascinated to read the astute predictions of these men of vision, and their thoughtful proposals for increasing the quality of life for Angelenos. I remarked at the urgency of their recommendations; they seem to genuinely fear the social consequences of allowing a city to grow with inadequate space reserved for recreation and natural beauty.

   If only we could know what L.A. would have been if the plan had been adopted!




2. This reprint of "The 1930 Olmsted-Bartholemew Plan for the Los Angeles Region" is more exactly a low-quality copy. The maps are so dark they are very difficult to read, and the way they are bound into the book, much of the details are lost into the seams. The original maps were color, so any references to colors in the legends are lost, and the gray scales blended together make the maps even less articulate. It's important that a document such as this is reprinted for all to see, but it seems as if this volume has missed an opportunity of becoming a library keepsake.

No comments about The Chicago Board of Trade Building.

No comments about Europan 8: Europena Urbanity and Strategic Projects.

1 comments about Living in Norway (Living In...).

1. "Living in Norway" is a pictorial tour throughout Norway of days gone by in quiet solitude between the grand fjords with the majestic mountains on all sides. The book is divided into the four seasons: fall, winter, spring and summer. You can experience the beauty of Norway through all seasons. Winter time in Norway is long, and the daylight hours few, but the homes are gaily decorated throughout the dark winter days. When it comes to antiques, here you can see them in their natural surroundings. This book offers hundreds of color photographs, but don't forget to read the text, it is a fantastic tour of Norway. The "hytta" or cabins the norwegians used in the summer days are featured, many of the old hytta still exist and open their doors to guests as do American bed and breakfasts. Some of the hytta remain with the original families, others have been purchased for private use or for overnight stays. Traditional rosmalling on the walls and the "box beds" will guide you through times gone by. An intimate tour through the summer home of Edvard Grieg and his wife will delight you and amaze you to discover that this is also the final resting place of the Greig's. But more awaits. The modern Norwegian homes are smartly represented also, from a simple concrete structure in Oslo decorated to please someone with an eye for new-age artwork, these glimpses inside the homes of Norway and excellent stories about their histories may leave you wondering how to find these places. No fear, among the last pages of the book are addresses for each of these homes if you would like to include one of these homes on your next trip to Norway. No matter if you wish to visit a Nordland harbor with it's peaceful calm fjord, or a Gudbrandsdalen farm which is linked to the 3 series trilogy written by Nobel prizewinner Sigrid Undset (The Bridal Wreath, The Mistress of Husaby, The Cross), you will find a rich selection of Norwegian homes, interior and exterior, modern or antique. As you read the book, it will look handsome on your coffee table. It makes an excellent gift for a family member who would enjoy reading about days gone by in Norway and living in modern Norway. If you desire to decorate your home norwegian style, ideas abound in the book. How about a stroll along Karl Johan street in Oslo to find a excellent restaurant with a historical past? A great book for Norwegian genealogists interested in farm life also. This book is rich in text and photographs, and the book is so inexpensive. Enjoy!

No comments about A Thriving Modernism: The Houses of Wendell Lovett and Arne Bystrom.

2 comments about The Making of a Modern Japanese Architecture: 1868 To the Present.

1. This book doesn't mention every Japanese architecture that one would normally associate. It gives an extremely unique and highly critical and selective account of modern Japanese architecture history particularly based on the powerful architecture of Antonin Raymond, Kazuo Shinohara and Arata Isozaki. From the author's tribute to these selected architects and architecture, the reader would be able to receive a new insight and broader yet more focus understanding of contemporary Japanesearchitecture. Original classic photographs



2. it's quite shar