No comments about Nearest Thing to Heaven: The Empire State Building and American Dreams (Icons of America).

5 comments about Taj Mahal: Passion and Genius at the Heart of the Moghul Empire.

1. I wish I read this book before I went to see the Taj. Now i have to make a second trip to find the signature of Amanat Khan on the Taj.



2. This book is the story of the family behind the Taj Mahal. If you are interested in the actual monument, its design and construction, you will have to do with about 50 pages. I got this book at the public library, so I was able to browse it, and the history was I was looking for. Otherwise, I would have been disappointed.
   
   The Prestons give not only an understandable, but also a readable account of this brutal family history. The sketch of the love story is well known, but not how Shah Jahan lost favor of his father, in some part due to his father's love and dependence on one of this late in life wives. Most, probably, do not know the fate of the children of these famous lovers, nor that Shah Jahan died imprisoned by one of them within view of this monument.
   
   One can only marvel on how Mumtaz Mahal traveled with her husband in war, and exile, constantly pregnant and bearing 14 children. Perhaps, as their family history suggests, she was the only one with whom he could confide and trust. They had a lasting sexual attraction despite his easy access to others and her continual pregnancies. They had shared extreme ups and downs. She may have been the only constant (later fulfilled by their eldest daughter) in his brutal and unstable world.
   
   The Prestons note the other mausoleums built for and by these Moghul rulers, none of which approach this in style and size. As I write this, the Food Channel has a competition of chocolate sculptors making a model of this incredible structure.



3. For those that want to see complete visuals and illustrations of the Taj Mahal, then this book is not for you. It contained many photos but most were taken at a distance and others were a bit blurry. Even my heavily scratched reading glasses did not assist in delivering me an adequate detailed photo. I visited the Taj, in 2002, and have more interesting photos than what was portrayed in the book. I also visited the Red Fort in 2006, which was also described in the book.
   The only other 'pessimistic item' that I would write about was that, at times, it was difficult to follow the authors when they would describe informative detail on the building and how it was constructed. Since there were no photos about these fine details to observe, this information proved difficult to follow. It could be just me. I am a very visual person and that describing things in detail usually averts my attention. I need visuals!
   Now, for the good side. I thought the book was very informative on the Moghul empire. It discusses all the friction between the families on the strive to gain power and gives you a pretty good account of the history of India(Moghul empire, mainly) during that time frame. It also makes you understand why imperialistic empires just don't survive and how the desire for power destroyed this infamous empire. I am no avid historian and have read only a few books containing any history of India. Even though I lack the historical background of India, I found the book easy to read and follow. Basically I read it in 2 days and found the information that the authors presented to be fascinating. I felt as if I was standing there watching the whole thing unfold in front of my eyes. In addition, I was able to perceive the physical sensation of the characters written within the pages. It takes a very special history book to keep my attention span going and this book did the trick. Most history books take me a month to finish.
   So overall, I enjoyed the book and if you are a person that has no direction or sense of history, you, my friend, will enjoy it as well. The only thing that I regret was not reading this information prior to seeing the Taj in 2002. If I did, I would have had a better feeling of what it represented than being just a silly tourist making a checklist on all the famous places that I have visited. Oh well...
   Read it. I guarantee that you will enjoy it!



4. initially I was interested in this book because a decade ago, I'd written about Mumtaz Mahal, the woman for whom the Taj was built. I was amazed at the book's insights. One in particular moved me--it showed how Shah Jahan publicly revealed his deep grief over his wife's death. By going public, he broke the rules of Indian society by showing his feelings in such a manner--considered signs of weakness in a man, especially a ruler. But this book took on even more meaning after taking a recent 3-week trip to India. In the Preston book, I'd read how uncounted thousands of laborers, men and women, had built the foundations of the Taj with little besides their hands. That seemed hard to believe. But in Agra and other places, I was astonished to see women and men doing repair work on grand monuments like the Taj, moving stones in baskets, carrying loads of excavated earth upon their heads--exactly as described in the Preston book. Since I collect books, I like those that cover a topic well and give me unusual facts, too. From this one, I found out something I'd always wanted to know: that the backwards swastika seen everywhere in India represents the way the cosmos spreads outward in four directions. Cool. Being a nonfiction writer myself, I know what a challenge it is to tackle a popular topic that, one would think, has been "done to death." The Prestons have risen to the challenge and succeeded brilliantly.



5. This is a wonderful book, beautifully written and presented with fine illustrations. I started reading the book on my return from a business trip in India and found that the perspective the book provided on the Moghul empire helped me understand the beauty of their art and architecture. The Taj Mahal is the highlight of the Moghul art and architecture . The book helps the reader understand the context in which this building was created. I highly recommend this book.

3 comments about The Royal Palaces of Tudor England: Architecture and Court Life, 1460-1547 (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in Britis).

1. This book is very extensive on the history of the Tudor palaces, it has great information and great pictures. A must buy for your collection of Tudor history.



2. I grew up in England and have visited many historical buildings from the Tudor period. If you are fascinated by the Tudor dynasty, especially Henry VIII, and the buildings and living conditions of the Tudor monarchs, this book will satisfy your thirst for knowledge. I thought that I had a fairly good knowledge about the Tudor period until I bought this book. Simon Thurley is an expert in this field and it shows. The book contains maps of the palaces, pictures of parts of excavated palaces that I have never seen before, and many, many paintings of the palaces how they "used to look". Many of these fine buildings have been lost to modernization and demolishment, but their images live on in this book. Excellent job Dr. Thurley!!



3. Dr. Thurley has done a great job with this reference book. A great addition to anyone's personal reference library on Tudor history.

2 comments about Art of the Brooklyn Bridge: A Visual History.

1. The poster arrived quickly (within ten days of the
   order). It was well wrapped. I could see the subject of the poster but it was safely wrapped to avoid damage in shipping and yet be 'green' as far as amount of pack-
   ing material used. It was very nicely framed & an excellent gift for my daughter who collects Brooklyn
   Bridge memorabilia.



2. Haw's collection of both color and black-and-white images surrounding the building and celebration of the Brooklyn Bridge is beautiful. Page after page of drawings, paintings, and photographs, plus informative surrounding text, chart the bridge's building, opening, and early use. Considering the huge number of images, some in warm color, others of hard-to-find cartoons and drawings, this book is a bargain. After leafing through this handsomely produced volume, one understands why the Brooklyn Bridge has become an icon of American vision and engineering know-how.

1 comments about Private Ireland: Irish Living & Irish Style Today.

1. "Private Ireland" is a wonderful book that is full of beautiful photos and information about a fascinating country, namely Ireland. Not only do you get history, you get today's furnishings with lots of information. Planning a trip to Ireland? Read this book. Want information? Read this book. It is not a travelor's book, rather, it is a wonderful way to get a romantic view of different spaces and decorating. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a glimpse of real-life Ireland.

1 comments about Architecture in France (Architecture & Design Series).

1. Although I have quite a few other books by Jodidio (amoung them the Architecture Now series - great, by the way), I didn't have any expectations for this book. I was pleasantly surprised. The book covers some of the work of smaller name architects (at least from my perspective in N. America). Very interesting work covered. I especially liked the simple, but brilliant "Tower Flower" by Edouard Francois - large built-in greenery on a nine- story apartment building. However, some of the complex and convoluted buildings could have used a floor plan to help understand the scheme of the building a little better. A few architects' work(s) are simple computer generated models of works in progress, but they effectively portray the buildings. Given the state of architecture in general, I was pleasantly surprised to see a strong representation of women in this group of architects. Does this represent the "Architecture in ... " series by Jodidio, or does it represent France? I will be getting more of this series to see what new and interesting in the other countries covered. I like the three language format as well, allowing me to maintain my French and German while enjoying architecture. No complaints about the quality of the physical book either (paper, binding, printing).

1 comments about Living in Cuba.

1. I bought this book in Havana whilst on a brief visit just recently.

   Having visited some of the places in the book, such as the wonderful building used as the cover shot; stayed in a hotel on The Malecon; stayed in one of the private grand old homes in Vedado; stayed for a few days in Trinidad; Cienfuegos; Valle de los Ingenios - can truly say that this book, by its wonderful photography, has captured the true essence of what is Cuba today - a beautiful island caught in a past era distinguished by its architecture, granduer of vision and the human senses of style and vibrant sense of life - all in glorious decay today but still captiviting and enthralling. It is heartening that some of the buildings are being restored to their former grandeur and will be there for following generations to see and enjoy.

   The country is rendered even more attractive by its people, who everyday cope with trying to live without the basics that the rest of the world takes for granted and, still maintain a great sense of life, optimism, gentleness of spirit and pride in their beautiful country.

1 comments about Three Houses: Glenn Murcutt Architecture in Detail.

1. This book is full of amazing and inspiring photography that is only surpassed by the author's exquisitely written essays. I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in our built environment. Murcutt's ability to synthesize modern architecture with regional and environmental concerns is truly remarkable. His buildings contrast with nature in that the natural environment's raw and delicate attributes are enhanced through the comparison with the finished industrial character of his buldings. Murcutt, however, does not subvert nature to man because his buildings, with their reflective quality, depend upon the environment for their identity with facades that change with the time of day and the colors of the foliage. His buildings sit very lightly on their harsh yet delicate sites describing Murcutt's early concern for environmental preservation

2 comments about Provence: Style of Living.

1. This book describes typical Provencal style elements and shows stunning photo examples. If you are a Cote Sud magazine reader you can be assured of the same high quality images and graphic design. However, here you will find the helpful instruction you are seeking if you are building or decorating in the French Style. I have many style books and this remains my favorite!



2. I had been buying the magazine Cote De Sud off and on for some time when I came across this book on Amazon. I still get the magazine but I refer to the book many times during the year. I have enjoyed this book very much. Of all my French Decor books It is probably my favorite. Color is intense and photos are large and well defined. Good read and good design ideas.

1 comments about New Houses: 36 of the World's Most Spectacular Home Designs.

1. This book should not be bought.... I buy and study lots of books like this one and this books offers nothing and is poorly done.