5 comments about New Classicism: The Rebirth of Traditional Architecture.

1. As an architectural (and photo) enthusiast, I ordered this book and was immediately and severely dissapointed. The photos throughout the book don't showcase architecture very well, nor do they highlight "new classicism" in my opinion. The worst thing is the quality of the photos and printing. I returned this book immediately and would not recommend it, not even for a coffee table book.



2. I love the fact that we're in something of a classical revival in American architecture. We desperately need exposure to these traditions after 60 years of northern European-derived, cheap, pseudo-modernistic schlock. Most of the architects featured in this volume are at the leading edge of the classical revivial in the United States and Great Britain, but the book is really not put together well at all. The photography, critical to a book like this, is good is some places and horrible in others. The text is dull as dirt, despite the noble intentions of the author, and one can't help but think that a few of the author's favorites are in here that, otherwise, would not really meet the standards of a study like this. There's a pretty strong line between fine classical design and overblown tastelessness. To me, classicism is about refinement and delicacy of detail and proportion. This book and some of the entries included within lack those qualities.
   
   I'd like to see more new classicism, but this book should only be considered a "first draft." I know Elizabeth Dowling can do better.



3. That somebody be the author of this architectural publication is inspirational! I bought a copy through [...] and am very pleased that I did.Besides the interesting photographs, there is also very interesting reading about the subject.It's a pity that here in South Africa we don't get to see much of this type of work as it is very appropriate for Democratic Societies, even today!



4. This is a really good book, with vivid, crisp images and interesting and informative text, the other review on this page really has little to do with this book and more to do with the subject, of which they have a very strong opinion..fine..but to give this book two stars is just plain obtuse, i mean granted these present day architects may not be mckim, mead, and white, or carrere and hastings, or Trumbaur..but christ, does that mean their work should not be given a fair assessment, I really think that review is very infair to this book, take on present day high end residential architects fine, but this is suppose to be a review of this book book, not a diatribe on the state of high end residential architects..good grief, we all can agree, that Quinlin Terry, nomatter how good he is, is no Horace Trumbaur or Stanford White, anyway back to the book, lord, i gave it five stars, just to bring it up a notch to four..i think it's really a strong four star. I especially appreciated the images of that massive mansion built by harrison designs out of atlanta, that house looks like something out of the guilding age it is simply spectacular in everyway, the images of it alone are worth the price of this book. All the big names in grand residential architecture are present, i especially appreciated the section on Quinlin Terry, I love his work. Overall, i highly recommend this book to anyone with a love for grand residential architecture, you won't be disappointed, just don't expect to ever see work like that of Traumbaur or Delano and Aldrich, all the great masons are long gone, and nobody is going to spend the kind of time and money it would take to build another Whitmarsh or Biltmore, those days are washed up on the shores of history.



5. My issue isn't so much with this physical book itself - the pictures are big and colorful, although often blurry for some reason - as much as it is with the architecture. Palladian windows and columns are classical elements, and building with brick and stone are classical materials, but architecture is all proportion. With the exception of the Julian Bicknell work, this book is largely haphazard attempts at making new buildings look old by throwing a lot of money at them. What is missing is the understanding of proportion - not just in the Palladian sense - but in the sense of the early 20th century American architects - Lindeberg, Delano & Aldrich, Trumbauer, Mellor, Meigs & Howe, Pope, Platt, and later Adler, etc. And you can throw Lutyens in the U.K. in there as well. Anyway, I guess I would say - you're not likely to learn much from this book, and that if you are interested in the houses that inspired this "new" Classicism, just stick with the aforementioned work.

2 comments about Sonoma Valley Style: At Home in California's Wine Country.

1. Author Kathryn Masson is a native Californian with access to some of the finest private homes and gardens in the area: Sonoma Valley Style: At Home In California's Wine Country pairs lovely color photos by Steven Brooke of both exteriors and interiors with Masson's feature of wine country homes and weekend retreats. Each home receives descriptions of the homeowner's goals, collaborations between architects and builders, and review of unique design attributes and challenges. From a historic Craftsman farmhouse to a 21st century interpretation of Arts and Crafts style, Sonoma Valley Style contrasts and highlights a variety of elegant homes, from restored Mexican adobes to Victorian farmhouses.



2. Sonoma Valley is not far from it's better known neighbor Napa Valley. What that really means is that it's not nearly as crowded with tourists. Still prime wine growing country the first vinyards date from the middle 1800's. It also seems that wine people tend to not be poor. The houses from the old vinyards are classical and elegant. The houses from the new vinyards are not bad either.
   
   In this book you'll see a lot of kitchens with Viking type stovetops. There aren't many stoves from Sears purchased second hand. The book is a description of some of the more elegant houses in Sonoma Valley. It is profusely photographed by Steven Brooke an architectural photographer of reknown. His works include books on Rome, Jerusalem, Savannah, Napa and others. His pictures have a warm, creamy look that I find very inviting. The description that goes with the houses combines descriptive information with history and tales of the people who buile/remodeled them.
   
   The book is about what you would expect of a coffee table book on a region: high quality pictures, high quality writing, high quality printing.

3 comments about Living in Morocco.

1. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in interior design or Morocco.
   Full of beautifull photos of guest houses and private homes in Morocco. The book is presented beautifully and would make a great present for someone special or even as a gift to yourself.



2. This is certainly what I did when I purchased this book. I expected a volume full of palaces, mosques, markets and average folk's homes (or at least native Moroccans!). What I found was a book of lavish hotels and rich foreigners' mansions. They are by and large interesting rich foreigners, but I was still disappointed in that what is portrayed in this book is not "living" in Morocco. It's "being wealthy" in Morocco. There is nothing penetrating about this book, but it is nice eye-candy.



3. Another one those wonderful coffee table book by Taschen publication. This book has a broader variety of homes like from the exclusive Aman hotel (Amanjena) to a humble farmer's house. It's not a book about how to live in Morocco nor about going remodeling or building a home in Morocco. It shows you what some foreigners and locals have done to their home.

   Book is cheaper than the previous Taschen book "Moroccan style".

1 comments about The Great Houses of England and Wales: Concise Editon (Universe Architecture Series).

1. I enjoyed the overview that this book provides. I am facsinated with the world that existed for the wealthy members of society at the time when these houses were built and then refurbished. It was an easy read - I would be interested in seeing the extended version.

1 comments about Architecture in the Netherlands (Architecture (Taschen)).

1. I bought this book for someone interested in Real Estate, and I didnt know what kind of souvenier to bring them from my trip to the Netherlands. It has plenty of beautiful photos of some great buildings, inside and out. It has descriptions too.

No comments about Across This Land: A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada (Creating the North American Landscape).

5 comments about Lost New York, Expanded and Updated Edition.

1. The original version of Silver's ode to New York City's architectural ghosts was compiled almost forty years ago, so it's nice that this revised edition was released in 2000, with a ton of new photos and revised text. It definitely belongs on the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in the modern history of Manhattan. That said, the book is very poorly designed and would benefit from a total makeover. The photo size and placement follow no discernable grid or system, and the text and photos often don't match up, forcing the reader to flip back and forth. More annoyingly, there's no standard system for captioning or dating the photos, except for an "Illustrations and Sources" section at the back. So, I read this book with one finger permanently stuck in the back so I could flip back and forth to get a sense of the eras I was looking at -- very cumbersome. It also would have been really nice to have a map at the front with the photos matched to it. While the photos are obviously archival, the reproductions seem curiously flat and fuzzy. This may be due to the uncoated natural paper the book was printed on, but they would benefit from the contrast a bright white paper would provide as well as new scans and some careful retouching work. So, this is a neat book, but could become something really excellent in the hands of a good designer.



2. Mr. Silver has a poetic prose style, revealing a most poetic soul, and frames his message of architectural conservation and adaptation through a highly effective personal lens of incredulity and nostalgia, articulating what most readers subconsciously knew but probably never take the time to think about: that architecture is the most accesible and inescapable reminder of urban culture at a given moment; that while culture evolves and architecture becomes artifact, these artifacts can often continue - through thoughtful planning and incentives - to live and to serve without economic detriment to their owners; and that rapacious, self-serving obliteration of our architectural past is the obliteration of cultural evolution and memory.

   I would like to see Mr. Silver now produce a companion volume to LOST NEW YORK, a book about what has been saved.




3. IF the reviewer below is really Nathan Silver, I congratulate him on the shift of gears from his 1968 version of LOST NEW YORK to this one. (Even if it's not him, I congratulate him anyway.) The first edition was heavy on the preservation/conservation debate while this one is more reflective and personal. In both instances, however, Mr. Silver has made an incredible contribution to the study of New York history--not just its architecture, but to the thinking that went into the creation of these lost structures, and the lack of thinking that destroyed them.

   Like Jane Jacobs, Mr. Silver shares a passion for the city and how its monuments, public buildings and spaces, and private residences have a direct and fortifying effect on its citizens. The photographs are stunning, as is the quality of the printing. Mr. Silver's text is equally powerful and just as relevant. At times the effect of seeing these representations of a lost time, and reading about their ends, can be upsetting; the sense of loss is very powerful. But there is a point to all of it beyond the seeming nostalgia: we had better start appreciating those gems of the past that are still rooted in the schist of Manhattan before they wind up in the next edition of LOST NEW YORK.

   One last note: As rebuilding begins on the site of the World Trade Center (a part of lost New York that wasn't our fault), this book indirectly compels New Yorkers to participate in some forward-thinking. It makes one wonder, not only what was lost to us, but what will we give to future generations?

   Rocco Dormarunno,
   author of THE FIVE POINTS




4. The book Lost New York by Nathan Silver is one of the best photo and information books ever writen. Old photos and information on land marks in New York City which have been torn down. Shows you how buitiful a city is but also how little care some people can have for it's treasures



5. This wonderful book gives wonderful pictures and descriptions of lost buildings.

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!

5 comments about Damascus: Hidden Treasures of the Old City.

1. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOKS ABOUT THE OLDEST CITY IN THE WORLD, MUST HAVE.



2. About this purchase I have all the good things to remmember and now share with all the other AMAZON customers.
   First, I tried to buy the same book from another seller ( A1Books ), but they sent a wrong book and after many emails, I have NOT a single reply. After a time I contacted the AMAZON and they provided a REFUND of the book as a kind of warranty for the buyer.
   Later, as I really needed the book ( I am building a palace in Islamic style in Rio de Janeiro)I bought the book directely from AMAZON. In some days I received the book fast and in very safe package.
   In order to see what I am making check: [...]
   Thanks!



3. Photos here are exquisite, great text in pursuit of a noble cause--saving the crumbling architectural treasures in Old Damascus. Would be tragic if these are forever lost--the feeling of standing in a mosaic courtyard with trees, a fountain in the middle, where just outside the bustle of the world moves by in the suq...this book brings back memories of the place, if you've ever been there. The one comfort is that if these houses do crumble beyond repair, at least they are preserved in some way in this beautiful book.
   
   Combine Syria's architectural treasures with the warmth of its people, its great food, and you see why it leaves such an impression with visitors.



4. Affordable entertaining book if you love Damascus like i do.Excellent pictures .No big lies like some authers who are experts!!!!. buy it you will love it.Give it as gift to any friend.



5. This book is a must for anyone who loves Damascus and is concerned about its deterioration. It's a must for any Damascene expatriate's living room coffee table book collection for sure. The photographs are absolutely stunning and the text is interesting and engaging. One flaw, however is that I would have liked to see the photographs and the text regarding specific houses cross-referenced, (perhaps in the appendix of houses' names in the back of the book) as photographs and texts about specific houses are scattered throughout the book and you have to find all the references yourself--very annoying. Other than that, it is a wonderful book for showing off a unique aspect of our beloved city. Some of these houses are being used as sets for Syrian soap operas-- look closely and you might recognize some!

No comments about Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C. (Vintage).